(a) Before a Government corporation issues obligations and offers obligations to the public, the Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe—

(1) the form, denomination, maturity, interest rate, and conditions to which the obligations will be subject;

(2) the way and time the obligations are issued; and

(3) the price for which the obligations will be sold.


Terms Used In 31 USC 9108

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1

(b) A Government corporation may buy or sell a direct obligation of the United States Government, or an obligation on which the principal, interest, or both, is guaranteed, of more than $100,000 only when the Secretary approves the purchase or sale. The Secretary may waive the requirement of this subsection under conditions the Secretary may decide.

(c) The Secretary may designate an officer or employee of an agency to carry out this section if the head of the agency agrees.

(d)(1) This section does not apply to a mixed-ownership Government corporation when the corporation has no capital of the Government.

(2) Subsections (a) and (b) of this section do not apply to the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Central Bank for Cooperatives, the Regional Banks for Cooperatives, and the Federal Land Banks. However, the head of each of those banks shall consult with the Secretary before taking action of the kind described in subsection (a) or (b). If agreement is not reached, the Secretary may make a written report to the corporation, the President, and Congress on the reasons for the Secretary’s disagreement.