[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: 31CFR901.1]

[Page 1335-1336]
 
                  TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE: TREASURY
 
   CHAPTER IX--FEDERAL CLAIMS COLLECTION STANDARDS (DEPARTMENT OF THE 
                    TREASURY--DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)
 
PART 901_STANDARDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE COLLECTION OF CLAIMS
--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 901.1  Aggressive agency collection activity.




Sec.
901.1 Aggressive agency collection activity.
901.2 Demand for payment.
901.3 Collection by administrative offset.
901.4 Reporting debts.
901.5 Contracting with private collection contractors and with entities 
          that locate and recover unclaimed assets.
901.6 Suspension or revocation of eligibility for loans and loan 
          guaranties, licenses, permits, or privileges.
901.7 Liquidation of collateral.
901.8 Collection in installments.
901.9 Interest, penalties, and administrative costs.
901.10 Analysis of costs.
901.11 Use and disclosure of mailing addresses.
901.12 Exemptions.

    Authority: 31 U.S.C. 3701, 3711, 3716, 3717, 3718, and 3720B.

    Source: 65 FR 70396, Nov. 22, 2000, unless otherwise noted.


    (a) Federal agencies shall aggressively collect all debts arising 
out of activities of, or referred or transferred for collection services 
to, that agency. Collection activities shall be undertaken promptly with 
follow-up action taken as necessary. Nothing contained in parts 900-904 
of this chapter requires the Department of Justice, Treasury, or other 
Treasury-designated debt collection centers, to duplicate collection 
activities previously undertaken by other agencies or to perform 
collection activities that other agencies should have undertaken.
    (b) Debts referred or transferred to Treasury, or Treasury-
designated debt collection centers under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 
3711(g), shall be serviced, collected, or compromised, or the collection 
action will be suspended or terminated, in accordance with the statutory 
requirements and authorities applicable to the collection of such debts.
    (c) Agencies shall cooperate with one another in their debt 
collection activities.
    (d) Agencies should consider referring debts that are less than 180 
days delinquent to Treasury or to Treasury-designated ``debt collection 
centers'' to accomplish efficient, cost effective debt collection. 
Treasury is a debt collection center, is authorized to designate other 
Federal agencies as debt collection centers based on their performance 
in collecting delinquent debts, and may withdraw such designations. 
Referrals to debt collection centers shall be at the discretion of, and 
for a time period acceptable to, the Secretary. Referrals may be for 
servicing, collection, compromise, suspension, or termination of 
collection action.
    (e) Agencies shall transfer to the Secretary any debt that has been 
delinquent for a period of 180 days or more so that the Secretary may 
take appropriate action to collect the debt or terminate collection 
action. See 31 CFR 285.12 (Transfer of Debts to Treasury for 
Collection). This requirement does not apply to any debt that:
    (1) Is in litigation or foreclosure;
    (2) Will be disposed of under an approved asset sale program;
    (3) Has been referred to a private collection contractor for a 
period of time acceptable to the Secretary;
    (4) Is at a debt collection center for a period of time acceptable 
to the Secretary (see paragraph (d) of this section);
    (5) Will be collected under internal offset procedures within three 
years after the debt first became delinquent; or

[[Page 1336]]

    (6) Is exempt from this requirement based on a determination by the 
Secretary that exemption for a certain class of debt is in the best 
interest of the United States. Agencies may request that the Secretary 
exempt specific classes of debts.
    (f) Agencies operating Treasury-designated debt collection centers 
are authorized to charge a fee for services rendered regarding referred 
or transferred debts. The fee may be paid out of amounts collected and 
may be added to the debt as an administrative cost (see Sec. 901.10).