[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2011)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 11079-11080]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4455]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Fiscal Service

31 CFR Part 356

[Docket No. BPD GSRS 11-01; Department of the Treasury Circular, Public 
Debt Series No. 1-93]


Sale and Issue of Marketable Book-Entry Treasury Bills, Notes, 
and Bonds; Minimum Interest Rate

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

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: This final rule amends Treasury's marketable securities 
auction rules to establish a minimum interest rate of \1/8\ of one 
percent for all new Treasury note and bond issues.

DATES: Effective April 1, 2011.

ADDRESSES: This final rule is available on the Bureau of the Public 
Debt's Web site at: http://www.treasurydirect.gov. It is also available 
for public inspection and copying at the Treasury Department Library, 
Room 1428, Main Treasury Building, 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20220. To visit the library, call (202) 622-0990 for an 
appointment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lori Santamorena, Chuck Andreatta, or 
Kevin Hawkins, Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Public Debt,

[[Page 11080]]

Government Securities Regulations Staff, (202) 504-3632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of the Treasury (``Treasury'' 
or ``We'') is issuing an amendment to 31 CFR 356.20(b) of the Uniform 
Offering Circular for the Sale and Issue of Marketable Book-Entry 
Treasury Bills, Notes, and Bonds \1\ (``UOC'' or ``Auction Rules'') to 
establish a minimum interest rate of \1/8\ of one percent (i.e., 0.125 
percent) for all new marketable Treasury note and bond issues. This 
amendment is not applicable to reopenings.\2\ In this rule we discuss 
how Treasury determines the interest rate for new note and bond issues, 
the reason for establishing a minimum interest rate, and the final 
amendment to the UOC.
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    \1\ See 58 FR 412, January 5, 1993. The circular, as amended, is 
codified at 31 CFR part 356. The UOC, together with the offering 
announcement for each auction, sets out the terms and conditions for 
the sale and issuance by the Treasury to the public of marketable 
book-entry Treasury bills, notes, and bonds.
    \2\ The term reopening is defined at 31 CFR 356.2 as the auction 
of an additional amount of an outstanding security.
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I. Determining the Interest Rate for New Treasury Note and Bond Issues

    In determining the interest rate for new note and bond issues, 
Treasury sets the interest rate at a \1/8\ of one percent increment. 
The interest rate we establish produces the price closest to, but not 
above, par that corresponds to the yield awarded to successful 
competitive bidders.\3\ The interest rate in turn is used to establish 
the amount of the semi-annual interest payment that note and bond 
investors receive.\4\
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    \3\ For example, the two-year note auction conducted on December 
29, 2005, resulted in a yield of 4.404 percent. The interest rate 
was set at 4\3/8\ percent with a price of 99.944505. See http://www.treasurydirect.gov/instit/annceresult/press/preanre/2005/ofk1229051.pdf.
    \4\ See Appendix B to part 356--Formulas and Tables.
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II. Establishing a Minimum Interest Rate

    In an extremely low interest rate environment, a note or bond 
auction could result in an interest rate lower than Treasury's \1/8\ of 
one percent interest rate increment. If that were to happen, under the 
current methodology the new security would be issued with a zero 
percent interest rate and would have no semi-annual interest payments. 
Treasury is amending the UOC because we believe it is preferable that 
Treasury notes and bonds pay regular, semi-annual interest payments.

III. Amendment to the Rule

    Accordingly, Treasury is amending paragraph (b) of 31 CFR 356.20 to 
state that if a Treasury note or bond auction results in a yield lower 
than 0.125 percent, the interest rate will be set at \1/8\ of one 
percent with the price adjusted accordingly (i.e., at a premium). This 
change applies to all new marketable Treasury note and bond issues: 
Treasury fixed-principal \5\ (also referred to as nominal) notes and 
bonds as well as Treasury inflation-protected notes and bonds.
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    \5\ We use the term ``fixed-principal'' to distinguish such 
securities from ``inflation-protected'' securities. We refer to 
fixed-principal notes and fixed-principal bonds as ``notes'' and 
``bonds'' in official Treasury publications, such as auction 
announcements and auction results press releases, as well as in the 
auction system.
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Procedural Requirements

    Executive Order 12866. This final rule is not a ``significant 
regulatory action'' pursuant to Executive Order 12866.
    Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Because this rule relates to 
public contracts and procedures for United States securities, the 
notice, public comment, and delayed effective date provisions of the 
Administrative Procedure Act are inapplicable, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 
553(a)(2).
    Regulatory Flexibility Act. As no notice of proposed rulemaking is 
required, the provisions of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 
601, et seq.) do not apply.
    Paperwork Reduction Act. There is no new collection of information 
contained in this final rule, and, therefore, the Paperwork Reduction 
Act does not apply. The Office of Management and Budget has approved 
the collections of information already contained in 31 CFR part 356, 
under control number 1535-0112. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, an 
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB 
control number.

List of Subjects in 31 CFR Part 356

    Bonds, Federal Reserve System, Government Securities, Securities.

    For the reasons set forth in the preamble, 31 CFR part 356 is 
amended as follows:

PART 356--SALE AND ISSUE OF MARKETABLE BOOK-ENTRY TREASURY BILLS, 
NOTES, AND BONDS (DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY CIRCULAR, PUBLIC DEBT 
SERIES NO. 1-93)

0
1. The authority citation for part 356 continues to read as follows:

    Authority:  5 U.S.C. 301; 31 U.S.C. 3102, et seq.; 12 U.S.C. 
391.


0
2. Section 356.20 is amended by revising the introductory text of 
paragraph (b) to read as follows:


Sec.  356.20  How does the Treasury determine auction awards?

* * * * *
    (b) Determining the interest rate for new note and bond issues. We 
set the interest rate at a \1/8\ of one percent increment. If a 
Treasury note or bond auction results in a yield lower than 0.125 
percent, the interest rate will be set at \1/8\ of one percent, and 
successful bidders' award prices will be calculated accordingly (see 
appendix B to this part for formulas).
* * * * *

Richard L. Gregg,
Fiscal Assistant Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2011-4455 Filed 2-28-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-39-P