Regulations Governing Payments by Banks and Other Financial Institutions of United States Savings Bonds and United States Savings Notes (Freedom Shares)

The Department of the Treasury hereby publishes this final rule amending the regulations to update procedures used by the Bureau of the Public Debt for collecting debts owed by paying agents of United States Savings Bonds and Savings Notes (collectively referred to herein as savings bonds or bonds). These collection procedures are used when a paying agent cannot be relieved of liability for a savings bond transaction and the paying agent fails to reimburse Public Debt in a timely manner. Accounts designated or utilized by paying agents at Federal Reserve Banks for receiving settlements for savings bond redemptions are immediately credited upon the receipt of paid bonds with cash letters by Federal Reserve Banks or Branches through the EZ CLEAR system. These immediate settlements occur with the understanding that adjustments to correct errors may later be necessary. This system has expedited the process of crediting the accounts paying agents have designated or utilized for receiving savings bond transaction settlements. However, the system has also made it more cumbersome for Public Debt to collect monies from paying agents, not relieved of liability, that fail to reimburse Public Debt in a timely manner. This amendment corrects this problem by providing that paying agents are deemed to have authorized the debit of any overdue amount, interest, administrative cost, and penalty assessed, directly from the agents' Reserve, correspondent, or clearing accounts designated or utilized at Federal Reserve Banks or Branches for settlement of redeemed savings bonds.