[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 209 (Friday, October 29, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 58364-58366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28145]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Fiscal Service

31 CFR Part 380


Collateral Acceptability and Valuation

AGENCY: Bureau of the Public Debt, Fiscal Service, Department of the 
Treasury.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury is publishing for comment a 
proposed rule that will govern the acceptability and valuation of all 
collateral pledged to secure deposits of public monies and other 
financial interests of the government under Treasury's three Fiscal 
Service collateral programs. These programs are titled and described in 
existing parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (``CFR'') as: 
Depositaries and Financial Agents of the Government; Payment of Federal 
Taxes and the Treasury Tax and Loan Program; and Acceptance of Bonds 
Secured by Government Obligations in Lieu of Bonds with Sureties.
    The standards of this proposed rule are essentially the same as 
those under current requirements and procedures. This proposed rule has 
been drafted using ``plain language,'' and we specifically request 
comment on its clarity and how we can make it easier to understand.

DATES: Submit comments on or before November 29, 1999.

ADDRESSES: You may send your hard copy comments to: Government 
Securities Regulations Staff, Bureau of the Public Debt, Department of 
the Treasury, 999 E Street N.W., Room 315, Washington, D.C. 20239-0001. 
You may also send us comments by e-mail to [email protected]. 
When sending comments over the Internet, please use an ASCII file 
format and provide your full name and mailing address. Comments 
received will be available for public inspection and downloading from 
the Internet and for public inspection and copying at the Treasury 
Department Library, FOIA Collection, Room 5030, Main Treasury Building, 
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20220. To visit the 
library, call (202) 622-0990 for an appointment. You can download this 
proposed rule from the following web site: www.publicdebt.treas.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Santamorena (Executive Director), 
or Kurt Eidemiller (Senior Financial Advisor), Department of the 
Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt, Government Securities Regulations 
Staff, (202) 691-3632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Department of the Treasury (``Treasury,'' ``Department,'' or 
``we'') is publishing for comment a proposed new rule that will govern 
the determination of the acceptable types of collateral and their 
assigned values when pledged to secure deposits of public monies and 
other financial interests of the government under Treasury's collateral 
programs. We would establish a new part 380 of Title 31 for this 
purpose.
    The Department's Fiscal Service administers several financial 
programs that involve the pledging of specific collateral. These 
programs are described in, and governed by, existing regulations at 31 
CFR Part 202 (Depositaries and Financial Agents of the Government), 31

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CFR Part 203 (Payment of Federal Taxes and the Treasury Tax and Loan 
Program), and 31 CFR Part 225 (Acceptance of Bonds Secured by 
Government Obligations in Lieu of Bonds with Sureties). The Financial 
Management Service (``FMS''), a bureau within the Department's Fiscal 
Service, administers these programs, which are handled operationally by 
the Federal Reserve System, acting as the fiscal agent for Treasury. 
FMS is responsible for administering and amending the regulations for 
these programs. The Bureau of the Public Debt (``Public Debt''), 
another bureau within the Department's Fiscal Service, will administer 
the specific regulations pertaining to the acceptability and valuation 
of the collateral in these programs.
    FMS will continue to be responsible for any other operational and 
regulatory oversight of Treasury's collateral programs and will provide 
for corresponding regulatory amendments to parts 202, 203, and 225 in 
31 CFR. After consideration of any comments received in response to 
this proposed rule, we will publish new Part 380 in final form. We 
expect that new Part 380 (final rule) will be published in the Federal 
Register concurrently with amendments to Parts 202, 203, and 225 (final 
rules), which will delete certain collateral provisions and will 
provide appropriate cross-references.
    At this time, we're proposing that acceptable types of collateral 
be consistent with the collateral that is currently acceptable under 
Parts 202, 203, and 225. The proposed rule simply establishes a 
different regulatory structure by centralizing the collateral 
provisions in a single place and specifically setting out the classes 
of acceptable collateral in the regulations.
    The proposed rule also addresses how the acceptable collateral will 
be valued, consistent with current requirements. Acceptable collateral 
for part 202 will be valued at par, or at 90% of par, depending on the 
pledged asset as set out in Sec. 380.2. As described in Sec. 380.3, the 
valuation of pledged collateral for Part 203 will be based on the class 
of acceptable security or instrument using those valuation methods 
applied by the Federal Reserve System, at the direction of the 
Treasury. Effective September 21, 1998, this assigned value typically 
reflects a market valuation methodology or mark-to-market pricing. 
Acceptable collateral for part 225 will be valued at par as noted in 
Sec. 380.4.
    We may choose in the final rule not to set out the acceptable 
classes of collateral and respective valuations as proposed. Instead, 
we may choose to reference current Treasury guidance by stating: ``We 
will specify the types and valuation of acceptable collateral in 
Treasury procedural instructions.'' The term ``procedural 
instructions,'' though subject to change, is currently defined in 31 
CFR Section 203.2 as ``the Treasury Financial Manual, Volume IV (IV 
TFM), other Treasury instructions issued through the TFAs, and FRB 
operating circulars issued consistent with this part.''
    The office responsible for implementing new Part 380, including any 
guidance and interpretation, is the Office of the Commissioner. Public 
Debt also intends to post all related information about collateral 
acceptability and valuation on its Internet website at the following 
address: www.publicdebt.treas.gov.

II. Procedural Requirements

    This proposed rule is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under 
Executive Order 12866. We certify that this regulation will not have a 
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. 
This regulation merely sets forth, without substantive change, existing 
standards and procedures for the acceptability and valuation of 
collateral pledged to the government under the three collateral 
programs. Accordingly, we are not required to perform a regulatory 
flexibility analysis. Finally, this proposed rule contains no new 
collection of information. Therefore, the Paperwork Reduction Act does 
not apply.

List of Subjects in 31 CFR Part 380

    Collateral, Depositaries, Government obligations, Government 
securities, Securities, Surety bonds.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, we propose to amend 
subchapter B of chapter II of Title 31 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations, by adding part 380 to read as follows:

PART 380--COLLATERAL ACCEPTABILITY AND VALUATION

Subpart A--General Information

Sec.
380.0  What do these regulations govern?
380.1  What special definitions apply to this part?

Subpart B--Acceptable Collateral and its Valuation

380.2  What collateral may I pledge if I am a depositary or a 
financial agent of the Government under 31 CFR part 202, and what 
value will you assign to it?
380.3  What collateral may I pledge if I am a Treasury Tax and Loan 
depositary under 31 CFR part 203, and what value will you assign to 
it?
380.4  What collateral may I pledge instead of a surety bond under 
31 CFR part 225, and what value will you assign to it?

Subpart C--Miscellaneous Provisions

380.5  Where can I find current information, and who can I contact 
for additional guidance and interpretations?

    Authority: 12 U.S.C. 90, 265-266, 332, 391, 1452(d), 1464(k), 
1767, 1789a, 2013, 2122, 3101-3102; 26 U.S.C. 6302; 31 U.S.C. 321, 
323, 3301-3304, 3336, 9301, 9303.

Subpart A--General Information


Sec. 380.0  What do these regulations govern?

    The regulations in this part govern the types of acceptable 
collateral that you may pledge to secure deposits of public monies and 
other financial interests of the federal government, as well as the 
valuation of that collateral. Specifically, the regulations in this 
part apply to the programs governed by the Department of the Treasury's 
regulations at 31 CFR Part 202 (Depositaries and Financial Agents of 
the Government), 31 CFR Part 203 (Payment of Federal Taxes and the 
Treasury Tax and Loan Program), and 31 CFR Part 225 (Acceptance of 
Bonds Secured by Government Obligations in Lieu of Bonds with 
Sureties). The regulations in this part apply only to the acceptability 
and valuation of collateral that may be pledged under these programs. 
31 CFR parts 202, 203, and 225 continue to govern the respective 
programs themselves.


Sec. 380.1  What special definitions apply to this part?

    Special definitions that may apply to this part are contained in 31 
CFR parts 202, 203 and 225.

Subpart B--Acceptable Collateral and its Valuation


Sec. 380.2  What collateral may I pledge if I am a depositary or a 
financial agent of the Government under 31 CFR part 202, and what value 
will you assign to it?

    (a) Unless we specify otherwise, you may pledge the following 
classes of marketable securities, to be valued as follows:
    (1) Obligations issued, fully insured, or guaranteed by the United 
States Government or any United States Government agency. We will value 
these obligations at par;
    (2) Obligations of United States Government-sponsored corporations 
that under specific statute may be accepted as security for public 
funds. We will value these obligations at ninety percent of par; and
    (3) Obligations issued or fully guaranteed by the International 
Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development 
Bank, the

[[Page 58366]]

Asian Development Bank, or the African Development Bank. We will value 
these obligations at ninety percent of par.
    (b) You may not pledge zero-coupon or declining balance obligations 
of any entity defined above in this section.


Sec. 380.3  What collateral may I pledge if I am a Treasury Tax and 
Loan depositary under 31 CFR part 203, and what value will you assign 
to it?

    (a) Unless we specify otherwise, you may pledge marketable 
securities or instruments of the following classes:
    (1) Obligations issued, fully insured, or guaranteed by the United 
States Government or any United States Government agency;
    (2) Zero-coupon obligations of the United States Government;
    (3) Obligations of United States Government-sponsored corporations 
that under specific statute may be accepted as security for public 
funds;
    (4) Obligations issued or fully guaranteed by the International 
Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development 
Bank, the Asian Development Bank, or the African Development Bank;
    (5) Obligations partially insured or guaranteed by a United States 
Government agency;
    (6) Insured student loans or notes representing educational loans 
insured or guaranteed under a program authorized under Title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, or Title VII of the Public 
Health Service Act, as amended;
    (7) General obligations issued by states of the United States and 
Puerto Rico;
    (8) Obligations of counties, cities, or other governmental 
authorities or instrumentalities within the United States that are not 
in default as to payments on principal or interest and that may be 
purchased by banks as investment securities under the limitations 
established by appropriate federal bank regulatory agencies;
    (9) Obligations of domestic corporations that may be purchased by 
banks as investment securities under the limitations established by 
appropriate federal bank regulatory agencies; and
    (10) Qualifying commercial paper, commercial and agricultural 
loans, and bankers' acceptances approved by the Federal Reserve System, 
at the direction of the Treasury.
    (b) Collateral for Special Direct Investment Program:
    (1) Unless we specify otherwise, to secure your Special Direct 
Investment (SDI) balances, you may only pledge:
    (i) One to four family mortgages; and
    (ii) Insured student loans or notes representing education loans 
insured or guaranteed under a program authorized under Title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, or Title VII of the Public 
Health Service Act, as amended.
    (2) In addition, all pledged collateral must be:
    (i) Acceptable by the Federal Reserve System to secure borrowings 
from a Federal Reserve Bank for its borrow-in-custody of collateral 
program; and
    (ii) Held by the pledging depositary institution which retains 
possession of the collateral on its own premises under an off-premises 
collateral arrangement.
    (c) We will value all collateral acceptable under this section 
based on the class of collateral as described using the valuation 
methods applied by the Federal Reserve System, at the direction of the 
Treasury. The assigned value typically employs a market valuation 
methodology.


Sec. 380.4  What collateral may I pledge instead of a surety bond under 
31 CFR part 225, and what value will you assign to it?

    (a) Unless we specify otherwise, you may pledge a public debt 
obligation of the United States Government or an obligation whose 
principal and interest is unconditionally guaranteed by the United 
States Government. We will value these obligations at par.
    (b) You may not pledge zero-coupon obligations of the United States 
Government or any United States Government agency.

Subpart C--Miscellaneous Provisions


Sec. 380.5  Where can I find current information, and who can I contact 
for additional guidance and interpretations?

    You can find a current list of acceptable classes of securities and 
instruments described in this Part at Public Debt's website, 
www.publicdebt.treas.gov. You can also contact your local Federal 
Reserve Bank for general assistance in interpreting our criteria. You 
also may contact the Office of the Commissioner, Bureau of the Public 
Debt. We can be reached by postal mail at: Office of the Commissioner, 
Bureau of the Public Debt, Department of the Treasury, 999 E Street, 
NW, Room 315, Washington, DC 20239-0001, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

    Dated: October 22, 1999.
Van Zeck,
Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 99-28145 Filed 10-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-39-P