(a) Consolidated obligations issued by the Banks—(1) Subject to the provisions of this part and such other rules, regulations, terms, and conditions as the Director may prescribe, the Banks may issue joint debt under section 11(c) of the Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 1431(c)), which shall be consolidated obligations, on which the Banks shall be jointly and severally liable in accordance with § 1270.10 of this part.

(2) Consolidated obligations shall be issued only through the Office of Finance, as agent of the Banks pursuant to this part and part 1273 of this chapter.

(3) All consolidated obligations shall be issued in pari passu.

(b) Negative pledge requirement. Each Bank shall at all times maintain assets described in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(5) of this section free from any lien or pledge, in an amount at least equal to a pro rata share of the total amount of currently outstanding consolidated obligations and equal to such Bank's participation in all such consolidated obligations outstanding, provided that any assets that are subject to a lien or pledge for the benefit of the holders of any issue of consolidated obligations shall be treated as if they were assets free from any lien or pledge for purposes of compliance with this paragraph (b). Eligible assets are:

(1) Cash;

(2) Obligations of or fully guaranteed by the United States;

(3) Secured advances;

(4) Mortgages as to which one or more Banks have any guaranty or insurance, or commitment therefor, by the United States or any agency thereof; and

(5) Investments described in section 16(a) of the Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 1436(a)).

The Banks, individually and collectively, shall operate in such manner and take any actions necessary, including without limitation reducing leverage, to ensure that consolidated obligations maintain a high level of acceptance by financial markets and are generally perceived by investors as presenting a low level of credit risk.

The general regulations of the Department of the Treasury now or hereafter in force governing transactions in United States securities, except 31 CFR part 357 regarding book-entry procedure, are hereby incorporated into this subpart C of this part, so far as applicable and as necessarily modified to relate to consolidated obligations, as the regulations of FHFA for similar transactions on consolidated obligations. The book-entry procedure for consolidated obligations is contained in subpart D of this part.

United States statutes and regulations of the Department of the Treasury now or hereafter in force governing relief on account of the loss, theft, destruction, mutilation or defacement of United States securities, so far as applicable and as necessarily modified to relate to consolidated obligations, are hereby adopted as the regulations of FHFA for the issuance of substitute consolidated obligations or the payment of lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated or defaced consolidated obligations.

The Secretary of the Treasury or the Acting Secretary of the Treasury is hereby authorized and empowered, as the agent of FHFA and the Banks, to administer §§ 1270.6 and 1270.7, and to delegate such authority at their discretion to other officers, employees, and agents of the Department of the Treasury. Any such regulations may be waived on behalf of FHFA and the Banks by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Acting Secretary of the Treasury, or by an officer of the Department of the Treasury authorized to waive similar regulations with respect to United States securities, but only in any particular case in which a similar regulation with respect to United States securities would be waived. The terms “securities” and “bonds” as used in this section shall, unless the context otherwise requires, include and apply to coupons and interim certificates.

(a) The Office of Finance board of directors shall authorize the offering for current and forward settlement (up to 12 months) or the reopening of consolidated obligations, as necessary, and authorize the maturities, rates of interest, terms and conditions thereof, subject to the provisions of 31 U.S.C. 9108.

(b) Consolidated obligations may be offered for sale only to the extent that Banks are committed to take the proceeds.

(c) Consolidated obligations shall not be purchased by any Bank as part of an initial issuance whether such consolidated obligation is purchased directly from the Office of Finance or indirectly from an underwriter.

(d) If the Banks issue consolidated obligations denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars or linked to equity or commodity prices, then any Bank accepting proceeds from those consolidated obligations shall meet the following requirements with regard to such consolidated obligations:

(1) The relevant foreign exchange, equity price or commodity price risks associated with the consolidated obligation must be hedged in accordance with § 1267.4 of this chapter;

(2) If there is a default on the part of a counterparty to a contract hedging the foreign exchange, equity or commodity price risk associated with a consolidated obligation, the Bank shall enter into a replacement contract in a timely manner and as soon as market conditions permit.

(a) In general—(1) Each and every Bank, individually and collectively, has an obligation to make full and timely payment of all principal and interest on consolidated obligations when due.

(2) Each and every Bank, individually and collectively, shall ensure that the timely payment of principal and interest on all consolidated obligations is given priority over, and is paid in full in advance of, any payment to or redemption of shares from any shareholder.

(3) The provisions of this part shall not limit, restrict or otherwise diminish, in any manner, the joint and several liability of all of the Banks on any consolidated obligation.

(b) Certification and reporting—(1) Before the end of each calendar quarter, and before declaring or paying any dividend for that quarter, the President of each Bank shall certify in writing to FHFA that, based on known current facts and financial information, the Bank will remain in compliance with the liquidity requirements set forth in section 11(g) of the Act (12 U.S.C. 1431(g)), and any regulations (as the same may be amended, modified or replaced), and will remain capable of making full and timely payment of all of its current obligations, including direct obligations, coming due during the next quarter.

(2) A Bank shall immediately provide written notice to FHFA if at any time the Bank:

(i) Is unable to provide the certification required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section;

(ii) Projects at any time that it will fail to comply with statutory or regulatory liquidity requirements, or will be unable to timely and fully meet all of its current obligations, including direct obligations, due during the quarter;

(iii) Actually fails to comply with statutory or regulatory liquidity requirements or to timely and fully meet all of its current obligations, including direct obligations, due during the quarter; or

(iv) Negotiates to enter or enters into an agreement with one or more other Banks to obtain financial assistance to meet its current obligations, including direct obligations, due during the quarter; the notice of which shall be accompanied by a copy of the agreement, which shall be subject to the approval of FHFA.

(c) Consolidated obligation payment plans—(1) A Bank promptly shall file a consolidated obligation payment plan for FHFA approval:

(i) If the Bank becomes a non-complying Bank as a result of failing to provide the certification required in paragraph (b)(1) of this section;

(ii) If the Bank becomes a non-complying Bank as a result of being required to provide the notice required pursuant to paragraph (b)(2) of this section, except in the event that a failure to make a principal or interest payment on a consolidated obligation when due was caused solely by a temporary interruption in the Bank's debt servicing operations resulting from an external event such as a natural disaster or a power failure; or

(iii) If FHFA determines that the Bank will cease to be in compliance with the statutory or regulatory liquidity requirements, or will lack the capacity to timely and fully meet all of its current obligations, including direct obligations, due during the quarter.

(2) A consolidated obligation payment plan shall specify the measures the non-complying Bank will undertake to make full and timely payments of all of its current obligations, including direct obligations, due during the applicable quarter.

(3) A non-complying Bank may continue to incur and pay normal operating expenses incurred in the regular course of business (including salaries, benefits, or costs of office space, equipment and related expenses), but shall not incur or pay any extraordinary expenses, or declare, or pay dividends, or redeem any capital stock, until such time as FHFA has approved the Bank's consolidated obligation payment plan or inter-Bank assistance agreement, or ordered another remedy, and all of the non-complying Bank's direct obligations have been paid.

(d) FHFA payment orders; Obligation to reimburse—(1) FHFA, in its discretion and notwithstanding any other provision in this section, may at any time order any Bank to make any principal or interest payment due on any consolidated obligation.

(2) To the extent that a Bank makes any payment on any consolidated obligation on behalf of another Bank, the paying Bank shall be entitled to reimbursement from the non-complying Bank, which shall have a corresponding obligation to reimburse the Bank providing assistance, to the extent of such payment and other associated costs (including interest to be determined by FHFA).

(e) Adjustment of equities—(1) Any non-complying Bank shall apply its assets to fulfill its direct obligations.

(2) If a Bank is required to meet, or otherwise meets, the direct obligations of another Bank due to a temporary interruption in the latter Bank's debt servicing operations (e.g., in the event of a natural disaster or power failure), the assisting Bank shall have the same right to reimbursement set forth in paragraph (d)(2) of this section.

(3) If FHFA determines that the assets of a non-complying Bank are insufficient to satisfy all of its direct obligations as set forth in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, then FHFA may allocate the outstanding liability among the remaining Banks on a pro rata basis in proportion to each Bank's participation in all consolidated obligations outstanding as of the end of the most recent month for which FHFA has data, or otherwise as FHFA may prescribe.

(f) Reservation of authority. Nothing in this section shall affect the Director's authority to adjust equities between the Banks in a manner different than the manner described in paragraph (e) of this section, or to take enforcement or other action against any Bank pursuant to the Director's authority under the Safety and Soundness Act or the Bank Act, or otherwise to supervise the Banks and ensure that they are operated in a safe and sound manner.

(g) No rights created—(1) Nothing in this part shall create or be deemed to create any rights in any third party.

(2) Payments made by a Bank toward the direct obligations of another Bank are made for the sole purpose of discharging the joint and several liability of the Banks on consolidated obligations.

(3) Compliance, or the failure to comply, with any provision in this section shall not be deemed a default under the terms and conditions of the consolidated obligations.

Any agreements or other instruments entered into in connection with the issuance of consolidated obligations prior to the amendments made to this part shall continue in effect with respect to all consolidated obligations issued under the authority of section 11 of the Bank Act (12 U.S.C. 1431) and pursuant to this part. References to consolidated obligations in such agreements and instruments shall be deemed to refer to all joint and several obligations of the Banks.