45 C.F.R. Subpart B—General Provisions.
Title 45 - Public Welfare
(a) The Corporation entered into a cross-servicing agreement on March 26, 1999, with Treasury Financial Management Services (FMS) that authorizes the Treasury to take the collection actions described in this part on behalf of the Corporation (see §2506.3). The Corporation will refer debts or groups of debts to FMS for collection action. The debt collection procedures that the Treasury FMS uses are based on 31 U.S.C. chapter 37 and this part. (b) The Corporation must transfer to the Treasury any debt that has been delinquent for a period of 180 days or more, so that the Secretary of the Treasury may take appropriate action to collect the debt or terminate collection action. This is pursuant to §901.3 of the FCCS. (c) Paragraph (b) of this section will not apply to any debt or claim that: (1) Is in litigation or foreclosure; (2) Will be disposed of under an approved asset sales program; (3) Has been referred to a private collection contractor for collection for a period of time acceptable to the Secretary of the Treasury; (4) Is at a debt collection center for a period of time acceptable to the Secretary of the Treasury; (5) Will be collected under internal offset procedures within 3 years after the date the debt or claim is first delinquent; or (6) Is exempt from this requirement based on a determination by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Corporation will refer to DOJ for litigation debts on which aggressive collection actions have been taken, but which could not be collected, compromised, suspended, or terminated. Referrals will be made as early as possible, consistent with aggressive Corporation collection action, and within the period for bringing a timely suit against the debtor. (a) The Corporation will report certain delinquent debts to appropriate consumer credit reporting agencies by providing the following information: (1) A statement that the debt is valid and overdue; (2) The name, address, taxpayer identification number, and any other information necessary to establish the identity of the debtor; (3) The amount, status, and history of the debt; and (4) The program or pertinent activity under which the debt arose. (b) Before disclosing debt information to a credit reporting agency, the Corporation: (1) Takes reasonable action to locate the debtor if a current address is not available; (2) Provides the notice required under §2506.14(a) if a current address is available; and (3) Obtains satisfactory assurances from the credit reporting agency that it complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.) and other Federal laws governing the provision of credit information. (c) At the time debt information is submitted to a credit reporting agency, the Corporation provides a written statement to the reporting agency that all required actions have been taken. In addition, the Corporation thereafter ensures that the credit reporting agency is promptly informed of any substantive change in the conditions or amount of the debt, and promptly verifies or corrects information relevant to the debt. (d) If a debtor disputes the validity of the debt, the credit reporting agency refers the matter to the appropriate Corporation official. The credit reporting agency excludes the debt from its reports until the Corporation certifies in writing that the debt is valid. (e) The Corporation may disclose to a commercial credit bureau information concerning a commercial debt, including the following: (1) Information necessary to establish the name, address, and employer identification number of the commercial debtor; (2) The amount, status, and history of the debt; and (3) The program or pertinent activity under which the debt arose. The Corporation uses the services of a private collection contractor when it determines that such use is in the Corporation's best interest. When the Corporation determines that there is a need to contract for private collection services, the Corporation: (a) Retains sole authority to: (1) Resolve any dispute with the debtor regarding the validity of the debt; (2) Compromise the debt; (3) Suspend or terminate collection action; (4) Refer the debt to the DOJ for litigation; and (5) Take any other action under this part; (b) Requires the contractor to comply with the: (1) Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, to the extent specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(m); (2) Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (15 U.S.C. 1692–1692o); and (3) Other applicable Federal and State laws pertaining to debt collection practices and applicable regulations of the Corporation in this part; (c) Requires the contractor to account accurately and fully for all amounts collected; and (d) Requires the contractor to provide to the Corporation, upon request, all data and reports contained in its files related to its collection actions on a debt. (a) The Corporation will send you a written notice when we determine that you owe a debt to the Corporation. The notice will be hand-delivered or sent to you at the most current address known to the Corporation. The notice will inform you of the following: (1) The amount, nature, and basis of the debt; (2) That a designated Corporation official has reviewed the debt and determined that it is valid; (3) That payment of the debt is due as of the date of the notice, and that the debt will be considered delinquent if you do not pay it within 30 days of the date of the notice; (4) The Corporation's policy concerning interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs (see §2506.18), including a statement that such assessments must be made against you unless excused in accordance with the FCCS and this part; (5) That you have the right to inspect and copy disclosable Corporation records pertaining to your debt, or to receive copies of those records if personal inspection is impractical; (6) That you have the opportunity to enter into an agreement, in writing and signed by both you and the designated Corporation official, for voluntary repayment of the debt (see §2506.19); (7) The address, telephone number, and name of the Corporation official available to discuss the debt; (8) Possible collection actions that might be taken if the debt is not paid within 60 days of the notice, or arrangements to pay the debt are not made within 60 days of the notice (see §2506.15 for a fuller description of possible actions); (9) That the Corporation may suspend or revoke any licenses, permits, or other privileges for failure to pay a debt; and (10) Information on your opportunity to obtain a review concerning the existence or amount of the debt, or the proposed schedule for offset of Federal employee salary payments (see §2506.16). (b) The Corporation will respond promptly to communications from you. (c) Exception to entitlement to notice, hearing, written responses, and final decisions. With respect to the regulations covering internal salary offset collections (see §2506.32), the Corporation excepts from the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section— (1) Any adjustment to pay arising out of an employee's election of coverage or a change in coverage under a Federal benefits program requiring periodic deductions from pay, if the amount to be recovered was accumulated over 4 pay periods or less; (2) A routine intra-agency adjustment of pay that is made to correct an overpayment of pay attributable to clerical or administrative errors or delays in processing pay documents, if the overpayment occurred within the 4 pay periods preceding the adjustment and, at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the individual is provided written notice of the nature and the amount of the adjustment and point of contact for contesting such adjustment; or (3) Any adjustment to collect a debt amounting to $50 or less, if, at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the individual is provided written notice of the nature and the amount of the adjustment and a point of contact for contesting such adjustment. The notice provided under §2506.14 will advise you that, within 60 days of the date of the notice, your debt (including any interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs) must be paid or you must enter into a voluntary repayment agreement. If you do not pay the debt or enter into the agreement within that deadline, the Corporation may enforce collection of the debt by any or all of the following methods: (a) By transferring the debt to the Treasury for collection, including under a cross-servicing agreement with the Treasury (see §2506.10); (b) By referral to a credit reporting agency (see §2506.12), private collection contractor (see §2506.13), or the DOJ (see §2506.11); (c) If you are a Corporation employee, by deducting money from your disposable pay account until the debt (and all accumulated interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs) is paid in full (see subpart C of this part). The Corporation will specify the amount, frequency, approximate beginning date, and duration of the deduction. 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 31 U.S.C. 3716 govern such proceedings; (d) If you are an employee of a Federal agency other than the Corporation, by initiating certification procedures to implement a salary offset by that Federal agency (see subpart C of this part). 5 U.S.C. 5514 governs such proceedings; (e) By referring the debt to the Treasury for offset against any refund of overpayment of tax (see subpart D of this part); (f) By administrative offset (see subpart E of this part); (g) By administrative wage garnishment (see subpart F of this part); or (h) By liquidation of security or collateral. The Corporation has the right to hold security or collateral, liquidate it, and apply the proceeds to your debt through the exercise of a power of sale in the security instrument or a foreclosure. The Corporation will not follow the procedures in this paragraph (h) if the cost of disposing of the collateral will be disproportionate to its value. The notice provided by the Corporation under §§2506.14 and 2506.15 will also advise you of the opportunity to obtain a review within the Corporation concerning the existence or amount of the debt or the proposed schedule for offset of Federal employee salary payments. The notice will also advise you of the following: (a) The name, address, and telephone number of a Corporation official whom you may contact concerning procedures for requesting a review; (b) The method and time period for requesting a review; (c) That the filing of a request for a review on or before the 60th day following the date of the notice will stay the commencement of collection proceedings; (d) The name and address of the Corporation official to whom you should send the request for a review; (e) That a final decision on the review (if one is requested) will be issued in writing at the earliest practical date, but not later than 60 days after the receipt of the request for a review, unless you request, and the review official grants, a delay in the proceedings; (f) That any knowingly false or frivolous statements, representations, or evidence may subject you to: (1) Disciplinary procedures appropriate under 5 U.S.C. chapter 75, 5 CFR part 752, or any other applicable statute or regulations; (2) Penalties under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3729–3733) or any other applicable statutory authority; and (3) Criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 286, 287, 1001, and 1002, or any other applicable statutory authority; (g) Any other rights available to you to dispute the validity of the debt or to have recovery of the debt waived, or remedies available to you under statutes or regulations governing the program for which the collection is being made; and (h) That unless there are applicable contractual or statutory provisions to the contrary, amounts paid on or deducted for the debt that are later waived or found not owed will be promptly refunded to you. (a) Request for review. (1) You have the right to request a review by the Corporation of the existence or the amount of your debt, the proposed schedule for offset of Federal employee salary payments, or whether the debt is past due or legally enforceable. If you want a review, you must send a written request to the Corporation official designated in the notice (see §2506.16(d)). (2) You must sign your request for review and fully identify and explain with reasonable specificity all the facts, evidence, and witnesses that support your position. Your request for review should be accompanied by available evidence to support your contentions. (3) Your request for review must be received by the designated officer or employee of the Corporation on or before the 60th calendar day following the date of the notice. Timely filing will stay the commencement of collection procedures. The Corporation may consider requests filed after the 60-day period provided for in this section if you: (i) Can show that the delay was the result of circumstances beyond your control; or (ii) Did not receive notice of the filing deadline (unless you had actual notice of the filing deadline). (b) Inspection of the Corporation records related to the debt. (1) If you want to inspect or copy the Corporation records related to the debt (see §2506.14(a)(5)), you must send a letter to the Corporation official designated in the notice. Your letter must be received within 30 days of the date of the notice. (2) In response to the timely request described in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the designated Corporation official will notify you of the location and time when you may inspect and copy records related to the debt. (3) If personal inspection of the Corporation records related to the debt is impractical, reasonable arrangements will be made to send you copies of those records. (c) Review official. (1) When required by Federal law or regulation, such as in a salary offset situation, the Corporation will request an administrative law judge, or hearing official from another agency who is not under the supervision or control of the Chief Executive Officer, to conduct the review. In these cases, the hearing official will, following the review, submit the review decision to the Chief Executive Officer for the issuance of the Corporation's final decision (see paragraph (f) of this section for content of the review decision). (2) When Federal law or regulation does not require the Corporation to have the review conducted by an administrative law judge, or by a hearing official from another agency who is not under the supervision or control of the Chief Executive Officer, the Corporation has the right to appoint a hearing official to conduct the review. In these cases, the hearing official will, following the review, submit the review decision to the Chief Executive Officer for the issuance of the Corporation's final decision (see paragraph (f) of this section for the content of the review decision). (d) Review procedure. If you request a review, the review official will notify you of the form of the review to be provided. The review official will determine whether an oral hearing is required, or if a review of the written record is sufficient, in accordance with the FCCS. Although you may request an oral hearing, such a hearing is required only when a review of the documentary evidence cannot determine the question of indebtedness, such as when the validity of the debt turns on an issue of credibility or truthfulness. In either case, the review official will conduct the review in accordance with the FCCS. If the review will include an oral hearing, the notice sent to you by the review official will set forth the date, time, and location of the hearing. (e) Date of decision. (1) The review official will issue a written decision, based upon either the written record or documentary evidence and information developed at an oral hearing. This decision will be issued as soon as practical, but not later than 60 days after the date on which the Corporation received your request for a review, unless you request, and the review official grants, a delay in the proceedings. (2) If the Corporation is unable to issue a decision within 60 days after the receipt of the request for a hearing: (i) The Corporation may not issue a withholding order or take other action until the review (in whatever form) is held and a decision is rendered; and (ii) If the Corporation previously issued a withholding order to the debtor's employer, the Corporation must suspend the withholding order beginning on the 61st day after the receipt of the review request and continuing until a review (in whatever form) is held and a decision is rendered. (f) Content of review decision. The review official will prepare a written decision that includes: (1) A statement of the facts presented to support the origin, nature, and amount of the debt; (2) The review official's findings, analysis, and conclusions; and (3) The terms of any repayment schedule, if applicable. (g) Interest, penalty charge, and administrative cost accrual during review period. Interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs authorized by law will continue to accrue during the review period. (a) Interest. (1) The Corporation will assess interest on all delinquent debts unless prohibited by statute, regulation, or contract. (2) Interest begins to accrue on all debts from the date that the debt becomes delinquent. The Corporation will not recover interest if you pay the debt within 30 days of the date on which interest begins to accrue. The Corporation will assess interest at the rate established annually by the Secretary of the Treasury under 31 U.S.C. 3717, unless a different rate is either necessary to protect the interests of the Corporation or established by a contract, repayment agreement, or statute. The Corporation will notify you of the basis for its finding when a different rate is necessary to protect the interests of the Corporation. (3) The Chief Executive Officer may extend the 30-day period for payment without interest when he or she determines that such action is in the best interest of the Corporation. A decision to extend or not to extend the payment period is final and is not subject to further review. (b) Penalty. The Corporation will assess a penalty charge of 6 percent a year on any portion of a debt that is delinquent for more than 90 days. (c) Administrative costs. The Corporation will assess charges to cover administrative costs incurred as a result of your failure to pay a debt before it becomes delinquent. Administrative costs include the additional costs incurred in processing and handling the debt because it became delinquent, such as costs incurred in obtaining a credit report or in using a private collection contractor, or service fees charged by a Federal agency for collection activities undertaken on behalf of the Corporation. (d) Allocation of payments. A partial or installment payment by a debtor will be applied first to outstanding penalty assessments, second to administrative costs, third to accrued interest, and fourth to the outstanding debt principal. (e) Additional authority. The Corporation may assess interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs on debts that are not subject to 31 U.S.C. 3717 to the extent authorized under common law or other applicable statutory authority. (f) Waiver. (1) The Chief Executive Officer may (without regard to the amount of the debt) waive collection of all or part of accrued interest, penalty charges, or administrative costs, if he or she determines that collection of these charges would be against equity and good conscience or not in the best interest of the Corporation. (2) A decision to waive interest, penalty charges, or administrative costs may be made at any time before a debt is paid. However, and unless otherwise stated in these regulations, where these charges have been collected before the waiver decision, they will not be refunded. The Chief Executive Officer's decision to waive or not waive collection of these charges is final and is not subject to further review. (a) In response to a notice of debt, you may propose to the Corporation that you be allowed to repay the debt through a voluntary repayment agreement in lieu of the Corporation taking other collection actions under this part. (b) Your request to enter into a voluntary repayment agreement must: (1) Be in writing; (2) Admit the existence of the debt; and (3) Either propose payment of the debt (together with interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs) in a lump sum, or set forth a proposed repayment schedule. (c) The Corporation will collect debts in one lump sum whenever feasible. However, if you are unable to pay your debt in one lump sum, the Corporation may accept payment in regular installments that bear a reasonable relationship to the size of the debt and your ability to pay. If possible, the installment payments should be sufficient in size and frequency to liquidate the debt in three years or less. (d) The Corporation will consider a request to enter into a voluntary repayment agreement in accordance with the FCCS. The Chief Executive Officer may request additional information from you, including financial statements if you request to make payments in installments, in order to determine whether to accept a voluntary repayment agreement. It is within the Chief Executive Officer's discretion to accept a repayment agreement instead of proceeding with other collection actions under this part, and to set the necessary terms of any voluntary repayment agreement. No repayment agreement will be binding on the Corporation unless it is in writing and signed by both you and the Chief Executive Officer. At the Corporation's option, you may be required to provide security as part of the agreement to make payments in installments. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, 31 U.S.C. 3711 will govern any reduction or compromise of a debt. (a) The Chief Executive Officer may compromise, suspend, or terminate collection action on those debts owed to the Corporation that do not exceed $100,000 excluding interest, in conformity with the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966, as amended. The Corporation will follow the policies in §902.2 of the FCCS. (b) The uncollected portion of a debt owed to the Corporation that is not recovered as the result of a compromise will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as income to the debtor in accordance with IRS procedures if this uncollected amount is at least $600.00. No, the failure of the Corporation to comply with any standard in the FCCS or these regulations will not be available to any debtor as a defense.
Title 45: Public Welfare
PART 2506—COLLECTION OF DEBTS
Subpart B—General Provisions.
§ 2506.10 Will the Corporation use its cross-servicing agreement with Treasury to collect its debts?
§ 2506.11 Will the Corporation refer debts to the Department of Justice?
§ 2506.12 Will the Corporation provide information to credit reporting agencies?
§ 2506.13 How will the Corporation contract for private collection services?
§ 2506.14 What should I expect to receive from the Corporation if I owe a debt to the Corporation?
§ 2506.15 What will the notice tell me regarding collection actions that might be taken if the debt is not paid within 60 days of the notice, or arrangements to pay the debt are not made within 60 days of the notice?
§ 2506.16 What will the notice tell me about my opportunity for review of my debt?
§ 2506.17 What must I do to obtain a review of my debt, and how will the review process work?
§ 2506.18 What interest, penalty charges, and administrative costs will I have to pay on a debt owed to the Corporation?
§ 2506.19 How can I resolve my debt through voluntary repayment?
§ 2506.20 What is the extent of the Chief Executive Officer's authority to compromise debts owed to the Corporation, or to suspend or terminate collection action on such debts?
§ 2506.21 May the Corporation's failure to comply with these regulations be used as a defense to a debt?
