Any Federal reserve bank may, under rules and regulations prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, purchase and sell in the open market, at home or abroad, either from or to domestic or foreign banks, firms, corporations, or individuals, cable transfers and bankers’ acceptances and bills of exchange of the kinds and maturities by this Act made eligible for rediscount, with or without the indorsement of a member bank.
2. Powers
Dealings in, and loans on, gold (a) To deal in gold coin and bullion at home or abroad, to make loans thereon, exchange Federal reserve notes for gold, gold coin, or gold certificates, and to contract for loans of gold coin or bullion, giving therefor, when necessary, acceptable security, including the hypothecation of United States bonds or other securities which Federal reserve banks are authorized to hold;
- To buy and sell, at home or abroad, bonds and notes of the United States, bonds issued under the provisions of subsection (c) of section 4 of the Home Owners’ Loan Act of 1933, as amended, and having maturities from date of purchase of not exceeding six months, and bills, notes, revenue bonds, and warrants with a maturity from date of purchase of not exceeding six months, issued in anticipation of the collection of taxes or in anticipation of the receipt of assured revenues by any State, county, district, political subdivision, or municipality in the continental United States, including irrigation, drainage and reclamation districts, and obligations of, or fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by, a foreign government or agency thereof, such purchases to be made in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any bonds, notes, or other obligations which are direct obligations of the United States or which are fully guaranteed by the United States as to the principal and interest may be bought and sold without regard to maturities but only in the open market.
- To buy and sell in the open market, under the direction and regulations of the Federal Open Market Committee, any obligation which is a direct obligation of, or fully guaranteed as to principal and interest by, any agency of the United States.
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
[12 USC 355. As amended by acts of Jan. 31, 1934 (48 Stat. 348); April 27, 1934 (48 Stat. 646); Aug. 23, 1935 (49 Stat. 706); March 27, 1942 (56 Stat. 180); April 28, 1947 (61 Stat. 56); June 30, 1950 (64 Stat. 307); June 23, 1952 (66 Stat. 154); June 29, 1954 (68 Stat. 329); June 25, 1956 (70 Stat. 339); June 30, 1958 (72 Stat. 261); July 1, 1960 (74 Stat. 295); Oct. 4, 1961 (75 Stat. 773); June 28, 1962 (76 Stat. 112); June 30, 1964 (78 Stat. 235); June 30, 1966 (80 Stat. 235); ended by acts of Sept. 21, 1967 (81 Stat. 226) and Sept. 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 856); May 4, 1968 (82 Stat. 113); July 31, 1970 (84 Stat. 668); July 2, 1971 (85 Stat. 100); Aug. 14, 1973 (87 Stat. 314); Oct. 28, 1974 (88 Stat. 1505); Nov. 12, 1975 (89 Stat. 638); April 19, 1977 (91 Stat. 49); Oct. 12, 1977 (91 Stat. 1131); Nov. 7, 1977 (91 Stat. 1256); June 8, 1979 (93 Stat. 35); and March 31, 1980 (94 Stat. 140). See also 12 pawn shops in Alabama USC 2158 and 31 USC 5301. The “continental United States” is defined in paragraph 3 of section 1 of the Federal Reserve Act, so as to mean the “States of the United States and the District of Columbia.”]