12 C.F.R. Subpart B—Administrative Offset
Title 12 - Banks and Banking
(a) The provisions of this subpart shall apply to the collection of debts by administrative [or salary] offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716, 5 U.S.C. 5514, or other statutory or common law. (b) Offset shall not be used to collect a debt more than 10 years after the Government's right to collect the debt first accrued, unless facts material to the Government's right to collect the debt were not known and could not reasonably have been known by the official or officials of the Government who were charged with the responsibility of discovering and collecting such debt. (c) Offset shall not be used with respect to: (1) Debts owed by other agencies of the United States or by any State or local government; (2) Debts arising under or payments made under the Social Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or tariff laws of the United States; or (3) Any case in which collection by offset of the type of debt involved is explicitly provided for or prohibited by another statute. (d) Unless otherwise provided by contract or law, debts or payments which are not subject to offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716 or 5 U.S.C. 5514 may be collected by offset if such collection is authorized under common law or other applicable statutory authority. (a) Collection of a debt by administrative [or salary] offset shall be accomplished in accordance with the provisions of these regulations, of 4 CFR 102.3, and 5 CFR part 550, subpart K. It is not necessary for the debt to be reduced to judgment or to be undisputed for offset to be used. (b) The Chairman, or designee of the Chairman, may determine that it is feasible to collect a debt to the United States by offset against funds payable to the debtor. (c) The feasibility of collecting a debt by offset will be determined on a case-by-case basis. This determination shall be made by considering all relevant factors, including the following: (1) The degree to which the offset can be accomplished in accordance with law. This determination should take into consideration relevant statutory, regulatory, and contractual requirements; (2) The degree to which the FCA is certain that its determination of the existence and amount of the debt is correct; (3) The practicality of collecting the debt by offset. The cost, in time and money, of collecting the debt by offset and the amount of money which can reasonably be expected to be recovered through offset will be relevant to this determination; and (4) Whether the use of offset will substantially interfere with or defeat the purpose of a program authorizing payments against which the offset is contemplated. For example, under a grant program in which payments are made in advance of the grantee's performance, the imposition of offset against such a payment may be inappropriate. (d) The collection of a debt by offset may not be feasible when there are circumstances which would indicate that the likelihood of collection by offset is less than probable. (e) The offset will be effected 31 days after the debtor receives a Notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative Offset (or Notice of Intent to Collect by Salary Offset if the offset is a salary offset), or upon the expiration of a stay of offset, unless the FCA determines under §608.824 that immediate action is necessary. (f) If the debtor owes more than one debt, amounts recovered through offset may be applied to them in any order. Applicable statutes of limitation would be considered before applying the amounts recovered to any debts owed. (a) Except as provided in §608.824, the FCA will provide the debtor with 30 calendar days' written notice that unpaid debt amounts shall be collected by administrative [or salary] offset (Notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative [or Salary] Offset) before the FCA imposes offset against any money that is to be paid to the debtor. (b) The Notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative [or Salary] Offset shall be delivered to the debtor by hand or by mail and shall provide the following information: (1) The amount of the debt, the date it was incurred, and the facts upon which the determination of indebtedness was made; (2) In the case of an administrative offset, the payment due date, which shall be 30 calendar days from the date of mailing or hand delivery of the Notice; (3) In the case of a salary offset: (i) The FCA's intention to collect the debt by means of deduction from the employee's current disposable pay account until the debt and all accumulated interest is paid in full; and (ii) The amount, frequency, proposed beginning date, and duration of the intended deductions; (4) The right of the debtor to inspect and copy the records of the FCA related to the claim or to receive copies if personal inspection is impractical. The debtor shall be informed that the debtor shall be assessed for the cost of copying the documents in accordance with §608.807; (5) The right of the debtor to obtain a review of, and to request a hearing, on the FCA's determination of indebtedness, the propriety of collecting the debt by offset, and, in the case of salary offset, the propriety of the proposed repayment schedule (i.e., the percentage of disposable pay to be deducted each pay period). The debtor shall be informed that to obtain a review, the debtor shall deliver a written request for a review to the FCA official named in the Notice, within 15 calendar days after the debtor's receipt of the Notice. In the case of a salary offset, the debtor shall also be informed that the review shall be conducted by an official arranged for by the FCA who shall be a hearing official not under the control of the Chairman of the Farm Credit Administration, or an administrative law judge; (6) That the filing of a petition for hearing within 15 calendar days after receipt of the Notice will stay the commencement of collection proceedings; (7) That a final decision on the hearing (if one is requested) will be issued at the earliest practical date, but not later than 60 days after the filing of the written request for review unless the employee requests, and the hearing official grants, a delay in the proceedings; (8) The right of the debtor to offer to enter into a written agreement with the FCA to repay the amount of the claim. The debtor shall be informed that the acceptance of such an agreement is discretionary with the FCA; (9) That charges for interest, penalties, and administrative costs shall be assessed against the debtor, in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3717, if payment is not received by the payment due date. The debtor shall be informed that such assessments must be made unless excused in accordance with the Federal Claims Collection Standards (4 CFR parts 103 and 104); (10) The amount of accrued interest and the amount of any other penalties or administrative costs which may have been added to the principal debt; (11) That if the debtor has not entered into an agreement with the FCA to pay the debt, has not requested the FCA to review the debt, or has not paid the debt prior to the date on which the offset is to be imposed, the FCA intends to collect the debt by administrative [or salary] offset or by requesting other Federal agencies for assistance in collecting the debt by offset. The debtor shall be informed that the offset shall be imposed against any funds that might become available to the debtor, until the principal debt and all accumulated interest and other charges are paid in full; (12) The date on which the offset will be imposed, which shall be 31 calendar days from the date of mailing or hand delivery of the Notice. The debtor shall be informed that the FCA reserves the right to impose an offset prior to this date if the FCA determines that immediate action is necessary; (13) That any knowingly false or frivolous statements, representations, or evidence may subject the debtor to: (i) Penalties under the False Claims Act, sections 3729 through 3731 of title 31, United States Code, or any other applicable statutory authority; (ii) Criminal penalties under sections 286, 287, 1001, and 1002 of title 18, United States Code, or any other applicable statutory authority; and, with regard to employees, (iii) Disciplinary procedures appropriate under chapter 75 of title 5, United States Code; part 752 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or any other applicable statute or regulation; (14) The name and address of the FCA official to whom the debtor shall send all correspondence relating to the debt or the offset; (15) Any other rights and remedies available to the debtor under statutes or regulations governing the program for which the collection is being made; (16) That unless there are applicable contractual or statutory provisions to the contrary, amounts paid on or deducted for the debt, which are later waived or found not owed to the United States, will be promptly refunded to the employee; and (17) Other information, as may be appropriate. (c) When the procedural requirements of this section have been provided to the debtor in connection with the same debt or under some other statutory or regulatory authority, the FCA is not required to duplicate those requirements before effecting offset. (a) If the debtor disputes the claim, the debtor may request a review of the FCA's determination of the existence of the debt, the amount of the debt, the propriety of collecting the debt by offset, and in the case of salary offset, the propriety of the proposed repayment schedule. If only part of the claim is disputed, the undisputed portion should be paid by the payment due date. (b) To obtain a review, the debtor shall submit a written request for review to the FCA official named in the Notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative [or Salary] Offset within 15 calendar days after receipt of the notice. The debtor's written request for review shall state the basis on which the claim is disputed and shall specify whether the debtor requests an oral hearing or a review of the written record of the claim. If an oral hearing is requested, the debtor shall explain in the request why the matter cannot be resolved by a review of the documentary evidence alone. (c) The FCA shall promptly notify the debtor, in writing, that the FCA has received the request for review. The FCA shall conduct its review of the claim in accordance with §608.810. (d) The FCA's review of the claim, under this section, shall include providing the debtor with a reasonable opportunity for an oral hearing if: (1) An applicable statute authorizes or requires the FCA to consider waiver of the indebtedness, the debtor requests waiver of the indebtedness, and the waiver determination turns on an issue of credibility or veracity; or (2) The debtor requests reconsideration of the debt and the FCA determines that the question of the indebtedness cannot be resolved by reviewing the documentary evidence; for example, when the validity of the debt turns on an issue of credibility or veracity. (e) A debtor waives the right to a hearing and will have his or her debt offset in accordance with the proposed offset schedule if the debtor: (1) Fails to file a written request for review within the timeframe set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, unless the FCA determines that the delay was the result of circumstances beyond his or her control; or (2) Fails to appear at an oral hearing of which he or she was notified unless the hearing official determines that the failure to appear was due to circumstances beyond the employee's control. (f) Upon completion of its review of the claim, the FCA shall notify the debtor whether the FCA's determination of the existence or amount of the debt has been sustained, amended, or canceled. The notification shall include a copy of the written decision issued by the hearing official, pursuant to §608.810(e). If the FCA's determination is sustained, this notification shall contain a provision which states that the FCA intends to collect the debt by offset or by requesting other Federal agencies for assistance in collecting the debt. (g) When the procedural requirements of this section have been provided to the debtor in connection with the same debt or under some other statutory or regulatory authority, the FCA is not required to duplicate those requirements before effecting offset. (a) The FCA may impose offset against a payment to be made to a debtor prior to the completion of the procedures required by this part, if: (1) Failure to impose the offset would substantially prejudice the Government's ability to collect the debt; and (2) The timing of the payment against which the offset will be imposed does not reasonably permit the completion of those procedures. (b) The procedures required by this part shall be complied with promptly after the offset is imposed. Amounts recovered by offset, which are later found not to be owed to the Government, shall be promptly refunded to the debtor. (a)(1) Any creditor agency which requests the FCA to impose an offset against amounts owed to the debtor shall submit to the FCA a claim certification which meets the requirements of this paragraph. The FCA shall submit the same certification to any agency that the FCA requests to effect an offset. (2) The claim certification shall be in writing. It shall certify the debtor owes the debt and that all of the applicable requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3716 and 4 CFR part 102 have been met. If the intended offset is to be a salary offset, a claim certification shall instead certify that the debtor owes the debt and that the applicable requirements of 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 5 CFR part 550, subpart K, have been met. (3) A certification that the debtor owes the debt shall state the amount of the debt, the factual basis supporting the determination of indebtedness, and the date on which payment of the debt was due. A certification that the requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3716 and 4 CFR part 102 have been met shall include a statement that the debtor has been sent a notice of Intent to Collect by Administrative Offset at least 31 calendar days prior to the date of the intended offset or a statement that pursuant to 4 CFR 102.3(b)(5) said Notice was not required to be sent. A certification that the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 5 CFR part 550, subpart K, have been met shall include a statement that the debtor has been sent a Notice of Intent to Collect by Salary Offset at least 31 calendar days prior to the date of the intended offset or a statement that pursuant to 4 CFR 102.3(b)(5) said Notice was not required to be sent. (b)(1) The FCA shall not effect an offset requested by another Federal agency without first obtaining the claim certification required by paragraph (a) of this section. If the FCA receives an incomplete claim certification, the FCA shall return the claim certification with notice that a claim certification which complies with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section must be submitted to the FCA before the FCA will consider effecting an offset. (2) The FCA may rely on the information contained in the claim certification provided by a requesting creditor agency. The FCA is not authorized to review a creditor agency's determination of indebtedness. (c) Only the creditor agency may agree to enter into an agreement with the debtor for the repayment of the claim. Only the creditor agency may agree to compromise, suspend, or terminate collection of the claim. (d) The FCA may decline, for good cause, a request by another agency to effect an offset. Good cause includes that the offset might disrupt, directly or indirectly, essential FCA operations. The refusal and the reasons shall be sent in writing to the creditor agency. (a)(1) When a creditor agency receives a debtor's request for inspection of agency records, the offset is stayed for 10 calendar days beyond the date set for the record inspection. (2) When a creditor agency receives a debtor's offer to enter into a repayment agreement, the offset is stayed until the debtor is notified as to whether the proposed agreement is acceptable. (3) When a review is conducted, the offset is stayed until the creditor agency issues a final written decision. (b) When offset is stayed, the amount of the debt and the amount of any accrued interest or other charges will be withheld from payments to the debtor. The withheld amounts shall not be applied against the debt until the stay expires. If withheld funds are later determined not to be subject to offset, they will be promptly refunded to the debtor. (c) If the FCA is the creditor agency and the offset is stayed, the FCA will immediately notify an offsetting agency to withhold the payment pending termination of the stay. The FCA may request that monies payable to a debtor from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund be administratively offset to collect debts owed to the FCA by the debtor. The FCA must certify that the debtor owes the debt, the amount of the debt, and that the FCA has complied with the requirements set forth in this part, 4 CFR 102.3, and the Office of Personnel Management regulations. The request shall be submitted to the official designated in the Office of Personnel Management regulations to receive the request.
Title 12: Banks and Banking
PART 608—COLLECTION OF CLAIMS OWED THE UNITED STATES
Subpart B—Administrative Offset
§ 608.820 Applicability.
§ 608.821 Collection by offset.
§ 608.822 Notice requirements before offset.
§ 608.823 Right to review of claim.
§ 608.824 Waiver of procedural requirements.
§ 608.825 Coordinating offset with other Federal agencies.
§ 608.826 Stay of offset.
§ 608.827 Offset against amounts payable from Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.
