(a) The regulations in this part govern definitive (paper) Series EE savings bonds that have not been converted to book-entry bonds through TreasuryDirect® and definitive Series HH savings bonds. These bonds bear issue dates of January 1, 1980, or thereafter.

(b) The regulations in 31 CFR part 315 govern all other definitive United States Savings Bonds and Savings Notes.

(c) The regulations in 31 CFR part 363 govern Series EE savings bonds that were originally issued as book-entry bonds in TreasuryDirect® and Series EE savings bonds that were converted to book-entry bonds through TreasuryDirect®.

(a) The Bureau of the Fiscal Service of the Department of the Treasury is responsible for administering the Savings Bonds Program. Authority to process transactions has been delegated to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and may be delegated to other Federal Reserve Banks and Branches as fiscal agents of the United States. The Federal Reserve Banks and Branches, and their authority to process transactions as fiscal agents of the United States, are subject to change as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, or his or her designee.

(b) Information about savings bonds and savings bond transactions, including savings bond transaction forms and email contact information, is available through the Bureau of the Fiscal Service's Web site at http://www.treasurydirect.gov. Communications concerning transactions and requests for forms may also be addressed to:

(1) The Bureau of the Fiscal Service, P.O. Box 7012, Parkersburg, WV 26106-7012; or

(2) The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Treasury Retail Securities Site, P.O. Box 214, Minneapolis, MN 55480-0214.

(c) Notices and documents must be filed with the agencies referred to above and as indicated in these regulations.

(a) Bond, or Series EE or HH savings bond, as used in this part, means a definitive United States Savings Bond of Series EE or HH.

(b) Book-entry bond means a savings bond maintained by Treasury in electronic or paperless form as a computer record.

(c) Converted bond means a savings bond originally issued as a definitive bond that has been surrendered to us and converted to a book-entry savings bond to be maintained by Treasury solely as a computer record.

(d) Incompetent means an individual who is incapable of handling his or her business affairs because of a legal, mental or medical disability, except that a minor is not an incompetent solely because of age.

(e) Inscription means the information that is printed on the face of the bond.

(f) Issuing agent means an organization that has been qualified under the provisions of Department of the Treasury Circular, Fiscal Service Series No. 4-67, current revision (31 CFR part 317), to issue savings bonds.

(g) Paying agent means a financial institution that has been qualified under the provisions of Department of the Treasury Circular No. 750, current revision (31 CFR part 321), to make payment of savings bonds.

(h) Payment means redemption, unless otherwise indicated by context.

(i) Person means any legal entity including, but without limitation, an individual, corporation (public or private), partnership, unincorporated association, or fiduciary estate.

(j) Personal trust estates means trust estates established by natural persons in their own right for the benefit of themselves or other natural persons in whole or in part, and common trust funds comprised in whole or in part of such trust estates.

(k) Registration means that the names of all persons named on the bond and the taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the owner, first-named coowner, or purchaser of a gift bond are maintained on our records.

(l) Reissue means the cancellation and retirement of a bond and the issuance of a new bond or bonds of the same series, same issue date, and same total face amount. Reissue may also mean the cancellation and retirement of a bond and the issuance of a book-entry bond or bonds of the same series, same issue date, and same total face amount. All reissues are subject to the restrictions in § 353.48.

(m) Representative of the estate of a minor, incompetent, aged person, absentee, et al. means the court-appointed or otherwise qualified person, regardless of title, who is legally authorized to act for the individual. The term does not include parents in their own right, voluntary or natural guardians, or the executors or administrators of decedents' estates.

(n) Substitute bond means a bond or book-entry bond issued as a result of a claim or application for relief under subpart F of this part.

(o) Surrender means the actual receipt of a bond with an appropriate request for payment or reissue by either a Federal Reserve Bank or Branch, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, or, if a paying agent is authorized to handle the transaction, the actual receipt of the bond and the request for payment by the paying agent.

(p) Taxpayer identifying number means a social security account number or an employer identification number.

(q) Voluntary guardian means an individual who is recognized as authorized to act for an incompetent, as provided by § 353.64.

(r) Voluntary representative means the person qualified by the Department of the Treasury to request payment or distribution of a decedent's savings bonds pursuant to § 353.71.

Series EE savings bonds that were originally issued as definitive bonds may be converted to book-entry bonds through TreasuryDirect®, an online system for holding Treasury securities. The Web address for TreasuryDirect® is http://www.treasurydirect.gov. Bond owners who wish to convert their definitive savings bonds should follow online instructions for conversion. Regulations governing converted bonds are found at 31 CFR part 363.