(a) The Commission collects debts owed by employees to the Federal Government by means of salary offset under the authority of: 5 U.S.C. 5514; 31 U.S.C. 3716; 5 CFR part 550, subpart K; 31 CFR 285.7; and this subpart. Salary offset is applicable when the Commission is attempting to collect a debt owed by an individual employed by the Commission or another agency.

(b) Nothing in the regulations in this subpart precludes the compromise, suspension, or termination of collection actions under the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966, as amended, or the Federal Claims Collection Standards.

(c) A levy pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code takes precedence over a salary offset under this subpart, as provided in 5 U.S.C. 5514(d) and 31 U.S.C. 3716.

(d) The regulations in this subpart do not apply to any case where collection of a debt by salary offset is explicitly prohibited by another statute.

(e) This subpart's regulations covering notice, hearing, written responses, and final decisions do not apply to:

(1) Any routine intra-agency adjustment in pay that is attributable to clerical or administrative error or delay in processing pay documents that have occurred within the four pay periods preceding the adjustment, or any adjustment to collect a debt amounting to $50 or less. However, at the time of any adjustment, or as soon thereafter as possible, the Commission's payroll agency will provide the employee with a written notice of the nature and amount of the adjustment and a contact point for appealing the adjustment.

(2) Any negative adjustment to pay that arises from the debtor'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 four or fewer pay periods. However, at the time of the adjustment, the Commission's payroll agent will provide in the debtor's earnings statement a clear statement informing the debtor of the previous overpayment.

(f) An employee's involuntary payment of all or any of the debt through salary offset will not be construed as a waiver of any rights that the employee may have under the law, unless there are statutory or contractual provisions to the contrary.

(a) Deductions from a debtor's salary will not be made unless the Commission sends the debtor a written Notice of Intent at least 30 calendar days before the salary offset is initiated.

(b) The Notice of Intent will include the following:

(1) Notice that the Commission has reviewed the records relating to the debt and has determined that the employee owes the debt;

(2) Notice that, after a 30-day period, the Commission will begin to collect the debt by deductions from the employee's current disposable pay account and the date on which deductions from salary will start;

(3) The amount of the debt and the facts giving rise to it;

(4) The frequency and the amount of the intended deduction stated as a fixed dollar amount or as a percentage of pay not to exceed 15 percent of the disposable pay, and the intention to continue the deductions until the debt and all accumulated interest are paid in full or resolved;

(5) The name, address, and telephone number of the person to whom the debtor may propose a written alternative schedule for voluntary repayment in lieu of salary offset. The debtor must include a justification for the alternative schedule in the proposal;

(6) The Commission's policy concerning interest, penalties, and administrative costs, set out at § 513.5, and a statement that assessments will be made unless excused in accordance with the FCCS;

(7) Notice of the employee's right to inspect and copy all Commission records pertaining to the debt and the name, address, and telephone number of the Commission employee to whom requests for access must be made;

(8) Notice of the employee's opportunity to a hearing conducted by an individual who does not work for the Commission on the Commission's determination of the existence or amount of the debt and the terms of the repayment schedule;

(9) Notice that filing a request for a hearing on or before the 15th calendar day following the debtor's receiving the Notice of Intent will stay collection proceedings and that a final decision will be issued at the earliest practical date, but not later than 60 days after the filing of the petition for hearing, unless the employee requests, and a hearing official grants, a delay in proceedings;

(10) An explanation of the effect of submitting knowingly false or frivolous statements; and

(11) Notice that amounts paid on or deducted from debts that are later waived or found not to be owed will be promptly refunded to the employee.

(a) To request a hearing, the debtor must file, within 15 days of receiving the Commission's notice of intent to offset, a written petition signed by the debtor and addressed to the Commission stating why the debtor believes the Commission's determination of the existence or amount of the debt is in error. The Commission may waive the 15-day time limit for filing a request for hearing if the employee shows that the delay was due to circumstances beyond his or her control or because the employee did not receive notice of the 15-day time limit. A debtor who has previously obtained a hearing to contest a debt that arose from a notice of violation or proposed civil fine assessment matters under 25 CFR parts 580 through 585 may not re-litigate matters that were at issue in that hearing.

(b) Regardless of whether the debtor is a Commission employee, the Commission will provide a prompt and appropriate hearing before a hearing official who is not from the Commission.

(c) The hearing will be conducted according to the FCCS review requirements at 31 CFR 901.3(e).

(d) Unless the employee requests, and a hearing official grants, a delay in proceedings, within 60 days after the petition for hearing the hearing official will issue a written decision on:

(1) The determination of the creditor agency concerning the existence or amount of the debt; and

(2) The repayment schedule, if a schedule was not established by written agreement between the employee and the creditor agency.

(e) If the hearing official determines that a debt may not be collected by salary offset but the Commission has determined that the debt is valid, the Commission may seek collection of the debt through other means in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

(f) The form of hearings, written responses, and final decisions will be according to the Commission's review requirements at § 513.7. Written decisions regarding salary offset that are provided after a request for hearing must state: The facts purported to evidence the nature and origin of the alleged debt; the hearing official's analysis, findings, and conclusions as to the employee's or creditor agency's grounds; the amount and validity of the alleged debt; and, where applicable, the repayment schedule.

Yes. Upon completion of the procedures established in this subpart and pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5514,the.

(a) In response to a Notice of Intent, an employee may propose to repay the debt voluntarily in lieu of salary offset by submitting a written proposed repayment schedule to the Commission. A proposal must be received by the Commission within 15 calendar days after the employee is sent the Notice of Intent.

(b) The Commission will notify the employee whether, within the Commission's discretion, the proposed repayment schedule is acceptable.

(c) If the proposed repayment schedule is unacceptable, the employee will have 15 calendar days from the date the notice of the decision is received in which to file a request for a hearing.

(d) If the proposed repayment schedule is acceptable or the employee agrees to a modification proposed by the Commission, the agreement will be put in writing and signed by the employee and the Commission.

(a)(1) An employee subject to salary offset or a voluntary repayment agreement may, at any time, request a special review by the Commission of the amount of the salary offset or voluntary repayment, based on materially changed circumstances, including, but not limited to, catastrophic illness, divorce, death, or disability.

(2) The request for special review must include an alternative proposed offset or payment schedule and a detailed statement, with supporting documents, that shows why the current salary offset or payment results in extreme financial hardship to the employee, spouse, or dependents. The statement must indicate:

(i) Income from all sources;

(ii) Assets;

(iii) Liabilities;

(iv) Number of dependents;

(v) Expenses for food, housing, clothing, and transportation;

(vi) Medical expenses; and

(vii) Exceptional expenses, if any.

(b) The Commission will evaluate the statement and documentation and determine whether the current offset or repayment schedule imposes extreme financial hardship on the employee. The Commission will notify the employee in writing within 30 calendar days of its determination, including, if appropriate, a revised offset or payment schedule. If the special review results in a revised offset or repayment schedule, the Commission will provide a new certification to the paying agency.

(a) As the creditor agency, the Commission will promptly refund any amount deducted under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5514,when; or

(2) An administrative or judicial order directs the Commission to make a refund.

(b) Unless required or permitted by law or contract, refunds under this section will not bear interest.

(a) When the Commission receives a certification from a creditor agency that has complied with the Office of Personnel Management's requirements set out at 5 CFR 550.1109, the Commission will send the employee a written notice of salary offset.

(b) If the Commission receives an incomplete certification from a creditor agency, the Commission will return the certification with notice that the procedures under 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 5 CFR 550.1104 must be followed and a properly certified claim submitted before the Commission will take action to collect the debt from the employee's current pay account.

(c) Notice to a debtor will include:

(1) The Commission's receipt of a certification from a creditor agency;

(2) The amount of the debt and the deductions to be made, which may be stated as a percentage of disposable pay; and

(3) The date and pay period when the salary offset will begin.

(d) The Commission will provide a copy of the notice of salary offset to a creditor agency.

(e) The Commission will coordinate salary deductions under this subpart as appropriate.

(f) The Commission's payroll officer will determine the amount of the debtor's disposable pay and will implement the salary offset.

(g) The Commission may use the following types of salary debt collection:

(1) Lump sum offset. If the amount of the debt is equal to or less than 15 percent of disposable pay, the debt generally will be collected through one lump sum offset.

(2) Installment deductions. The amount deducted from any period will not exceed 15 percent of the disposable pay from which the deduction is made unless the debtor has agreed in writing to the deduction of a greater amount. If possible, installment payments will liquidate the debt in three years or less.

(3) Deductions from final check. A deduction exceeding the 15 percent of disposable pay limitation may be made from any final salary payment under 31 U.S.C. 3716 and the Federal Claims Collection Standards, in order to liquidate the debt, whether the employee is leaving voluntarily or involuntarily.

(4) Deductions from other sources. If an employee subject to salary offset is leaving the Commission and the balance of the debt cannot be liquidated by offset of the final salary check, then the Commission may offset later payments of any kind against the balance of the debt, as allowed by 31 U.S.C. 3716 and the Federal Claims Collection Standards.

(h) When two or more creditor agencies are seeking salary offsets, the Commission's payroll office may, in its discretion, determine whether one or more debts should be offset simultaneously within the 15 percent limitation.

(i) The Commission is not authorized to review the merits of the creditor agency's determination with respect to the amount or validity of the debt certified by the creditor agency.