Title 16 › CHAPTER 12A — TENNESSEE VALLEY AUTHORITY › § 831n–1
The Corporation may issue bonds, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, up to $50,000,000 outstanding at any one time to get money for carrying out section 831k–1. The bonds can have many forms and sizes, can mature in up to 50 years, may be callable by the Corporation, and must pay no more than 3.5% interest per year. The Corporation, with Treasury approval, sets the exact terms, amounts, and prices, but the yield to investors cannot exceed 3.5%. The United States fully guarantees both principal and interest, and that guarantee must appear on the bond. The bonds are allowed as investments and as security for U.S.‑controlled trust or public funds. If the Corporation fails to pay, the Secretary of the Treasury will pay the holder and then take the holder’s rights. The Secretary may buy, sell, or redeem these bonds as public‑debt transactions and may use public‑debt proceeds to buy them. The Corporation may also buy its bonds with Treasury approval. No bonds to fund a proposed contract under section 831k–1 may be issued until the Federal Power Commission approves that contract, and the Commission must decide quickly and finally. The authority to issue these bonds ends five years after the law’s amendment, but bonds needed to carry out contracts made before that end date may still be issued later.
Full Legal Text
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 831n–1
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102