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000 A000000 04/30/97
000 C000000 0000911374
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
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000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 HERITAGE U.S. GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
001 B000000 811-7980
001 C000000 8135738143
002 A000000 880 CARILLON PARKWAY
002 B000000 ST. PETERSBURG
002 C000000 FL
002 D010000 33716
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020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 0
022 A000001 STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY
022 B000001 04-1867445
022 C000001 483100
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 DEAN WITTER REYNOLDS, INC.
022 B000002 94-1671384
022 C000002 17971
<PAGE> PAGE 2
022 D000002 9238
022 A000003 GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKETS, INC.
022 B000003 13-3172275
022 C000003 3416
022 D000003 7863
022 A000004 DEUTSCHE BANK GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000004 13-2730828
022 C000004 0
022 D000004 6227
022 A000005 R.W. PRESSPRICH & CO., INC.
022 B000005 13-3570685
022 C000005 0
022 D000005 3999
022 A000006 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000006 22-2347336
022 C000006 0
022 D000006 3024
022 A000007 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000007 13-5674085
022 C000007 2047
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 BLAIR (WILLIAM) & COMPANY
022 B000008 36-2214610
022 C000008 1878
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 SUN COAST CAPITAL GROUP, LTD.
022 B000009 56-1684171
022 C000009 0
022 D000009 1564
022 A000010 BANC AMERICA SECURITIES, INC.
022 B000010 94-1687665
022 C000010 790
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 509202
023 D000000 31915
027 000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 3
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
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SIGNATURE STEPHEN G. HILL
TITLE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 0
<NAME> HERITAGE U.S. GOVERNMENT INCOME FUND
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-START> OCT-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> APR-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 55,098,498
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 54,304,048
<RECEIVABLES> 477,835
<ASSETS-OTHER> 14,643
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 54,796,526
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 11,948,949
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 6,398,868
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 18,347,817
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 43,517,490
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 3,115,471
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 3,115,471
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> (149,549)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (6,124,782)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (794,450)
<NET-ASSETS> 36,448,709
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 1,924,082
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 449,303
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 1,474,779
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> (399,460)
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (912,792)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 162,527
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 1,626,183
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (1,463,656)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 1,855
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (5,725,322)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 61,145
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 264,862
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 184,441
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 37,192,389
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 12.17
<PER-SHARE-NII> 0.47
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> (0.42)
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0.52
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0.00
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 11.70
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.00
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
For period ending 4-30-97
File Number 811-7980
77.C. Matters submitted to a vote of securities holders.
The following matters were submitted to a vote of securities holders
at the annual meeting of shareholders of Heritage U.S. Government Income Fund
(the "Fund") held on February 28, 1997:
(1) Election of Class II Trustees as follows:
SHARES
------
WITHHELD
FOR AUTHORITY
--- ---------
Class II
James L. Pappas 2,849,917.6722 45,814.4968
Richard K. Riess 2,849,917.6722 45,814.4968
The following Trustees served as Trustees but did not stand for reelection
during this period:
Class I
Donald W. Burton
David M. Phillips
Class III
Thomas A. James
C. Andrew Graham
Eric Stattin
(2) Approval of the selection of Price Waterhouse LLP as independent accountants
of the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1997: 2,859,562.6538 shares
were voted in favor of, 11,256.5152 shares were voted against, and 24,913.000
abstained from voting on the motion to approve the selection of Price Waterhouse
LLP as independent accountants of the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31,
1997.
