(a) Obtaining the services of a hearing official. When the FDIC is the creditor agency and the debtor is an FDIC employee, the FDIC shall designate an administrative law judge or contact any agent of another agency designated in appendix A to 5 CFR part 581 to arrange for a hearing official. When the FDIC is the creditor agency and the debtor is not an FDIC employee (i.e., the debtor is employed by another federal agency, also known as the paying agency), and the FDIC cannot provide a prompt and appropriate hearing before an administrative law judge or a hearing official furnished pursuant to a lawful arrangement, the FDIC may contact an agent of the paying agency designated in appendix A to 5 CFR part 581 to arrange for a hearing official. The paying agency must cooperate with the FDIC to provide a hearing official, as required by the FCCS.

(b) Notice and format of hearing—

(1) Notice. The hearing official shall determine whether the hearing shall be oral or documentary and shall notify the employee of the form of the hearing. If the hearing will be oral, the notice shall set forth the date, time, and location of the hearing, which must be held within 30 calendar days after the request is received, unless the employee requests that the hearing be delayed. If the hearing will be documentary, the employee shall be notified to submit evidence and written arguments in support of his or her case to the hearing official within 30 calendar days.

(2) Oral hearing. The hearing official may grant a request for an oral hearing if he or she determines that the issues raised by the employee cannot be resolved by review of documentary evidence alone (e.g., where credibility or veracity are at issue). An oral hearing is not required to be an adversarial adjudication, and the hearing official is not required to apply rules of evidence. Witnesses who testify in oral hearings shall do so under oath or affirmation. Oral hearings may take the form of, but are not limited to:

(i) Informal conferences with the hearing official in which the employee and agency representative are given full opportunity to present evidence, witnesses, and argument;

(ii) Informal meetings in which the hearing examiner interviews the employee; or

(iii) Formal written submissions followed by an opportunity for oral presentation.

(3) Documentary hearing. If the hearing official determines that an oral hearing is not necessary, he or she shall decide the issues raised by the employee based upon a review of the written record.

(4) Record. The hearing official shall maintain a summary record of any hearing conducted under this section.

(c) Rescheduling of the hearing date. The hearing official shall reschedule a hearing if requested to do so by both parties, who shall be given reasonable notice of the time and place of this new hearing.

(d) Failure to appear. In the absence of good cause, an employee who fails to appear at a hearing shall be deemed, for the purpose of this subpart, to admit the existence and amount of the debt as described in the Notice of Intent. If the representative of the creditor agency fails to appear, the hearing official shall proceed with the hearing as scheduled, and issue a decision based upon the oral testimony presented and the documentation submitted by both parties.

(e) Date of decision. The hearing official shall issue a written decision based upon the evidence and information developed at the hearing, as soon as practicable after the hearing, but not later than 60 calendar days after the date on which the request for hearing was received by the FDIC, unless the hearing was delayed at the request of the employee. In the event of such a delay, the 60-day decision period shall be extended by the number of days by which the hearing was postponed. The decision of the hearing official shall be final.

(f) Content of decision. The written decision shall include:

(1) A summary of the facts concerning the origin, nature, and amount of the debt;

(2) The hearing official's findings, analysis, and conclusions; and

(3) The terms of the repayment schedule, if applicable.

(g) Official certification of debt. The hearing official's decision shall constitute an official certification regarding the existence and amount of the debt for purposes of executing salary offset under 5 U.S.C. 5514. Where the FDIC is the creditor agency but not the current paying agency, the FDIC may make a certification regarding the existence and amount of the debt owed to the FDIC, based on the hearing official's certification. The FDIC may make this certification to: the Secretary of the Treasury so that Treasury may offset the employee's current pay account by means of centralized administrative offset (5 CFR 550.1108); or to the current paying agency (5 CFR 550.1109). If the hearing official determines that a debt may not be collected through salary offset but the FDIC as the creditor agency determines that the debt is still valid, the FDIC may seek collection of the debt through other means, including administrative offset of other federal payments or litigation.