(a) Format for request for recovery.

(1) Upon completion of the procedures prescribed under 5 CFR 550.1104 and its own regulations, the creditor agency shall certify the debt in writing to the paying agency.

(2) The creditor agency shall certify in writing that the employee owes the debt, the amount and basis of the debt; the date on which payment is due, the date the Government's right to collect first accrued, and that the creditor agency's regulations implementing section 5514 have been approved by OPM.

(3) If collection must be made in installments, the creditor agency must advise the paying agency of the number of installments to be collected, the amount of each installment, and the commencing date of the first installment.

(b) Submitting the request for recovery—

(1) Current employees. The creditor agency shall submit the debt claim, agreement, or other instruction on the payment schedule to the employee's paying agency.

(2) Separated employees—

(i) Employees who are in the process of separating. If the employee is in the process of separating, the creditor agency will submit its debt claim to the employee's paying agency for collection as provided in §§512.22 and 512.23. The paying agency shall certify the total amount of its collection and notify the creditor agency and the employee as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section. Where the paying agency is aware that the employee is entitled to payments from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, it will send a copy of the certified debt claim to the agency responsible for making such payments as notice that a debt is outstanding. It is the responsibility of the creditor agency for pursuing the claim.

(ii) Employees who have already separated. If the employee is already separated and all payments due from his or her former paying agency have been paid, the creditor agency may request that monies which are due and payable to the employee from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (5 CFR 831.1801) or other similar funds be administratively offset in order to collect the debt (31 U.S.C. 3716 and the FCCS).

(iii) Employees who transfer from one paying agency to another. If an employee transfers to a position served by a different paying agency subsequent to the creditor agency's debt claim but before complete collection, the paying agency from which the employee separates shall certify the total of collection made on the debt. One copy of the certification will be supplied to the employee, and another to the creditor agency with notice of the employee's transfer. The original shall be inserted in the employees official personnel folder. The creditor agency shall submit a properly certified claim to the new paying agency before collection can be resumed. The paying agency will then resume collection from the employee's current pay account, and notify the employee and the creditor agency of the resumption. The creditor agency will not need to repeat the due process procedure described by 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 5 CFR 550.1101 et seq.” Upon settlement or repayment of the debt all records of the debt will be removed from official personnel records.

(c) Processing the debt claim upon receipt by the paying agency:

(1) Incomplete claims. If the paying agency receives an improperly completed debt certification, it shall return the request with a notice that procedures under 5 CFR 550.1101 et seq. and the creditor agency's own regulations must be completed and a properly completed debt certification form received before action will be taken to effect collection.

(2) Complete claim. If the paying agency receives a properly completed debt form, deductions will begin prospectively at the next officially established pay interval. A copy of the debt form will be given to the debtor along with notice of the date deductions will commence.

(3) The paying agency is not required or authorized to review the merits of the creditor agency's determination with respect to the amount or validity of the debt as stated in the debt claim.

[52 FR 43897, Nov. 17, 1987, as amended at 55 FR 3051, Jan. 30, 1990]