§ 100.614 Collection by administrative offset.

(a) Application.

(1) The NLRB may administratively undertake collection by centralized offset on each claim which is liquidated or certain in amount in accordance with the guidance and standards in 31 CFR parts 900–904 and 5 U.S.C. 5514.

(2) This section does not apply to those debts described in 31 CFR 901.3(a)(2).

(3) Unless otherwise provided for by contract or law, debts or payments that are not subject to administrative offset under 31 U.S.C. 3716 may be collected by administrative offset under the common law or other applicable statutory authority.

(4) Generally, administrative offset of payments under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 3716 may not be conducted more than 10 years after the Government's right to collect the claim or debt first accrued.

(b) Mandatory centralized offset.

(1) The NLRB is required to refer past due legally enforceable, nontax debts that are over 180 days delinquent to the Department of the Treasury for collection by centralized administrative offset. A debt is legally enforceable if there has been a final determination by the NLRB that the debt, in the amount stated, is due and there are no legal bars to collection action. Debts under this section will be referred and collected pursuant to procedures in 31 CFR 901.3(b).

(c) NLRB administrative offset. The NLRB, in order to refer a delinquent debt to the Department of the Treasury for administrative offset, adopts the administrative offset procedures as prescribed by 31 CFR 901.3.

(d) Non-centralized administrative offset. Generally, non-centralized administrative offsets are ad hoc case-by-case offsets that the NLRB would conduct at its own discretion, internally or in cooperation with the agency certifying or authorizing payments to the debtor. Non-centralized administrative offset is used when centralized administrative offset is not available or appropriate to collect past due legally enforceable, nontax delinquent debts. In these cases, the NLRB may make a request directly to a payment-authorizing agency to offset a payment due a debtor to collect a delinquent debt. The NLRB adopts the procedures in 31 CFR 901.3(c) so that it may request that the Department of the Treasury or any other payment authorizing agency to conduct a non-centralized administrative offset.

(e) Requests to OPM to offset a debtor's anticipated or future benefit payments under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund and the Federal Employees Retirement System. Upon providing OPM written certification that a debtor has been afforded the procedures provided for in this section, the NLRB will request that OPM offset a debtor's anticipated or future benefit payments under the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (Fund) in accordance with regulations codified at 5 CFR 831.1801–831.1808 and the Federal Employees Retirement System (System) in accordance with regulations codified at 5 CFR 845.401–845.408. Upon receipt of a request, OPM will identify and “flag” a debtor's account in anticipation of the time when the debtor requests or becomes eligible for payments from the Fund or System. This will satisfy any requirement that offset be initiated prior to the expiration of the time limitations referenced in 29 CFR 100.614(a)(4).

(f) Review requirements. For purposes of this section, whenever the NLRB is required to afford a debtor a review within the Agency, the NLRB shall provide the debtor with a reasonable opportunity for a review of the record in accordance with 31 CFR 901.3(e). The NLRB will provide the debtor with the reasonable opportunity for an oral hearing in accordance with 31 CFR 285.11(f), when the debtor requests reconsideration of the debt, and the NLRB determines that the question of the indebtedness cannot be resolved by review of the written record, for example, when the validity of the debt turns on an issue of credibility or veracity.