Its plants in Washington and Fort Worth print billions of notes a year, most replacing worn bills. It redesigns currency against counterfeiting on cycles set with the Federal Reserve and the Secret Service.
Open the interactive page for BEP →Created bybegan operations Aug. 1862 under the Act of July 11, 1862 (12 Stat. 532) authorizing engraving and printing at Treasury; separated as a bureau by Treasury administrative order 1869; first recognized in law by Act of Mar. 3, 1869 (15 Stat. 312) and in appropriations by Act of June 20, 1874 (18 Stat. 110); codified as a Treasury bureau by Pub. L. 97-258 (1982)
Head appointed31 U.S.C. § 303(b): the Bureau has a Director appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, who carries out duties prescribed by and reports directly to the Secretary; no Senate role, no term (department-head appoints)
Removal standardno statutory protection — at will of the Secretary of the Treasury (§ 303 contains no term or removal provision)
Funded undernot appropriated — Bureau of Engraving and Printing revolving fund, 31 U.S.C. § 5142 (Act of Aug. 4, 1950, 64 Stat. 409): all Bureau receipts (chiefly at-cost reimbursements from the Federal Reserve System for currency) deposited in the Fund and available until expended
Congressional oversightHouse Committee on Financial Services · Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Inspector generalTreasury OIG (PAS IG under 5 U.S.C. ch. 4)
Judicial reviewAPA § 702 suits in district court; currency-design obligations enforced via Rehabilitation Act § 504 (American Council of the Blind v. Paulson, 525 F.3d 1256 (D.C. Cir. 2008) — meaningful access to paper money for the blind); subject to FOIA
No direct regulatory channel: the Bureau prints currency and does not regulate the public. Currency designs are set by the Treasury Secretary; denominations are set by Congress.