[Code of Federal Regulations]

[Title 31, Volume 3]

[Revised as of July 1, 2005]

From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access

[CITE: 31CFR900.2]



[Page 957-958]

 

                  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 958]]



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.