For the purposes of this part the following definitions will apply:

Agency means an executive agency as defined at 5 U.S.C. 105,including.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Postal Rate Commission; a military department as defined at 5 U.S.C. 102; an agency or court in the judicial branch; an agency of the legislative branch, including the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives; and other independent establishments that are entities of the Federal government.

Certification means a written debt claim received from a creditor agency which requests the paying agency to offset the salary of an employee.

Chief Financial Officer means the Chief Financial Officer of NSF or such other official of NSF who is designated by the Chief Financial Officer to determine whether an employee is indebted to the United States and to take action to collect such debts.

Creditor agency means an agency of the Federal Government to which the debt is owed.

Debt means an amount owed by a Federal employee to the United States from sources which include loans insured or guaranteed by the United States and all other amounts due the United States from fees, leases, rents, royalties, services, sales of real or personal property, overpayments, penalties, damages, interests, fines, forfeitures (except those arising under the Uniform Code of Military Justice), and all other similar sources.

Disposable pay means the amount that remains from an employee's Federal pay after required deductions for social security, Federal, State or local income tax, health insurance premiums, retirement contributions, life insurance premiums, Federal employment taxes, and any other deductions that are required to be withheld by law.

Hearing official means an individual responsible for conducting a hearing with respect to the existence or amount of a debt claimed, or the repayment schedule of a debt, and who renders a decision on the basis of such hearing. A hearing official may not be under the supervision or control of the Chief Financial Officer or of persons having supervision or control over the Chief Financial Officer.

NSF means the National Science Foundation.

Paying agency means the agency that employs the individual who owes the debt and authorizes the payment of his or her current pay.

Salary offset means an administrative offset to collect a debt pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5514 by deduction(s) at one or more officially established pay intervals from the current pay account of an employee without his or her consent.