Annual public debt report

31 U.S.C. § 3130

• Title: 31 — Money and Finance
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER II—ADMINISTRATIVE

Text

(a) General Rule.—On or before June 1 of each calendar year after 1993, the Secretary of the Treasury shall submit a report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate on—
(1) the Treasury's public debt activities, and
(2) the operations of the Federal Financing Bank.
(b) Required Information on Public Debt Activities.—Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include the following information:
(1) A table showing the following information with respect to the total public debt:
(A) The past levels of such debt and the projected levels of such debt as of the close of the current fiscal year and as of the close of the next 5 fiscal years under the most recent current services baseline projection of the executive branch.
(B) The past debt to GDP ratios and the projected debt to GDP ratios as of the close of the current fiscal year and as of the close of the next 5 fiscal years under such most recent current services baseline projection.
(2) A table showing the following information with respect to the net public debt:
(A) The past levels of such debt and the projected levels of such debt as of the close of the current fiscal year and as of the close of the next 5 fiscal years under the most recent current services baseline projection of the executive branch.
(B) The past debt to GDP ratios and the projected debt to GDP ratios as of the close of the current fiscal year and as of the close of the next 5 fiscal years under such most recent current services baseline projection.
(C) The interest cost on such debt for prior fiscal years and the projected interest cost on such debt for the current fiscal year and for the next 5 fiscal years under such most recent current services baseline projection.
(D) The interest cost to outlay ratios for prior fiscal years and the projected interest cost to outlay ratios for the current fiscal year and for the next 5 fiscal years under such most recent current services baseline projection.
(3) A table showing the maturity distribution of the net public debt as of the time the report is submitted and for prior years, and an explanation of the overall financing strategy used in determining the distribution of maturities when issuing public debt obligations, including a discussion of the projections and assumptions with respect to the structure of interest rates for the current fiscal year and for the succeeding 5 fiscal years.
(4) A table showing the following information as of the time the report is submitted and for prior years:
(A) A description of the various categories of the holders of public debt obligations.
(B) The portions of the total public debt held by each of such categories.
(5) A table showing the relationship of federally assisted borrowing to total Federal borrowing as of the time the report is submitted and for prior years.
(6) A table showing the annual principal and interest payments which would be required to amortize in equal annual payments the level (as of the time the report is submitted) of the net public debt over the longest remaining term to maturity of any obligation which is a part of such debt.
(c) Required Information on Federal Financing Bank.—Each report submitted under subsection (a) shall include (but not be limited to) information on the financial operations of the Federal Financing Bank, including loan payments and prepayments, and on the levels and categories of the lending activities of the Federal Financing Bank, for the current fiscal year and for prior fiscal years.
(d) Recommendations.—The Secretary of the Treasury may include in any report submitted under subsection (a) such recommendations to improve the issuance and sale of public debt obligations (and with respect to other matters) as he may deem advisable.
(e) Definitions.—For purposes of this section—
(1) Current fiscal year.—The term "current fiscal year" means the fiscal year ending in the calendar year in which the report is submitted.
(2) Total public debt.—The term "total public debt" means the total amount of the obligations subject to the public debt limit established in section 3101 of this title.
(3) Net public debt.—The term "net public debt" means the portion of the total public debt which is held by the public.
(4) Debt to gdp ratio.—The term "debt to GDP ratio" means the percentage obtained by dividing the level of the total public debt or net public debt, as the case may be, by the gross domestic product.
(5) Interest cost to outlay ratio.—The term "interest cost to outlay ratio" means, with respect to any fiscal year, the percentage obtained by dividing the interest cost for such fiscal year on the net public debt by the total amount of Federal outlays for such fiscal year.

History

(Added Pub. L. 103–202, title II, §201(a), Dec. 17, 1993, 107 Stat. 2355.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments
2020—Pub. L. 116–117, §2(b), Mar. 2, 2020, 134 Stat. 133, added subchapter IV heading and items 3351 to 3358.
1994—Pub. L. 103–356, title IV, §402(b), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3413, substituted "Required direct deposit" for "Checks payable to financial organizations designated by Government officers and employees" in item 3332.
Pub. L. 103–272, §4(f)(1)(G), July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1362, added item 3334.
1991—Pub. L. 102–54, §13(l)(4)(B), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 277, substituted "Department of Veterans Affairs" for "Veterans' Administration" in item 3330.
1990—Pub. L. 101–453, §4(b), Oct. 24, 1990, 104 Stat. 1059, added item 3335.

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 14247. Modernizing Payments To and From America's Bank Account
Ex. Ord. No. 14247, Mar. 25, 2025, 90 F.R. 13997, provided:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose.The continued use of paper-based payments by the Federal Government, including checks and money orders, flowing into and out of the United States General Fund, which might be thought of as America's bank account, imposes unnecessary costs; delays; and risks of fraud, lost payments, theft, and inefficiencies. Mail theft complaints have increased substantially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, Department of the Treasury checks are 16 times more likely to be reported lost or stolen, returned undeliverable, or altered than an electronic funds transfer (EFT). Maintaining the physical infrastructure and specialized technology for digitizing paper records cost the American taxpayer over $657 million in Fiscal Year 2024 alone.
This order promotes operational efficiency by mandating the transition to electronic payments for all Federal disbursements and receipts by digitizing payments to the extent permissible under applicable law (but not, for avoidance of doubt, to establish a Central Bank Digital Currency).
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States to defend against financial fraud and improper payments, increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance the security of Federal payments.
Sec. 3. Phase Out of Paper Check Disbursements and Receipts. (a) Effective September 30, 2025, and to the extent permitted by law, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cease issuing paper checks for all Federal disbursements inclusive of intragovernmental payments, benefits payments, vendor payments, and tax refunds, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
(b) All executive departments and agencies (agencies) shall comply with this directive by transitioning to EFT methods, including direct deposit, prepaid card accounts, and other digital payment options, and take all steps necessary to enroll recipients in EFT payments, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
(c) As soon as practicable, and to the extent permitted by law, all payments made to the Federal Government shall be processed electronically, except as specified in section 4 of this order.
(d) The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take appropriate action to eliminate the need for the Department of the Treasury's physical lockbox services and expedite requirements to receive the payment of Federal receipts, including fees, fines, loans, and taxes, through electronic means except as specified in section 4 of this order.
(e) The Secretary of the Treasury shall support agencies' transition to digital payment methods, including by providing access through the Department of the Treasury's centralized payment systems to:
(i) direct deposits;
(ii) debit and credit card payments;
(iii) digital wallets and real-time payment systems; and
(iv) other modern electronic payment options.
Sec. 4. Exceptions and Accommodations for the Phase Out of Paper Check Disbursements and Receipts. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, shall review and, as appropriate, revise procedures for granting limited exceptions where electronic payment and collection methods are not feasible, including exceptions for:
(i) individuals who do not have access to banking services or electronic payment systems;
(ii) certain emergency payments where electronic disbursement would cause undue hardship, as contemplated in 31 C.F.R. Part 208;
(iii) national security- or law enforcement-related activities where non-EFT transactions are necessary or desirable; and
(iv) other circumstances as determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, as reflected in regulations or other guidance.
(b) Individuals or entities qualifying for an exception under this section or other applicable law shall be provided alternative payment options.
Sec. 5. Implementation and Compliance of Electronic Transactions. (a) The Secretary of the Treasury, in coordination with the heads of agencies, shall develop and implement a comprehensive public awareness campaign to inform Federal payment recipients of the transition to electronic payments, including guidance on accessing and setting up digital payment options.
(b) Agencies shall coordinate with the Department of the Treasury to facilitate a smooth transition to digital payments, ensuring that affected individuals and entities receive adequate support.
(c) The Secretary of the Treasury shall work with financial institutions, consumer groups, and other stakeholders to address financial access for unbanked and underbanked populations.
(d) The Secretary of the Treasury and the heads of agencies shall take all necessary steps to protect classified information and systems, as well as personally identifiable information and tax return information, through the implementation of this order.
Sec. 6. Reporting Requirements. (a) The heads of agencies shall submit a compliance plan to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget within 90 days of the date of this order [Mar. 25, 2025] detailing their strategy for eliminating paper-based transactions.
(b) The Secretary of the Treasury shall submit an implementation report to the President through the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy within 180 days of the date of this order detailing progress on the matters set forth in this order.
Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.