(a) Purpose. The purpose of sections 201.201 through 201.207 is to implement 5 U.S.C. 5514, 31 U.S.C. 3716, and 31 U.S.C. 3720A which authorize the collection by salary offset, administrative offset, or tax refund offset of debts owed by persons, organizations, or entities to the Federal government. Generally, however, a debt may not be collected by such means if it has been outstanding for more than ten years after the agency's right to collect the debt first accrued. These proposed regulations are consistent with the Office of Personnel Management regulations on salary offset, codified at 5 CFR Part 550, subpart K, and with regulations on administrative offset codified at 31 CFR part 901.

(b) Scope.

(1) Sections 201.201 through 201.207 establish agency procedures for the collection of certain debts owed the Government.

(2) Sections 201.201 through 201.207 apply to collections by the Commission from:

(i) Federal employees who are indebted to the Commission;

(ii) Employees of the Commission who are indebted to other agencies; and

(iii) Other persons, organizations, or entities that are indebted to the Commission.

(3) Sections 201.201 through 201.207 do not apply:

(i) To debts or claims arising under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. et seq.), the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.), or the tariff laws of the United States;

(ii) To a situation to which the Contract Disputes Act (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) applies; or

(iii) In any case where collection of a debt is explicitly provided for or prohibited by another statute (e.g., travel advances in 5 U.S.C. 4108).

(4) Nothing in Sections 201.201 through 201.207 precludes the compromise, suspension, or termination of collection actions where appropriate under the standards implementing the Federal Claims Collection Act (31 U.S.C. 3711 et seq.), namely, 31 CFR chapter IX.

[62 FR 38019, July 16, 1997, as amended at 68 FR 32976, June 3, 2003]