Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 25, 2024

Title 45 - Public Welfare last revised: Nov 19, 2024
§ 2506.50 - Under what circumstances will the Corporation collect amounts that I owe to the Corporation (or some other Federal agency) by offsetting the debt against payments that the Corporation (or some other Federal agency) owes me?

(a) The regulations in this subpart apply to the collection of any debts you owe to the Corporation, or to any request from another Federal agency that the Corporation collect a debt you owe by offsetting your debt against a payment the Corporation owes you. Administrative offset is authorized under section 5 of the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966, as amended (31 U.S.C. 3716). The Corporation will carry out administrative offset in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Claims Collection Standards. The regulations in this subpart are intended only to supplement the provisions of the FCCS.

(b) The Chief Executive Officer, after attempting to collect a debt you owe to the Corporation under section 3(a) of the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966, as amended (31 U.S.C. 3711(a)), may collect the debt by administrative offset only after giving you:

(1) Written notice of the type and amount of the debt, the intention of the Chief Executive Officer to collect the debt by administrative offset, and an explanation of the rights of the debtor;

(2) An opportunity to inspect and copy the records of the Corporation related to the debt;

(3) An opportunity for a review within the Corporation of the decision of the Corporation related to the debt; and

(4) An opportunity to make a written agreement with the Chief Executive Officer to repay the amount of the debt.

(c) No collection by administrative offset will be made on any debt that has been outstanding for more than 10 years, unless facts material to the Corporation's or the requesting Federal agency's right to collect the debt were not known, and reasonably could not have been known, by the official or officials responsible for discovering and collecting the debt.

(d) The regulations in this subpart do not apply to:

(1) A case in which administrative offset of the type of debt involved is explicitly prohibited by statute; or

(2) Debts owed to the Corporation by Federal agencies.

§ 2506.51 - How will the Corporation request that my debt to the Corporation be collected by offset against some payment that another Federal agency owes me?

The Chief Executive Officer may request that funds due and payable to you by another Federal agency instead be paid to the Corporation to satisfy a debt you owe to the Corporation. The Corporation will refer debts to the Treasury for centralized administrative offset in accordance with the FCCS and the procedures established by the Treasury. Where centralized offset is not available or appropriate, the Corporation may request offset directly from the Federal agency that is holding funds for you. In requesting administrative offset, the Corporation will certify in writing to the Federal agency that is holding funds for you:

(a) That you owe the debt;

(b) The amount and basis of the debt; and

(c) That the Corporation has complied with the requirements of 31 U.S.C. 3716,its,the,and.

§ 2506.52 - What procedures will the Corporation use to collect amounts I owe to a Federal agency by offsetting a payment that the Corporation would otherwise make to me?

(a) Any Federal agency may request that the Corporation administratively offset funds due and payable to you in order to collect a debt you owe to that agency. The Corporation will initiate the requested offset only upon:

(1) Receipt of written certification from the creditor agency stating:

(i) That you owe the debt;

(ii) The amount and basis of the debt;

(iii) That the agency has prescribed regulations for the exercise of administrative offset; and

(iv) That the agency has complied with its own administrative offset regulations and with the applicable provisions of the FCCS, including providing you with any required hearing or review; and

(2) A determination by the Chief Executive Officer that offsetting funds payable to you by the Corporation in order to collect a debt owed by you would be in the best interest of the United States as determined by the facts and circumstances of the particular case, and that such an offset would not otherwise be contrary to law.

(b) Multiple debts. In instances where two or more creditor agencies are seeking administrative offsets, or where two or more debts are owed to a single creditor agency, the Corporation may, in its discretion, allocate the amount it owes to you to the creditor agencies in accordance with the best interest of the United States as determined by the facts and circumstances of the particular case, paying special attention to applicable statutes of limitations.

§ 2506.53 - When may the Corporation make an offset in an expedited manner?

The Corporation may effect an administrative offset against a payment to be made to you before completion of the procedures required by §§ 2506.51 and 2506.52 if failure to take the offset would substantially jeopardize the Corporation's ability to collect the debt and the time before the payment is to be made does not reasonably permit the completion of those procedures. An expedited offset will be followed promptly by the completion of those procedures. Amounts recovered by offset, but later found not to be owed to the United States, will be promptly refunded.

§ 2506.54 - Can a judgment I have obtained against the United States be used to satisfy a debt that I owe to the Corporation?

Yes. Collection by offset against a judgment obtained by a debtor against the United States will be accomplished in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3728 and 31 U.S.C. 3716.

source: 68 FR 16438, Apr. 4, 2003, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 45 CFR 2506.52