Official titleSection 1. Short title and definitionsSection 2. Federal Reserve DistrictsSection 2A. Monetary policy objectivesSection 2B. Appearances Before and Reports to the CongressSection 3. Branch OfficesSection 4. Federal Reserve BanksSection 5. Stock Issues; Increase and Decrease of CapitalSection 6. Insolvency of member banksSection 7. Division of EarningsSection 8. Conversion of state banks into national banksSection 9. State Banks as MembersSection 9A. Participation in lotteries prohibitedSection 9B. Resolution of Clearing BanksSection 10. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve SystemSection 10A. Emergency advances to groups of member banks*Section 10B. Advances to Individual Member Banks*Section 11. Powers of Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve SystemSection 11A. Pricing of ServicesSection 11B. Annual Independent Audits of Federal Reserve Banks and BoardSection 11C. Master Account and Services DatabaseSection 12. Federal Advisory CouncilSection 12A. Federal Open Market CommitteeSection 13. Powers of Federal Reserve BanksSection 13A.* Discount of agricultural paperSection 14. Open-Market OperationsSection 15. Government DepositsSection 16. Note IssuesSection 17. Deposit of bonds by national banksSection 18. Refunding BondsSection 19. Bank ReservesSection 20. National bank notes redemption fund as reserveSection 21. Bank ExaminationsSection 22. Offenses of examiners, member banks, officers, and directorsSection 23. Interbank Liabilities*Section 23A. Relations with affiliatesSection 23B. Restrictions on Transactions with AffiliatesSection 24. Real Estate LoansSection 24A. Investment in Bank Premises or Stock of Corporation Holding PremisesSection 25. Foreign BranchesSection 25A. Banking Corporations Authorized to Do Foreign Banking Business*Section 25B. Jurisdiction of suits*Section 25C. Potential Liability on Foreign AccountsSection 26. [Repealed]Section 27. Tax on national bank notesSection 28. Reduction of capital of national banksSection 29. Civil Money PenaltySection 30. Saving clauseSection 31. Reservation of right to amend

Section 7. Division of Earnings

(a) Dividends And Surplus Funds Of Reserve Banks.

  1. Stockholder Dividends.
    1. Dividend Amount. After all necessary expenses of a Federal reserve bank have been paid or provided for, the stockholders of the bank shall be entitled to receive an annual dividend on paid-in capital stock of--
      1. in the case of a stockholder with total consolidated assets of more than $10,000,000,000, the smaller of--
        1. the rate equal to the high yield of the 10-year Treasury note auctioned at the last auction held prior to the payment of such dividend; and
        2. 6 percent; and
      2. in the case of a stockholder with total consolidated assets of $10,000,000,000 or less, 6 percent.
    2. Dividend Cumulative. The entitlement to dividends under subparagraph (A) shall be cumulative.
    3. Inflation Adjustment. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System shall annually adjust the dollar amounts of total consolidated assets specified under subparagraph (A) to reflect the change in the Gross Domestic Product Price Index, published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  2. Deposit Of Net Earnings In Surplus Fund. That portion of net earnings of each Federal reserve bank which remains after dividend claims under subparagraph (1)(A) have been fully met shall be deposited in the surplus fund of the bank.
  3. Limitations On Surplus Funds.
    1. In General. The aggregate amount of the surplus funds of the Federal reserve banks may not exceed $6,825,000,000.*
    2. Transfer To The General Fund. Any amounts of the surplus funds of the Federal reserve banks that exceed, or would exceed, the limitation under subparagraph (A) shall be transferred to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for transfer to the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit in the general fund of the Treasury.

(b) Transfer For Fiscal Year 2000.

  1. In General. The Federal reserve banks shall transfer from the surplus funds of such banks to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for transfer to the Secretary of the Treasury for deposit in the general fund of the Treasury, a total amount of $3,752,000,000 in fiscal year 2000.
  2. Allocated By Fed. Of the total amount required to be paid by the Federal reserve banks under paragraph (1) for fiscal year 2000, the Board shall determine the amount each such bank shall pay in such fiscal year.
  3. Replenishment Of Surplus Fund Prohibited. During fiscal year 2000, no Federal reserve bank may replenish such bank's surplus fund by the amount of any transfer by such bank under paragraph (1).

[12 USC 289. As amended by acts of March 3, 1919 (40 Stat. 1314); June 16, 1933 (48 Stat. 163); Aug. 10, 1993 (107 Stat. 337); Sept. 23, 1994 (108 Stat. 2291); Nov. 29, 1999 (113 Stat. 1501A-304), which added this subsection (b) but failed to redesignate existing subsection (b) (12 USC 290); Dec. 4, 2015 (129 Stat. 1312, 1739-40); Feb. 9, 2018 (132 Stat. 127); and May 24, 2018 (132 Stat. 1326).]

(b) Use of Earnings Transferred To The Treasury. The net earnings derived by the United States from Federal reserve banks shall, in the discretion of the Secretary, be used to supplement the gold reserve held against outstanding United States notes, or shall be applied to the reduction of the outstanding bonded indebtedness of the United States under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury. Should a Federal reserve bank be dissolved or go into liquidation, any surplus remaining, after the payment of all debts, dividend requirements as hereinbefore provided, and the par value of the stock, shall be paid to and become the property of the United States and shall be similarly applied.

[12 USC 290. Part of original Federal Reserve Act; not amended. Designated subsection (b) by act of Aug. 10, 1993 (107 Stat. 337).]

(c) Exemption From Taxation. Federal reserve banks, including the capital stock and surplus therein, and the income derived therefrom shall be exempt from Federal, State, and local taxation, except taxes upon real estate.

[12 USC 531. Part of original Federal Reserve Act. Designated subsection (c) by act of Aug. 10, 1993 (107 Stat. 338).]

* Pub. L. 116–283, div. F, title LXV, § 6510, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 4633, provided that: "The dollar amount specified under section 7(a)(3)(A) of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 289(a)(3)(A)) is reduced by $40,000,000 [to $6,785,000,000]."

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Last Update: January 17, 2023