[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 22, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 22CFR34.18]

[Page 128-130]
 
                       TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS
 
                     CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
 
PART 34_DEBT COLLECTION--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart D_Collection Adjustments
 
Sec.  34.18  Waivers of indebtedness.


    (a) Waivers of indebtedness may be granted only as provided for 
certain types of debt by specific statutes and according to the 
standards set out under those statutes.
    (b) Authorities--(1) Debts arising out of erroneous payments of pay 
and allowances. 5 U.S.C. 5584 provides authority for waiving in whole or 
in part debts arising out of erroneous payments of pay and allowances, 
and travel, transportation and relocation expenses and allowances, if 
collection would be against equity and good conscience and not in the 
best interests of the United States.
    (i) Waiver may not be granted if there exists in connection with the 
claim an indication of fraud, misrepresentation, fault, or lack of good 
faith on the part of the employee or any other person having an interest 
in obtaining a waiver.
    (ii) Fault is considered to exist if in light of the circumstances 
the employee knew or should have known through the exercise of due 
diligence that an error existed but failed to take corrective action. 
What an employee should have known is evaluated under a reasonable 
person standard. Employees are, however, expected to have a general 
understanding of the Federal pay system applicable to them.
    (iii) An employee with notice that a payment may be erroneous is 
expected to make provisions for eventual repayment. Financial hardship 
is not a basis for granting a waiver for an employee who was on notice 
of an erroneous payment.
    (iv) If the deciding official finds no indication of fraud, 
misrepresentation, fault, or lack of good faith on the part of the 
employee or any other person having an interest in obtaining a waiver of 
the claim, the employee is not automatically entitled to a waiver. 
Before a waiver can be granted, the deciding official must also 
determine that collection of the claim against an employee would be 
against equity and good conscience and not in the best interests of the 
United States. Factors to consider when determining if collection of a 
claim against an employee would be against equity and good conscience 
and not in the best interests of the United States include, but are not 
limited to:
    (A) Whether collection of the claim would cause serious financial 
hardship to the employee from whom collection is sought.
    (B) Whether, because of the erroneous payment, the employee either 
has relinquished a valuable right or changed positions for the worse, 
regardless of the employee's financial circumstances.

[[Page 129]]

    (C) The time elapsed between the erroneous payment and discovery of 
the error and notification of the employee;
    (D) Whether failure to make restitution would result in unfair gain 
to the employee;
    (E) Whether recovery of the claim would be unconscionable under the 
circumstances.
    (2) Debts arising out of advances in pay. 5 U.S.C. 5524a provides 
authority for waiving in whole or in part a debt arising out of an 
advance in pay if it is shown that recovery would be against equity and 
good conscience or against the public interest.
    (i) Factors to be considered when determining if recovery of an 
advance payment would be against equity and good conscience or against 
the public interest include, but are not limited to:
    (A) Death of the employee;
    (B) Retirement of the employee for disability;
    (C) Inability of the employee to return to duty because of 
disability (supported by an acceptable medical certificate); and
    (D) Whether failure to repay would result in unfair gain to the 
employee.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (3) Debts arising out of advances in situations of authorized or 
ordered departures. 5 U.S.C. 5522 provides authority for waiving in 
whole or in part a debt arising out of an advance payment of pay, 
allowances, and differentials provided under this section if it is shown 
that recovery would be against equity and good conscience or against the 
public interest.
    (i) Factors to be considered when determining if recovery of an 
advance payment would be against equity and good conscience or against 
the public interest include, but are not limited to:
    (A) Death of the employee;
    (B) Retirement of the employee for disability;
    (C) Inability of the employee to return to duty because of 
disability (supported by an acceptable medical certificate); and
    (D) Whether failure to repay would result in unfair gain to the 
employee.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (4) Debts arising out of advances of allowances and differentials 
for employees stationed abroad. 5 U.S.C. 5922 provides authority for 
waiving in whole or in part a debt arising out of an advance of 
allowances and differentials provided under this subchapter if it is 
shown that recovery would be against equity and good conscience or 
against the public interest.
    (i) Factors to be considered when determining if recovery of an 
advance payment would be against equity and good conscience or against 
the public interest include, but are not limited to:
    (A) Death of the employee;
    (B) Retirement of the employee for disability;
    (C) Inability of the employee to return to duty because of 
disability (supported by an acceptable medical certificate); and
    (D) Whether failure to repay would result in unfair gain to the 
employee.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (5) Debts arising out of employee training expenses. 5 U.S.C. 4108 
provides authority for waiving in whole or in part a debt arising out of 
employee training expenses if it is shown that recovery would be against 
equity and good conscience or against the public interest.
    (i) Factors to be considered when determining if recovery of a debt 
arising out of employee training expenses would be against equity and 
good conscience or against the public interest include, but are not 
limited to:
    (A) Death of the employee;
    (B) Retirement of the employee for disability;
    (C) Inability of the employee to return to duty because of 
disability (supported by an acceptable medical certificate); and
    (D) Whether failure to repay would result in unfair gain to the 
employee.
    (ii) [Reserved]
    (6) Under-withholding of life insurance premiums. 5 U.S.C. 8707(d) 
provides authority for waiving the collection of unpaid deductions 
resulting from under-withholding of Federal Employees' Group Life 
Insurance Program premiums if the individual is without fault and 
recovery would be against equity and good conscience.
    (i) Fault is considered to exist if in light of the circumstances 
the employee knew or should have known through the exercise of due 
diligence

[[Page 130]]

that an error existed but failed to take corrective action.
    (ii) Factors to be considered when determining whether recovery of 
unpaid deduction resulting from under-withholding would be against 
equity and good conscience include, but are not limited to:
    (A) Whether collection of the claim would cause serious financial 
hardship to the individual from whom collection is sought.
    (B) The time elapsed between the failure to properly withhold and 
discovery of the failure and notification of the individual;
    (C) Whether failure to make restitution would result in unfair gain 
to the individual;
    (D) Whether recovery of the claim would be unconscionable under the 
circumstances.
    (7) Overpayments of Foreign Service annuities. For waiver of debts 
arising from overpayments from the Foreign Service Retirement and 
Disability Fund under the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability 
System or the Foreign Service Pension System see 22 CFR part 17.
    (8) As otherwise provided by law.
    (c) Waiver of indebtedness is an equitable remedy and as such must 
be based on an assessment of the facts involved in the individual case 
under consideration.
    (d) The burden is on the employee to demonstrate that the applicable 
waiver standard has been met.
    (e) Requests. A debtor requesting a waiver shall do so in writing to 
the contact office by the payment due date stated within the initial 
notice sent under Sec.  34.8(b) or other applicable provision. The 
debtor's written response shall state the basis for the dispute and 
include any relevant documentation in support.
    (f) While a waiver request is pending, STATE may suspend collection, 
including the accrual of interest and penalties, on the debt if STATE 
determines that suspension is in the Department's best interest or would 
serve equity and good conscience.