(a) The per capita shares of living competent adults shall be paid directly to them. The shares of minors, legal incompetents and deceased individual beneficiaries, enhanced by investment earnings, shall be held in individual Indian money (IIM) accounts unless otherwise provided as set out in this section. While held in IIM accounts, said shares shall be invested pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 162a and shall be the property of the minors or legal incompetents or the estates of the deceased individual beneficiaries to whom the per capita payments were made.

(b)(1) Unless otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, minors' per capita shares, until the minors attain the age of 18 years, shall be retained in individually segregated IIM accounts and handled as provided in § 115.4 of this chapter. Should it be determined that the funds are to be invested pursuant to a trust, minors who will have reached the age of 18 years within six months after the establishment of the trust shall have their funds retained at interest in IIM accounts and paid to them upon attaining their majority.

(2) A private trust for the minors' per capita shares may be established subject to the approval of the tribal governing body and the Secretary on the following conditions:

(i) The tribal governing body specifically requests the establishment of such trust, and the trust provides for segregated amounts to each individual minor, based on his per capita share, and

(ii) The trust agreement specifically provides that the investment policy to be followed is that of preserving the trust corpus and of obtaining the highest interest rates current money markets can safely provide. The trust agreement must further provide that maturity dates of investments cannot exceed the period of the trust and that only the following types of investment shall be made: United States Treasury obligations; Federal agency obligations; repurchase/resell agreements; United States Treasury bills; Bankers' acceptance, provided the assets of the issuing bank exceed $1 billion or the issuing bank pledges full collateral; Certificates of deposit, provided the assets of the issuing bank exceed $1 billion or the issuing bank pledges full collateral; Commercial paper, provided it is rated prime-2 by Moody or A-2 by Standard and Poor or is obligation of a company with outstanding unsecured debt rated Aa by Standard and Poor.

(c) The per capita shares of legal incompetents shall be held in IIM accounts and administered pursuant to the provisions of § 115.5 of this chapter.

(d) The shares of deceased individual beneficiaries, plus all interest and investment income accruing thereto, shall be paid to their heirs and legatees upon their determination as provided in 43 CFR part 4, subpart D.

(e) All per capita shares, including all interest and investment income accruing thereto, while they are held in trust under the provisions of this section, shall be exempt from Federal and State income taxes and shall not be considered as income or resources when determining the extent of eligibility for assistance under the Social Security Act, as amended.

(f) All per capita shares or portions thereof, including all interest and investment income accruing thereto, which are not paid out but which remain unclaimed with the Federal Government shall be maintained separately and be enhanced by investment, and shall, unless otherwise provided in an effective plan or in enabling legislation, be subject to the provisions of the Act of September 22, 1961, 75 Stat. 584. No per capita share or portion thereof shall be transferred to the U.S. Treasury as “Monies Belonging to Individuals Whose Whereabouts are Unknown.”