(a) Appropriate written demands shall be made promptly upon a debtor of the United States in terms which inform the debtor of the consequences of failure to cooperate. A total of three progressively stronger written demands at not more than 30-day intervals will normally be made unless a response to the first or second demand indicates that a further demand would be futile and the debtor's response does not require rebuttal. In determining the timing of demand letters, NASA will give due regard to the need to act promptly so that, as a general rule, if necessary to refer the debt to the Department of Justice for litigation, such referral can be made within one year of the agency's final determination of the fact and the amount of the debt. When necessary to protect the Government's interests (for example, to prevent the statute of limitations, 28 U.S.C. 2415, from expiring), written demand may be preceded by other appropriate actions, including immediate referral for litigation.

(b) The initial demand letter should inform the debtor of:

(1) The basis for the indebtedness and whatever rights the debtor may have to seek review within the agency;

(2) The applicable standards for assessing interest, penalties, and administrative costs (§1261.412); and

(3) The date by which payment is to be made, which normally should be not more than 30 days from the date that the initial demand letter was mailed or hand delivered. The responsible official should exercise care to ensure that demand letters are mailed or hand delivered on the same day that they are actually dated. Apart from these requirements, there is no prescribed format for demand letters. However, as appropriate to the circumstances, the responsible official may consider including, either in the initial demand letter or in subsequent letters, such items the NASA's willingness to discuss alternative methods of payment, or intentions with respect to referral of the debt to the Department of Justice for litigation.

(4) The name, address, and phone number of a contact person or office within the Agency.

(c) NASA should respond promptly to communications from the debtor, within 30 days whenever feasible, and should advise debtors who dispute the debt to furnish available evidence to support their contentions.

(d) If either prior to the initiation of, any time during, or after completion of the demand cycle, a determination to pursue offset is made, then the procedures specified in subparts 1261.5 and 1261.6, as applicable, should be followed. The availability of funds for offset and NASA's determination to pursue it release the agency from the necessity of further compliance with paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section. If the agency has not already sent the first demand letter, the agency's written notification of its intent to offset must give the debtor the opportunity to make voluntary payment, a requirement which will be satisfied by compliance with the notice requirements of §1261.502 or §1261.603(a), as applicable.

(e) NASA should undertake personal interviews with its debtors whenever this is feasible, having regard for the amounts involved and the proximity of agency representatives to such debtors; and may attempt to effect compromise of the claim in accordance with §1261.414.

(f) When a debtor is employed by the Federal government or is a member of the military establishment or the Coast Guard, and collection by offset cannot be accomplished in accordance with subpart 1261.6, the employing agency will be contacted for the purpose of arranging with the debtor for payment of the indebtedness by allotment or otherwise in accordance with section 206 of Executive Order 11222, May 8, 1965, 30 FR 6469, which provides that: “An employee is expected to meet all just financial obligations, especially those—such as Federal, State, or local taxes—which are imposed by law” (4 CFR 102.81).

[45 FR 48104, July 18, 1980, as amended at 82 FR 29384, June 29, 2017]