[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: 31CFR900.2]

[Page 1333-1334]
 
                  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. 900.2  Definitions and construction.

    (a) For the purposes of the standards in this chapter, the terms 
``claim'' and ``debt'' are synonymous and interchangeable. They refer to 
an amount of money, funds, or property that has been determined by an 
agency official to be due the United States from any person, 
organization, or entity, except another Federal agency. For the purposes 
of administrative offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716, the terms ``claim'' and 
``debt'' include an amount of money, funds, or property owed by a person 
to a State (including past-due support being enforced by a State), the 
District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin 
Islands, the

[[Page 1334]]

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico.
    (b) A debt is ``delinquent'' if it has not been paid by the date 
specified in the agency's initial written demand for payment or 
applicable agreement or instrument (including a post-delinquency payment 
agreement), unless other satisfactory payment arrangements have been 
made.
    (c) In parts 900-904 of this chapter, words in the plural form shall 
include the singular and vice versa, and words signifying the masculine 
gender shall include the feminine and vice versa. The terms ``includes'' 
and ``including'' do not exclude matters not listed but do include 
matters that are in the same general class.
    (d) Recoupment is a special method for adjusting debts arising under 
the same transaction or occurrence. For example, obligations arising 
under the same contract generally are subject to recoupment.
    (e) For purposes of the standards in this chapter, unless otherwise 
stated, ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Treasury or the 
Secretary's delegate.