208.2—Definitions.
(a)
Agency means any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States Government, or a corporation owned or controlled by the Government of the United States.
(b)
Authorized payment agent means any individual or entity that is appointed or otherwise selected as a representative payee or fiduciary, under regulations of the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Railroad Retirement Board, or other agency making Federal payments, to act on behalf of an individual entitled to a Federal payment.
(c)
Direct Express® card means the prepaid debit card issued to recipients of Federal benefits by a Financial Agent pursuant to requirements established by Treasury.
(d)
Disbursement means, in the context of electronic benefits transfer, the performance of the following duties by a Financial Agent acting as agent of the United States:
(1)
The establishment of an account for the recipient that meets the requirements of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or the National Credit Union Administration Board for deposit or share insurance;
(3)
The receipt of Federal payments through the Automated Clearing House system or other electronic means and crediting of Federal payments to the account; and
(e)
Electronic benefits transfer (EBT) means the provision of Federal benefit, wage, salary, and retirement payments electronically, through disbursement by a financial institution acting as a Financial Agent. For purposes of this part, EBT includes, but is not limited to, disbursement through an ETA sm, a Federal/State EBT program, or a Direct Express® card account.
(f)
Electronic funds transfer means any transfer of funds, other than a transaction originated by cash, check, or similar paper instrument, that is initiated through an electronic terminal, telephone, computer, or magnetic tape, for the purpose of ordering, instructing, or authorizing a financial institution to debit or credit an account. The term includes, but is not limited to, Automated Clearing House transfers, Fedwire transfers, and transfers made at automated teller machines and point-of-sale terminals. For purposes of this part only, the term electronic funds transfer includes a credit card transaction.
(g)
ETA SM means the Treasury-designated electronic transfer account made available by a Federally-insured financial institution acting as a Financial Agent in accordance with § 208.5 of this part.
(iv)
Miscellaneous payments including, but not limited to: interagency payments; grants; loans; fees; principal, interest, and other payments related to U.S. marketable and nonmarketable securities; overpayment reimbursements; and payments under Federal insurance or guarantee programs for loans.
(2)
For purposes of this part only, the term “Federal payment” does not apply to payments under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C.).
(i)
Federal/State EBT program means any program that provides access to Federal benefit, wage, salary, and retirement payments and to State-administered benefits through a single delivery system and in which Treasury designates a Financial Agent to disburse the Federal payments.
(j)
Federally-insured financial institution means any financial institution, the deposits of which are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation under 12 U.S.C. Chapter 16 or, in the case of a credit union, the member accounts of which are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund under 12 U.S.C. Chapter 14, Subchapter II.
(k)
Financial Agent means a financial institution that has been designated by Treasury as a Financial Agent for the provision of EBT services under any provision of Federal law, including 12 U.S.C. 90, 265, 266, 1767, and 1789a, and 31 U.S.C. 3122 and 3303, as amended by the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997, Section 664, Public Law 104-208.
(1)
Any insured bank as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813) or any bank which is eligible to make application to become an insured bank under section 5 of such Act (12 U.S.C. 1815 );
(2)
Any mutual savings bank as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813) or any bank which is eligible to make application to become an insured bank under section 5 of such Act (12 U.S.C. 1815 );
(3)
Any savings bank as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813) or any bank which is eligible to make application to become an insured bank under section 5 of such Act (12 U.S.C. 1815 );
(4)
Any insured credit union as defined in section 101 of the Federal Credit Union Act (12 U.S.C. 1752) or any credit union which is eligible to make application to become an insured credit union under section 201 of such Act (12 U.S.C. 1781 );
(5)
Any savings association as defined in section 3 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1813) which is an insured depository institution (as defined in such Act) (12 U.S.C. 1811 et seq.) or is eligible to apply to become an insured depository institution under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (12 U.S.C. 1811 et seq.); and
(6)
Any agency or branch of a foreign bank as defined in section 1(b) of the International Banking Act, as amended (12 U.S.C. 3101 ).
(n)
Recipient means an individual, corporation, or other public or private entity that is authorized to receive a Federal payment from an agency.