By issuing an auction announcement, we provide public notice of the sale of bills, notes, and bonds. The auction announcement lists the specifics of each auction, e.g., offering amount, term and type of security, CUSIP number, and issue and maturity dates. The auction announcement and this part, including the Appendices, specify the terms and conditions of sale. If anything in the auction announcement differs from this part, the auction announcement will control. If you intend to bid, you should read the applicable auction announcement along with this part.

(a) General. (1) All bids must be submitted using an approved method, which depends on the system into which the awarded securities will be issued. (See § 356.4.) The approved submission methods for these respective systems are explained in this section. A bidder must provide its assigned bidder identification numbers if it has been assigned one. We have the option of accepting or rejecting incomplete bids.

(2) We must receive competitive and noncompetitive bids prior to their respective closing times, which are stated in the auction announcement. We will not include late bids in the auction. For bids other than those submitted on paper forms, our computer time stamp will establish the receipt time. You are bound by your bids after the closing time.

(3) We are not responsible for any delays, errors, or omissions. We are not responsible for any failures or disruptions of equipment or communications facilities used for participating in Treasury auctions.

(4) Submitters are responsible for bids submitted using computer equipment on their premises, whether or not such bids are authorized.

(b) Commercial book-entry system. (1) If you are a submitter and the awarded securities are to be issued in the commercial book-entry system, you must submit bids using one of our approved electronic methods except for contingency situations.

(2) You must have an agreement on file with us under which you agree to our terms and conditions for access to our system for participating in our auctions.

(3) In contingency situations, such as a power outage, we may accept bids by a telephone call to designated Treasury employees if you submit them prior to the relevant bidding deadline.

(c) Securities held directly with Treasury. You must submit your bids in accordance with the regulations governing the system in which the security will be held. You may reinvest the proceeds of a maturing security held directly with Treasury as permitted by the system in which it is held.

(a) General. All bids must state the par amount of securities bid for and must equal or exceed the minimum to bid amount stated in the auction announcement. Bids in larger amounts must be in the multiple stated in the auction announcement.

(b) Noncompetitive bids—(1) Maximum bid. You may not bid noncompetitively for more than $10 million. The maximum bid limitation does not apply if you are bidding solely through a request to reinvest the proceeds of a maturing security held directly with Treasury, which is a noncompetitive bid.

(2) Additional restrictions. You may not bid noncompetitively in an auction in which you are bidding competitively. You may not bid noncompetitively if, in the security being auctioned, you hold a position in when-issued trading or in futures or forward contracts at any time between the date of the auction announcement and the time we announce the auction results. During this same timeframe, a noncompetitive bidder may not enter into any agreement to purchase or sell or otherwise dispose of the securities it is acquiring in the auction. For this paragraph, futures contracts include those:

(i) That require delivery of the specific security being auctioned;

(ii) For which the security being auctioned is one of several securities that may be delivered; or

(iii) That are cash-settled.

(c) Competitive bids—(1) Bid format—(i) Treasury bills. A competitive bid must show the discount rate bid, expressed with three decimals in .005 increments. The third decimal must be either a zero or a five, for example, 5.320 or 5.325. We will treat any missing decimals as zero, for example, a bid of 5.32 will be treated as 5.320. The rate bid may be a positive number or zero.

(ii) Treasury non-indexed securities. A competitive bid must show the yield bid, expressed with three decimals, for example, 4.170. We will treat any missing decimals as zero, for example, a bid of 4.1 will be treated as 4.100. The yield bid may be a positive number or zero.

(iii) Treasury inflation-protected securities. A competitive bid must show the real yield bid, expressed with three decimals, for example, 3.070. We will treat any missing decimals as zero, for example, a bid of 3 will be treated as 3.000. The real yield may be a positive number, a negative number, or zero.

(iv) Treasury floating rate notes. A competitive bid must show the discount margin bid, expressed as a percentage with three decimals, for example, 0.290 percent. We will treat any missing decimals as zero, for example, a bid of 0.29 will be treated as 0.290. The discount margin bid may be positive, negative, or zero.

(2) Maximum recognized bid. There is no limit on the maximum dollar amount that you may bid for competitively, either at a single yield, discount rate, or discount margin, or at different yields, discount rates, or discount margins. However, a competitive bid at a single yield, discount rate, or discount margin that exceeds 35 percent of the offering amount will be reduced to that amount. For example, if the offering amount is $10 billion, the maximum bid amount we will recognize at any one yield, discount rate, or discount margin from any bidder is $3.5 billion. (See § 356.22 for award limitations.)

(3) Additional restrictions. You may not bid competitively in an auction in which you are bidding noncompetitively. You may not bid competitively for securities to be held directly with Treasury.

(a) Net long position reporting threshold. (1) If you are bidding competitively in an auction, you must report your net long position when the total of your bids plus your net long position in the security being auctioned equals or exceeds the net long position reporting threshold (See table.). We will specify this threshold in the auction announcement for each security (See § 356.10.). The threshold is typically 35 percent of the offering amount, but we may state a different threshold in the auction announcement. To see whether you must report your net long position, follow this table:

(2) Also, if you have more than one bid in an auction and you must report either your net long position or a zero, you must report that figure only once. Finally, if you are a customer and must report either your net long position or a zero, you must report that figure through only one depository institution or dealer. (See § 356.14(d).)

(b) “As of” time for calculating net long position. You must calculate your net long position as of one half-hour prior to the closing time for receipt of competitive bids.

(c) Components of the net long position. Except as modified in paragragh (d) of this section, your net long position is the sum total of the par amounts of:

(1) Your holdings of outstanding securities with the same CUSIP number as the security being auctioned;

(2) Your holdings of STRIPS principal components of the security being auctioned, and;

(3) Your positions, in the security being auctioned, in:

(i) When-issued trading, including when-issued trading positions of the STRIPS principal components;

(ii) Futures contracts that require delivery of the specific security being auctioned (but not futures contracts for which the security being auctioned is one of several securities that may be delivered, and not futures contracts that are cash-settled); and

(iii) Forward contracts that require delivery of the specific security being auctioned or of the STRIPS principal component of that security.

(d) Calculating the net long position in a reopening. In a reopening (additional issue) of an outstanding security, you may subtract the exclusion amount stated in the auction announcement from:

(1) Your holdings of the outstanding securities (paragraph (c)(1) of this section) combined with

(2) Your holdings of STRIPS principal components of the security being auctioned (paragraph (c)(2) of this section). We will specify the amount of holdings that you may exclude from the net long position calculation in the auction announcement. You may not take the exclusion if your combined holdings are zero or less. The exclusion is optional, but if you take the exclusion, you must include any holdings that exceed the exclusion amount in calculating your net long position. If the exclusion amount is greater than your combined holdings (paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of this section), you may calculate the combined holdings as zero, but they cannot be included in the calculation as a negative number.

(a) Institutions that may submit bids for customers. Only depository institutions or dealers may submit bids for customers (see definitions at § 356.2), or for customers of intermediaries, under the requirements set out in this section. If a bid fulfills a guarantee to sell to a customer a specified amount of securities at the price determined in the auction, then the bid is a bid of that customer.

(b) Payment. Submitters must remit payment for bids they submit on behalf of customers, including customers of intermediaries, that result in awards of securities in the auction.

(c) Identifying customers. Submitters must provide the names of customers whenever they submit bids for them. Submitters must provide the names of their direct customers as well as customers of any intermediaries who are forwarding customer bids. For individuals, submitters must provide the customer's full name (first and last). For institutional customers, submitters must provide the name of the institution, and the bidder identification number if the customer provides it. For trusts or other fiduciary estates (See appendix A.), submitters must provide on the customer list:

(1) The full name or title of the trustee or fiduciary;

(2) A reference to the document creating the trust or fiduciary estate with date of execution; and

(3) The employer identification number (not social security number) of the trust or fiduciary estate. We do not consider trusts to be a separate bidder that have not been assigned, or that do not provide, an employer identification number.

(d) Competitive customer bids. For each customer competitive bid, the submitter must provide the customer's name, the amount bid, and the yield, discount rate, or discount margin. The submitter or intermediary must also report the net long position amount if the customer provides it. The submitter must inform a customer of the net long position reporting requirement (See § 356.13.) if the customer is bidding for $100 million or more of securities. If the submitter's or intermediary's personnel know that the customer's position information is not correct, the submitter or intermediary may not submit the customer's bid.

(e) Noncompetitive customer bids. For each noncompetitive bid, the submitter must provide the customer's name and the amount bid. Submitters may either provide the customer's name with the bid or, if the list of customers is lengthy, the submitter may provide a summary bid amount covering all noncompetitive customers. If it provides a summary bid amount, the submitter must transmit the list of individual customers and their bid amounts by close of business on the auction day. However, the submitter must be able to provide the customer list details by the noncompetitive bidding deadline if requested.

(a) General. The auction rules that apply to investment advisers are determined by the relationship between “investment advisers” and “controlled accounts.” An investment adviser means any person or entity that has investment discretion for the bids or positions of a different person or entity (a controlled account). A person or entity has investment discretion if it determines what, how many, and when securities will be purchased or sold on behalf of another person or entity. We consider a person that is employed or supervised by an investment adviser to be part of that investment adviser. We also consider the bids or positions of controlled accounts to be separate from the bids or positions of the person or entity with which they would otherwise be associated under the bidder categories in appendix A of this part.

(b) Bidding options. (1) An investment adviser has two options for whose name to use when bidding on behalf of controlled accounts.

(2) Using the first option (paragraph (b)(1)(i)), an investment advisor could bid noncompetitively up to the noncompetitive bidding limit only for itself, as a single bidder. Using the second option (paragraph (b)(1)(ii)), an investment adviser could bid noncompetitively for each separately named controlled account up to the noncompetitive bidding limit. The investment adviser could also bid noncompetitively in its own name in the same auction up to the noncompetitive bidding limit. An investment adviser may not bid for a controlled account both noncompetitively and competitively in the same auction. If an investment adviser is bidding competitively in the name of a controlled account, the controlled account is subject to the award limitations of § 356.22(b).

(c) Reporting net long positions. If it is bidding competitively, an investment adviser must calculate the amount of its bids and positions for purposes of the net long position reporting requirement found in § 356.13(a). In addition to its own competitive bids and positions, the investment adviser must also include in the calculation all other competitive bids and positions that it controls. If the net long position is reportable, the investment adviser must report it as a total in connection with only one bid as stated in § 356.13(a). This requirement applies regardless of whether the investment adviser bids in its own name or in the name of its controlled accounts. The following table shows which positions an investment adviser must include to determine whether it meets the net long position reporting threshold in § 356.13(a). If an investment adviser does meet the reporting threshold, the table also shows which positions must be included in, and which may be excluded from, the net long position calculation.

(d) Certifications. When an investment adviser bids for a controlled account, we deem the investment adviser to have certified that it is complying with this part and the auction announcement for the security. Further, we deem the investment adviser to have certified that the information it provided about bids for controlled accounts is accurate and complete.

(e) Proration of awards. Investment advisers that submit competitive bids in the names of controlled accounts are responsible for prorating any awards at the highest accepted yield, discount rate, or discount margin using the same percentage that we announce.See § 356.21 for examples of how to prorate.

(a) Submitters. If you submit bids or other information in an auction, we deem you to have certified that:

(1) You are in compliance with this part and the auction announcement;

(2) The information provided with regard to any bids for your own account is accurate and complete; and

(3) The information provided with regard to any bids for customers accurately and completely reflects information provided by your customers or intermediaries.

(b) Intermediaries. If you forward bids in an auction, we deem you to have certified that:

(1) You are in compliance with this part and the applicable auction announcement; and

(2) That the information you provided to a submitter or other intermediary with regard to bids for customers accurately and completely reflects information provided by those customers or intermediaries.

(c) Customers. By bidding for a security as a customer we deem you to have certified that:

(1) You are in compliance with this part and the auction announcement and;

(2) The information you provided to the submitter or intermediary in connection with the bid is accurate and complete.

(a) General. By bidding in an auction, you agree to pay the settlement amount for any securities awarded to you. (See § 356.25.) For notes and bonds, the settlement amount may include a premium amount, accrued interest, and, for inflation-protected securities, an inflation adjustment.

(b) Securities held directly with Treasury. You must pay for your awarded securities by a debit entry to a deposit account that you are authorized to debit or by using the redemption proceeds of your certificate of indebtedness. Payment by debit entry occurs on the settlement date for the actual settlement amount due. (See § 356.25.)

(c) Commercial book-entry system. Unless you make other provisions, payment of the settlement amount must be by charge to the funds account of a depository institution at a Federal Reserve Bank.

(1) A submitter that does not have a funds account at a Federal Reserve Bank or that chooses not to pay by charge to its own funds account must have an approved autocharge agreement on file with us before submitting any bids. Any depository institution whose funds account will be charged under an autocharge agreement will receive advance notice from us of the total par amount of, and price to be charged for, securities awarded as a result of the submitter's bids.

(2) A submitter that is a member of a clearing corporation may instruct that delivery and payment be made through the clearing corporation for securities awarded to the submitter for its own account. To do this, the following requirements must be met prior to submitting any bids:

(i) We must have acknowledged and have on file an autocharge agreement between the clearing corporation and a depository institution. By entering into such an agreement, the clearing corporation authorizes us to provide aggregate par and price information to the depository institution whose funds account will be charged under the agreement. The clearing corporation is responsible for remitting payment for auction awards of the clearing corporation member.

(ii) We must have acknowledged and have on file a delivery and payment agreement between the submitter and the clearing corporation. By entering into such an agreement, the submitter authorizes us to provide award and payment information to the clearing corporation.