[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 31, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 31CFR285.11]

[Page 120-125]
 
                  TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE: TREASURY
 
         CHAPTER II--FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
 
PART 285--DEBT COLLECTION AUTHORITIES UNDER THE DEBT COLLECTION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1996--Table of Contents
 
                Subpart B--Authorities Other Than Offset
 
Sec. 285.11  Administrative wage garnishment.


    (a) Purpose. This section provides procedures for Federal agencies 
to collect money from a debtor's disposable pay by means of 
administrative wage garnishment to satisfy delinquent nontax debt owed 
to the United States.
    (b) Scope. (1) This section applies to any Federal agency that 
administers a program that gives rise to a delinquent nontax debt owed 
to the United States and to any agency that pursues recovery of such 
debt.
    (2) This section shall apply notwithstanding any provision of State 
law.
    (3) Nothing in this section precludes the compromise of a debt or 
the suspension or termination of collection action in accordance with 
applicable law. See, for example, the Federal Claims Collection 
Standards (FCCS), 31 CFR parts 900-904.
    (4) The receipt of payments pursuant to this section does not 
preclude a Federal agency from pursuing other debt collection remedies, 
including the offset of Federal payments to satisfy delinquent nontax 
debt owed to the United States. A Federal agency may pursue such debt 
collection remedies separately or in conjunction with administrative 
wage garnishment.
    (5) This section does not apply to the collection of delinquent 
nontax debt owed to the United States from the wages of Federal 
employees from their Federal employment. Federal pay is subject to the 
Federal salary offset procedures set forth in 5 U.S.C. 5514 and other 
applicable laws.
    (6) Nothing in this section requires agencies to duplicate notices 
or administrative proceedings required by contract or other laws or 
regulations.
    (c) Definitions. As used in this section the following definitions 
shall apply:
    Agency means a department, agency, court, court administrative 
office, or instrumentality in the executive, judicial, or legislative 
branch of the Federal Government, including government corporations. For 
purposes of this section, agency means either the agency that 
administers the program that gave rise to the debt or the agency that 
pursues recovery of the debt.
    Business day means Monday through Friday. For purposes of 
computation, the last day of the period will be included unless it is a 
Federal legal holiday.
    Day means calendar day. For purposes of computation, the last day of 
the period will be included unless it is a Saturday, a Sunday, or a 
Federal legal holiday.
    Debt or claim means any amount of money, funds or property that has 
been determined by an appropriate official of the Federal Government to 
be owed to the United States by an individual, including debt 
administered by a third party as an agent for the Federal Government.
    Debtor means an individual who owes a delinquent nontax debt to the 
United States.
    Delinquent nontax debt means any nontax debt that has not been paid 
by the date specified in the agency's initial written demand for 
payment, or applicable agreement, unless other satisfactory payment 
arrangements have been made. For purposes of this section, the terms 
``debt'' and ``claim'' are synonymous and refer to delinquent nontax 
debt.

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    Disposable pay means that part of the debtor's compensation 
(including, but not limited to, salary, bonuses, commissions, and 
vacation pay) from an employer remaining after the deduction of health 
insurance premiums and any amounts required by law to be withheld. For 
purposes of this section, ``amounts required by law to be withheld'' 
include amounts for deductions such as social security taxes and 
withholding taxes, but do not include any amount withheld pursuant to a 
court order.
    Employer means a person or entity that employs the services of 
others and that pays their wages or salaries. The term employer 
includes, but is not limited to, State and local Governments, but does 
not include an agency of the Federal Government.
    Evidence of service means information retained by the agency 
indicating the nature of the document to which it pertains, the date of 
mailing of the document, and to whom the document is being sent. 
Evidence of service may be retained electronically so long as the manner 
of retention is sufficient for evidentiary purposes.
    Garnishment means the process of withholding amounts from an 
employee's disposable pay and the paying of those amounts to a creditor 
in satisfaction of a withholding order.
    Withholding order means any order for withholding or garnishment of 
pay issued by an agency, or judicial or administrative body. For 
purposes of this section, the terms ``wage garnishment order'' and 
``garnishment order'' have the same meaning as ``withholding order.''
    (d) General rule. Whenever an agency determines that a delinquent 
debt is owed by an individual, the agency may initiate proceedings 
administratively to garnish the wages of the delinquent debtor.
    (e) Notice requirements. (1) At least 30 days before the initiation 
of garnishment proceedings, the agency shall mail, by first class mail, 
to the debtor's last known address a written notice informing the debtor 
of:
    (i) The nature and amount of the debt;
    (ii) The intention of the agency to initiate proceedings to collect 
the debt through deductions from pay until the debt and all accumulated 
interest, penalties and administrative costs are paid in full; and
    (iii) An explanation of the debtor's rights, including those set 
forth in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, and the time frame within 
which the debtor may exercise his or her rights.
    (2) The debtor shall be afforded the opportunity:
    (i) To inspect and copy agency records related to the debt;
    (ii) To enter into a written repayment agreement with the agency 
under terms agreeable to the agency; and
    (iii) For a hearing in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section 
concerning the existence or the amount of the debt or the terms of the 
proposed repayment schedule under the garnishment order. However, the 
debtor is not entitled to a hearing concerning the terms of the proposed 
repayment schedule if these terms have been established by written 
agreement under paragraph (e)(2)(ii) of this section.
    (3) The agency will retain evidence of service indicating the date 
of mailing of the notice.
    (f) Hearing--(1) In general. Agencies shall prescribe regulations 
for the conduct of administrative wage garnishment hearings consistent 
with this section or shall adopt this section without change by 
reference.
    (2) Request for hearing. The agency shall provide a hearing, which 
at the agency's option may be oral or written, if the debtor submits a 
written request for a hearing concerning the existence or amount of the 
debt or the terms of the repayment schedule (for repayment schedules 
established other than by written agreement under paragraph (e)(2)(ii)) 
of this section.
    (3) Type of hearing or review. (i) For purposes of this section, 
whenever an agency is required to afford a debtor a hearing, the agency 
shall provide the debtor with a reasonable opportunity for an oral 
hearing when the agency determines that the issues in dispute cannot be 
resolved by review of the documentary evidence, for example, when the 
validity of the claim turns on the issue of credibility or veracity.
    (ii) If the agency determines that an oral hearing is appropriate, 
the time

[[Page 122]]

and location of the hearing shall be established by the agency. An oral 
hearing may, at the debtor's option, be conducted either in-person or by 
telephone conference. All travel expenses incurred by the debtor in 
connection with an in-person hearing will be borne by the debtor. All 
telephonic charges incurred during the hearing will be the 
responsibility of the agency.
    (iii) In those cases when an oral hearing is not required by this 
section, an agency shall nevertheless accord the debtor a ``paper 
hearing,'' that is, an agency will decide the issues in dispute based 
upon a review of the written record. The agency will establish a 
reasonable deadline for the submission of evidence.
    (4) Effect of timely request. Subject to paragraph (f)(13) of this 
section, if the debtor's written request is received by the agency on or 
before the 15th business day following the mailing of the notice 
described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the agency shall not 
issue a withholding order under paragraph (g) of this section until the 
debtor has been provided the requested hearing and a decision in 
accordance with paragraphs (f)(10) and (f)(11) of this section has been 
rendered.
    (5) Failure to timely request a hearing. If the debtor's written 
request is received by the agency after the 15th business day following 
the mailing of the notice described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, 
the agency shall provide a hearing to the debtor. However, the agency 
will not delay issuance of a withholding order unless the agency 
determines that the delay in filing the request was caused by factors 
over which the debtor had no control, or the agency receives information 
that the agency believes justifies a delay or cancellation of the 
withholding order.
    (6) Hearing official. A hearing official may be any qualified 
individual, as determined by the head of the agency, including an 
administrative law judge.
    (7) Procedure. After the debtor requests a hearing, the hearing 
official shall notify the debtor of:
    (i) The date and time of a telephonic hearing;
    (ii) The date, time, and location of an in-person oral hearing; or
    (iii) The deadline for the submission of evidence for a written 
hearing.
    (8) Burden of proof. (i) The agency will have the burden of going 
forward to prove the existence or amount of the debt.
    (ii) Thereafter, if the debtor disputes the existence or amount of 
the debt, the debtor must present by a preponderance of the evidence 
that no debt exists or that the amount of the debt is incorrect. In 
addition, the debtor may present evidence that the terms of the 
repayment schedule are unlawful, would cause a financial hardship to the 
debtor, or that collection of the debt may not be pursued due to 
operation of law.
    (9) Record. The hearing official must maintain a summary record of 
any hearing provided under this section. A hearing is not required to be 
a formal evidentiary-type hearing, however, witnesses who testify in 
oral hearings will do so under oath or affirmation.
    (10) Date of decision. The hearing official shall issue a written 
opinion stating his or her decision, as soon as practicable, but not 
later than sixty (60) days after the date on which the request for such 
hearing was received by the agency. If an agency is unable to provide 
the debtor with a hearing and render a decision within 60 days after the 
receipt of the request for such hearing:
    (i) The agency may not issue a withholding order until the hearing 
is held and a decision rendered; or
    (ii) If the agency had previously issued a withholding order to the 
debtor's employer, the agency must suspend the withholding order 
beginning on the 61st day after the receipt of the hearing request and 
continuing until a hearing is held and a decision is rendered.
    (11) Content of decision. The written decision shall include:
    (i) A summary of the facts presented;
    (ii) The hearing official's findings, analysis and conclusions; and
    (iii) The terms of any repayment schedules, if applicable.
    (12) Final agency action. The hearing official's decision will be 
the final agency action for the purposes of judicial review under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.).

[[Page 123]]

    (13) Failure to appear. In the absence of good cause shown, a debtor 
who fails to appear at a hearing scheduled pursuant to paragraph (f)(4) 
of this section will be deemed as not having timely filed a request for 
a hearing.
    (g) Wage garnishment order. (1) Unless the agency receives 
information that the agency believes justifies a delay or cancellation 
of the withholding order, the agency should send, by first class mail, a 
withholding order to the debtor's employer:
    (i) Within 30 days after the debtor fails to make a timely request 
for a hearing (i.e., within 15 business days after the mailing of the 
notice described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section), or,
    (ii) If a timely request for a hearing is made by the debtor, within 
30 days after a final decision is made by the agency to proceed with 
garnishment, or,
    (iii) As soon as reasonably possible thereafter.
    (2) The withholding order sent to the employer under paragraph 
(g)(1) of this section shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of 
the Treasury. The withholding order shall contain the signature of, or 
the image of the signature of, the head of the agency or his/her 
delegatee. The order shall contain only the information necessary for 
the employer to comply with the withholding order. Such information 
includes the debtor's name, address, and social security number, as well 
as instructions for withholding and information as to where payments 
should be sent.
    (3) The agency will retain evidence of service indicating the date 
of mailing of the order.
    (h) Certification by employer. Along with the withholding order, the 
agency shall send to the employer a certification in a form prescribed 
by the Secretary of the Treasury. The employer shall complete and return 
the certification to the agency within the time frame prescribed in the 
instructions to the form. The certification will address matters such as 
information about the debtor's employment status and disposable pay 
available for withholding.
    (i) Amounts withheld. (1) After receipt of the garnishment order 
issued under this section, the employer shall deduct from all disposable 
pay paid to the applicable debtor during each pay period the amount of 
garnishment described in paragraph (i)(2) of this section.
    (2)(i) Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (i)(3) and (i)(4) of 
this section, the amount of garnishment shall be the lesser of:
    (A) The amount indicated on the garnishment order up to 15% of the 
debtor's disposable pay; or
    (B) The amount set forth in 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)(2) (Restriction on 
Garnishment). The amount set forth at 15 U.S.C. 1673(a)(2) is the amount 
by which a debtor's disposable pay exceeds an amount equivalent to 
thirty times the minimum wage. See 29 CFR 870.10.
    (3) When a debtor's pay is subject to withholding orders with 
priority the following shall apply:
    (i) Unless otherwise provided by Federal law, withholding orders 
issued under this section shall be paid in the amounts set forth under 
paragraph (i)(2) of this section and shall have priority over other 
withholding orders which are served later in time. Notwithstanding the 
foregoing, withholding orders for family support shall have priority 
over withholding orders issued under this section.
    (ii) If amounts are being withheld from a debtor's pay pursuant to a 
withholding order served on an employer before a withholding order 
issued pursuant to this section, or if a withholding order for family 
support is served on an employer at any time, the amounts withheld 
pursuant to the withholding order issued under this section shall be the 
lesser of:
    (A) The amount calculated under paragraph (i)(2) of this section, or
    (B) An amount equal to 25% of the debtor's disposable pay less the 
amount(s) withheld under the withholding order(s) with priority.
    (iii) If a debtor owes more than one debt to an agency, the agency 
may issue multiple withholding orders provided that the total amount 
garnished from the debtor's pay for such orders does not exceed the 
amount set forth in paragraph (i)(2) of this section. For purposes of 
this paragraph (i)(3)(iii), the term agency refers to the agency that is 
owed the debt.

[[Page 124]]

    (4) An amount greater than that set forth in paragraphs (i)(2) and 
(i)(3) of this section may be withheld upon the written consent of 
debtor.
    (5) The employer shall promptly pay to the agency all amounts 
withheld in accordance with the withholding order issued pursuant to 
this section.
    (6) An employer shall not be required to vary its normal pay and 
disbursement cycles in order to comply with the withholding order.
    (7) Any assignment or allotment by an employee of his earnings shall 
be void to the extent it interferes with or prohibits execution of the 
withholding order issued under this section, except for any assignment 
or allotment made pursuant to a family support judgment or order.
    (8) The employer shall withhold the appropriate amount from the 
debtor's wages for each pay period until the employer receives 
notification from the agency to discontinue wage withholding. The 
garnishment order shall indicate a reasonable period of time within 
which the employer is required to commence wage withholding.
    (j) Exclusions from garnishment. The agency may not garnish the 
wages of a debtor who it knows has been involuntarily separated from 
employment until the debtor has been reemployed continuously for at 
least 12 months. The debtor has the burden of informing the agency of 
the circumstances surrounding an involuntary separation from employment.
    (k) Financial hardship. (1) A debtor whose wages are subject to a 
wage withholding order under this section, may, at any time, request a 
review by the agency of the amount garnished, based on materially 
changed circumstances such as disability, divorce, or catastrophic 
illness which result in financial hardship.
    (2) A debtor requesting a review under paragraph (k)(1) of this 
section shall submit the basis for claiming that the current amount of 
garnishment results in a financial hardship to the debtor, along with 
supporting documentation. Agencies shall consider any information 
submitted in accordance with procedures and standards established by the 
agency.
    (3) If a financial hardship is found, the agency shall downwardly 
adjust, by an amount and for a period of time agreeable to the agency, 
the amount garnished to reflect the debtor's financial condition. The 
agency will notify the employer of any adjustments to the amounts to be 
withheld.
    (l) Ending garnishment. (1) Once the agency has fully recovered the 
amounts owed by the debtor, including interest, penalties, and 
administrative costs consistent with the FCCS, the agency shall send the 
debtor's employer notification to discontinue wage withholding.
    (2) At least annually, an agency shall review its debtors' accounts 
to ensure that garnishment has been terminated for accounts that have 
been paid in full.
    (m) Actions prohibited by the employer. An employer may not 
discharge, refuse to employ, or take disciplinary action against the 
debtor due to the issuance of a withholding order under this section.
    (n) Refunds. (1) If a hearing official, at a hearing held pursuant 
to paragraph (f)(3) of this section, determines that a debt is not 
legally due and owing to the United States, the agency shall promptly 
refund any amount collected by means of administrative wage garnishment.
    (2) Unless required by Federal law or contract, refunds under this 
section shall not bear interest.
    (o) Right of action. The agency may sue any employer for any amount 
that the employer fails to withhold from wages owed and payable to an 
employee in accordance with paragraphs (g) and (i) of this section. 
However, a suit may not be filed before the termination of the 
collection action involving a particular debtor, unless earlier filing 
is necessary to avoid expiration of any applicable statute of 
limitations period. For purposes of this section, ``termination of the 
collection action'' occurs when the agency has terminated collection 
action in accordance with the FCCS or other applicable standards. In any 
event, termination of the collection action will have been deemed to 
occur if the agency has not received any payments to satisfy the debt 
from the particular debtor whose

[[Page 125]]

wages were subject to garnishment, in whole or in part, for a period of 
one (1) year.

[63 FR 25139, May 6, 1998, as amended at 64 FR 22908, Apr. 28, 1999; 66 
FR 51868, Oct. 11, 2001]