Skip Navigation

2003 Federal Register Items (January - December)

The Federal Register is a daily publication used to provide notice of proposed or final changes to the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), including the the regulations of the Bureau of the Fiscal Service (formerly the Bureau of the Public Debt). The Federal Register is also used to provide other important information or requests for information. The most important items relating to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service published in the Federal Register from January 2003 through December 2003 are listed below. You will leave this site if you choose to access these Federal Register publications.

Some of these documents are in Adobe’s Portable Document Format (PDF). Many computers include the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which allows you to view PDF files. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, it is free to download and use. Find more help downloading.

2003 Federal Register Items (January - December)
December 23, 2003

31 CFR Part 356 - Sale and Issue of Marketable Book-Entry Treasury Bills, Notes and Bonds -- Plain Language Uniform Offering Circular.

ACTION: Proposed Rule.

Treasury today published in the Federal Register a proposed rule amendment to the Uniform Offering Circular. This proposed rule solicits comments on an amendment to the auction rules to convert the UOC to plain language. The amendment would make the auction rules easier to understand and would make certain minor modifications to conform the rules to current practices. Comments are due by February 23, 2004.

PDF Version (332K, uploaded 02/10/04)

December 5, 2003

31 CFR Part 1 and 323 - Privacy Act of 1974; Implementation

ACTION: Final Rule.

In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the Department of the Treasury exempts a Bureau of the Public Debt system of records entitled “Treasury/BPD.0009 - U.S. Treasury Securities Fraud Information System” from certain provisions of the Privacy Act.

PDF Version (40K, uploaded 12/05/03)

July 11, 2003

31 CFR Part 348 - Regulations Governing Depositary Compensation Securities

ACTION: Final Rule.

The Bureau of the Public Debt (Public Debt) is issuing regulations governing Depositary Compensation Securities that will be used to compensate financial agents for work performed on behalf of the Department of the Treasury.

PDF Version (125K, uploaded 07/18/03)

June 27, 2003

Fee Schedule for the Transfer of U.S. Treasury Book-Entry Securities Held on the National Book-Entry System

ACTION: Notice.

The Department of the Treasury is announcing a new fee schedule for the transfer of book-entry securities maintained on the National Book-Entry System (NBES). This fee schedule will take effect on July 1, 2003. The basic fee for the transfer of a Treasury book-entry security will be $.21, a 22 percent fee reduction from fees in effect since January 2, 2003. The Federal Reserve funds movement fee will remain unchanged at $.05. These changes will result in a combined fee of $.26 for a Treasury security transfer. Off-line transfer fees will remain unchanged.

PDF Version (134K, uploaded 07/08/03)

June 9, 2003

Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended, System of Records

ACTION: Notice of Proposed Privacy Act System of Records.

To ensure that the Treasury name and its products are protected from fraudulent transactions, Public Debt proposes to maintain records on entities and individuals who are potentially involved in questionable or illegal transactions and practices relating to Treasury securities and other U.S. obligations. These records might, but do not necessarily have to, include allegations of administrative, civil or criminal misconduct, from any source.

PDF Version (145K, uploaded 06/11/03)

May 8, 2003

31 CFR Parts 315, 351, 343, 359, 360 and 363 Regulations Governing Treasury Securities, New TreasuryDirect System

ACTION: Final rule.

At its initial implementation, the only Treasury security that could be held in New TreasuryDirect was the book-entry Series I savings bond. We are now adding the book-entry Series EE savings bond to the system. We revised the regulations governing book-entry Treasury securities held in the New TreasuryDirect system by adding the Series EE savings bond to the subpart dealing with the Series I savings bond. This subpart now covers both Series I and Series EE book-entry savings bonds.

PDF Version (518K, uploaded 05/13/03)

February 14, 2003

31 CFR Parts 321, 351, 352, 353, 359, and 360 United States Savings Bonds; Extension of Holding Period

ACTION: Final rule; correction.

We published a final rule in the Federal Register of January 17, 2003, increasing the period of time that owners of United States Series EE and I Savings Bonds must hold their bonds before the bonds are eligible for redemption. The mandatory holding period increased from 6 months to 12 months for bonds purchased on or after February 1, 2003. Although the rule correctly references the February 1, 2003 date for bonds affected by the increased holding period, the rule stated that bonds issued December 1, 2002, or earlier, are unaffected by the change and continue to retain the 6 months holding period. The rule should have stated that bonds issued January 1, 2003, or earlier, will continue to retain the 6 months holding period. This document corrects that misstatement.

TXT Version (4K, uploaded 02/21/03)

January 17, 2003

31 CFR Parts 321, 351, 352, 353, 359, and 360 United States Savings Bonds; Extension of Holding Period

ACTION: Final rule.

The purpose of this final rule is to amend regulations offering and governing United States Savings Bonds to require that owners hold their bonds 12 months before they are eligible for redemption instead of 6 months. This change affects Series EE and I United States Savings Bonds issued January 2003 or later. This change is being made to discourage investing in savings bonds for short terms, and to better align the effective return on savings bonds with short-term marketable Treasury security yields.

PDF Version (90K, uploaded 01/22/03)