12 USC 2285 - Functions

§ 2281. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose
§ 2282. Definitions
§ 2283. Creation of Federal Financing Bank
§ 2284. Board of Directors
§ 2285. Functions
§ 2285a. Acquisition of obligations involving loan guarantees for New York City
§ 2286. Approval of financing plans by Secretary of the Treasury
§ 2287. Initial capital
§ 2288. Bank obligations
§ 2289. General powers
§ 2290. Exemptions
§ 2291. Preparation of obligations
§ 2292. Annual report to the President and Congress
§ 2293. Budget and audit provisions of Government corporation control law applicable
§ 2294. Payments on behalf of public bodies
§ 2294a. Contracts for periodic payments to offset costs of purchase of obligations of local public housing agencies
§ 2295. Authority or responsibility under other provisions of law not to be affected or impaired
§ 2296. Increase not authorized in amounts of obligations issued, sold, or guaranteed by Federal agencies

§ 2281. Congressional findings and declaration of purpose

The Congress finds that demands for funds through Federal and federally assisted borrowing programs are increasing faster than the total supply of credit and that such borrowings are not adequately coordinated with overall Federal fiscal and debt management policies. The purpose of this chapter is to assure coordination of these programs with the overall economic and fiscal policies of the Government, to reduce the cost of Federal and federally assisted borrowings from the public, and to assure that such borrowings are financed in a manner least disruptive of private financial markets and institutions.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 2, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 937.)

§ 2282. Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter—

(1) The term “Federal agency” means an executive department, an independent Federal establishment, or a corporation or other entity established by the Congress which is owned in whole or in part by the United States.

(2) The term “obligation” means any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness, but does not include Federal Reserve notes or stock evidencing an ownership interest in the issuing Federal agency.

(3) The term “guarantee” means any guarantee, insurance, or other pledge with respect to the payment of all or part of the principal or interest on any obligation, but does not include the insurance of deposits, shares, or other withdrawable accounts in financial institutions, or any guarantee or pledge arising out of a statutory obligation to insure such deposits, shares, or other withdrawable accounts.

(4) The term “Bank” means the Federal Financing Bank established by section 2283 of this title.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 3, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 937.)

§ 2283. Creation of Federal Financing Bank

There is hereby created a body corporate to be known as the Federal Financing Bank, which shall have succession until dissolved by an Act of Congress. The Bank shall be subject to the general supervision and direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. The Bank shall be an instrumentality of the United States Government and shall maintain such offices as may be necessary or appropriate in the conduct of its business.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 4, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 937.)

§ 2284. Board of Directors

(a) The Bank shall have a Board of Directors consisting of five persons, one of whom shall be the Secretary of the Treasury as Chairman of the Board, and four of whom shall be appointed by the President from among the officers or employees of the Bank or of any Federal agency. The Chairman and each other member of the Board may designate some other officer or employee of the Government to serve in his place.

(b) The Board of Directors shall meet at the call of its Chairman. The Board shall determine the general policies which shall govern the operations of the Bank. The Chairman of the Board shall select and effect the appointment of qualified persons to fill such offices as may be provided for in the bylaws, and such persons shall be the executive officers of the Bank and shall discharge such executive functions, powers, and duties as may be provided for in the bylaws or by the Board of Directors. The members of the Board and their designees shall not receive compensation for their services on the Board.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 5, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 937.)

§ 2285. Functions

(a) Purchase and sale of obligations issued, sold, or guaranteed by Federal agencies

(b) Yield

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 6, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 938.)

§ 2285a. Acquisition of obligations involving loan guarantees for New York City

Nothing in any provision of law shall be construed to authorize the Federal Financing Bank to acquire any obligation the payment of interest or principal of which has at any time been guaranteed in whole or in part under title I of the New York City Loan Guarantee Act of 1978.

(Pub. L. 95–339, title II, § 201(b), Aug. 8, 1978, 92 Stat. 467.)

§ 2286. Approval of financing plans by Secretary of the Treasury

(a) Method, source, timing, terms, and conditions of sale of obligations issued or sold by Federal agencies

To insure the orderly and coordinated marketing of Treasury and Federal agency obligations and appropriate financing planning with respect thereto, and to facilitate the effective financing of programs authorized by law subject to the applicable provisions of such law, the prior approval of the Secretary of the Treasury shall be required with respect to—

(1) the method of financing,

(2) the source of financing,

(3) the timing of financing in relation to market conditions and financing by other Federal agencies, and

(4) the financing terms and conditions, including rates of interest and maturities,

of obligations issued or sold by any Federal agency; except that the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury shall not be required with respect to (A) obligations issued or sold pursuant to an Act of Congress which expressly prohibits any guarantee of such obligations by the United States, and (B) obligations issued or sold by the Farmers Home Administration.

(b) Grant or denial of approval by Secretary

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 7, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 938.)

§ 2287. Initial capital

The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to advance the funds necessary to provide initial capital to the Bank. Each such advance shall be upon such terms and conditions as to yield a return at a rate not less than a rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, taking into consideration the current average yield on outstanding marketable obligations of the United States of comparable maturity. Interest payments on such advances may be deferred, at the discretion of the Secretary, but any such deferred payments shall themselves bear interest at the rate specified in this section. There is authorized to be appropriated not to exceed $100,000,000, which shall be available for the purposes of this section without fiscal year limitation.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 8, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 939.)

§ 2288. Bank obligations

(a) Maximum amount of obligations issued publicly and outstanding at any one time

(b) Purchase and sale of obligations of Federal Financing Bank by Secretary of the Treasury as public debt transactions

(d) Bank obligations as lawful investments

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 9, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 939.)

§ 2289. General powers

The Bank shall have power—

(1) to sue and be sued, complain, and defend, in its corporate name;

(2) to adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed;

(3) to adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws, rules, and regulations as may be necessary for the conduct of its business;

(4) to conduct its business, carry on its operations, and have offices and exercise the powers granted by this chapter in any State without regard to any qualification or similar statute in any State;

(5) to lease, purchase, or otherwise acquire, own, hold, improve, use, or otherwise deal in and with any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein, wherever situated;

(6) to accept gifts or donations of services, or of property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, in aid of any of the purposes of the Bank;

(7) to sell, convey, mortgage, pledge, lease, exchange, and otherwise dispose of its property and assets;

(8) to appoint such officers, attorneys, employees, and agents as may be required, to define their duties, to fix and to pay such compensation for their services as may be determined, subject to the civil service and classification laws, to require bonds for them and pay the premium thereof;

(9) to enter into contracts, to execute instruments to incur liabilities, and to do all things as are necessary or incidental to the proper management of its affairs and the proper conduct of its business;

(10) to act through any corporate or other agency or instrumentality of the United States, and to utilize the services thereof on a reimbursable basis, and any such agency or instrumentality is authorized to provide services as requested by the Bank; and

(11) to determine the character of and the necessity for its obligations and expenditures, and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed, and paid, subject to provisions of law specifically applicable to Government corporations.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 10, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 940.)

§ 2290. Exemptions

(a) Federal, State, and local taxes

(b) Exempt securities

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 11, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 940.)

§ 2291. Preparation of obligations

In order to furnish obligations for delivery by the Bank, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to prepare such obligations in such form as the Bank may approve, such obligations when prepared to be held in the Treasury subject to delivery upon order by the Bank. The engraved plates, dies, bed pieces, and other material executed in connection therewith, shall remain in the custody of the Secretary of the Treasury. The Bank shall reimburse the Secretary of the Treasury for any expenditures made in preparation, custody, and delivery of such obligations.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 12, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 941.)

§ 2292. Annual report to the President and Congress

The Bank shall, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, transmit to the President and the Congress an annual report of its operations and activities.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 13, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 941.)

§ 2293. Budget and audit provisions of Government corporation control law applicable

The budget and audit provisions of chapter 91 of title 31 shall be applicable to the Federal Financing Bank in the same manner as they are applied to the wholly owned Government corporations named in section 9101(3) of title 31.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 15, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 941.)

§ 2294. Payments on behalf of public bodies

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the purchase by the Bank of the obligations of any local public body or agency within the United States shall be made upon such terms and conditions as may be necessary to avoid an increase in borrowing costs to such local public body or agency as a result of the purchase by the Bank of its obligations. The head of the Federal agency guaranteeing such obligations, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, shall estimate the borrowing costs that would be incurred by the local public body or agency if its obligations were not sold to the Bank.

(b) The Federal agency guaranteeing obligations purchased by the Bank may contract to make periodic payments to the Bank which shall be sufficient to offset the costs to the Bank of purchasing obligations of local public bodies or agencies upon terms and conditions as prescribed in this section rather than as prescribed by section 2285 of this title. Such contracts may be made in advance of appropriations therefor, and appropriations for making payments under such contracts are hereby authorized.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 16, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 941.)

§ 2294a. Contracts for periodic payments to offset costs of purchase of obligations of local public housing agencies

In addition to any authority provided before October 1, 1981, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development may, on and after October 1, 1981, enter into contracts for periodic payments to the Federal Financing Bank to offset the costs to the Bank of purchasing obligations (as described in the first sentence of section 2294(b) of this title) issued by local public housing agencies for purposes of financing public housing projects authorized by section 1437c(c) of title 42. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, such contracts may be entered into only to the extent approved in appropriation Acts, and the aggregate amount which may be obligated over the duration of such contracts may not exceed $400,000,000. There are hereby authorized to be appropriated any amounts necessary to provide for such payments. The authority to enter into contracts under this subsection shall be in lieu of any authority (except for authority provided specifically to the Secretary before October 1, 1981) of the Secretary to enter into contracts for such purposes under section 2294(b) of this title.

(Pub. L. 97–35, title III, § 329E, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 410.)

§ 2295. Authority or responsibility under other provisions of law not to be affected or impaired

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as impairing any authority or responsibility of the President or the Secretary of the Treasury under any other provision of law, nor shall anything in this chapter affect in any manner any provision of law concerning the right of any Federal agency to sell obligations to the Secretary of the Treasury or the authority or responsibility of the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase such obligations.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 17, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 942.)

§ 2296. Increase not authorized in amounts of obligations issued, sold, or guaranteed by Federal agencies

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as authorizing an increase in the amounts of obligations issued, sold, or guaranteed by any Federal agency which issues, sells, or guarantees obligations purchased by the Bank.

(Pub. L. 93–224, § 18, Dec. 29, 1973, 87 Stat. 942.)