[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 31, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 31CFR900.1]

[Page 1331-1333]
 
                  TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE: TREASURY
 
   CHAPTER IX--FEDERAL CLAIMS COLLECTION STANDARDS (DEPARTMENT OF THE 
                    TREASURY--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)
 
PART 900_SCOPE OF STANDARDS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 900.1  Prescription of standards.




  --------------------------------------------------------------------
Part                                                                Page
900             Scope of standards..........................        1333
901             Standards for the administrative collection 
                    of claims...............................        1335
902             Standards for the compromise of claims......        1344
903             Standards for suspending or terminating 
                    collection activity.....................        1346
904             Referrals to the Department of Justice......        1348

[[Page 1333]]





Sec.
900.1 Prescription of standards.
900.2 Definitions and construction.
900.3 Antitrust, fraud, and tax and interagency claims excluded.
900.4 Compromise, waiver, or disposition under other statutes not 
          precluded.
900.5 Form of payment.
900.6 Subdivision of claims not authorized.
900.7 Required administrative proceedings.
900.8 No private rights created.

    Authority: 31 U.S.C. 3711.

    Source: 65 FR 70395, Nov. 22, 2000, unless otherwise noted.


    (a) The Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney General of the 
United States are issuing the regulations in parts 900-904 of this 
chapter under the authority contained in 31 U.S.C. 3711(d)(2). The 
regulations in this chapter prescribe standards for Federal agency use 
in the administrative collection, offset, compromise, and the suspension 
or termination of collection activity for civil claims for money, funds, 
or property, as defined by 31 U.S.C. 3701(b), unless specific Federal 
agency statutes or regulations apply to such activities or, as provided 
for by Title 11 of the United States Code, when the claims involve 
bankruptcy. Federal agencies include agencies of the executive, 
legislative, and judicial branches of the Government, including 
Government corporations. The regulations in this chapter also prescribe 
standards for referring debts to the Department of Justice for 
litigation. Additional guidance is contained in the Office of Management 
and Budget's Circular A-129 (Revised), ``Policies for Federal Credit 
Programs and Non-Tax Receivables,'' the Department of the Treasury's 
``Managing Federal Receivables,'' and other publications concerning debt 
collection and debt management. These publications are available from 
the Debt Management Services, Financial Management Service, Department 
of the Treasury, 401 14th Street SW., Room 151, Washington, DC 20227.
    (b) Additional rules governing centralized administrative offset and 
the transfer of delinquent debt to the Department of the Treasury 
(Treasury) or Treasury-designated debt collection centers for collection 
(cross-servicing) under the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, 
Public Law 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, 1358 (April 26, 1996), are issued in 
separate regulations by Treasury. Rules governing the use of certain 
debt collection tools created under the Debt Collection Improvement Act 
of 1996, such as administrative wage garnishment, also are issued in 
separate regulations by Treasury. See generally 31 CFR part 285.
    (c) Agencies are not limited to the remedies contained in parts 900-
904 of this chapter and are encouraged to use all authorized remedies, 
including alternative dispute resolution and arbitration, to collect 
civil claims, to the extent that such remedies are not inconsistent with 
the Federal Claims Collection Act, as amended, Public Law 89-508, 80 
Stat. 308 (July 19, 1966), the Debt Collection Act of 1982, Public Law 
97-365, 96 Stat. 1749 (October 25, 1982), the Debt Collection 
Improvement Act of 1996, or other relevant statutes. The regulations in 
this chapter are not intended to impair agencies' common law rights to 
collect debts.
    (d) Standards and policies regarding the classification of debt for 
accounting purposes (for example, write off of uncollectible debt) are 
contained in the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-129 
(Revised), ``Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax 
Receivables.''