(a) Settlement authority.

(1) The Secretary of the Air Force has authority to:

(i) Settle claims for $100,000 or less.

(ii) Settle claims for more than $100,000, paying the first $100,000 and reporting the excess to the General Accounting Office for payment.

(iii) Deny a claim in any amount.

(2) The Judge Advocate General has delegated authority to settle claims for $100,000 or less and deny claims in any amount.

(3) The following individuals have delegated authority to settle claims for $25,000 or less and to deny claims in any amount:

(i) The Deputy Judge Advocate General.

(ii) The Director, Civil Law and Litigation.

(iii) The Chief, Associate Chief and Branch Chiefs, Claims and Tort Litigation Division.

(4) SJAs of the Air Force component commander of the U.S. geographic combatant commands for claims arising within their respective combatant command areas of responsibility have delegated authority to settle claims payable or deny claims filed for $25,000 or less.

(5) SJAs of GCMs in PACAF and USAFE have delegated authority to settle claims payable, or deny claims filed for $15,000 or less.

(b) Redelegation of authority. The Chief, Claims and Tort Litigation Division may redelegate his or her authority to Staff Judge Advocates. A settlement authority may redelegate his or her authority for claims not exceeding $25,000, to a subordinate judge advocate or civilian attorney in writing. The Chief, AFLOA/JACC may redelegate up to $25,000, in writing, to paralegals assigned to AFLOA/JACC and, upon request, may authorize installation Staff Judge Advocates to redelegate their settlement authority to paralegals under their supervision.

(c) Appellate authority. Upon appeal, a settlement authority has the same authority specified above. However, no appellate authority below the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force may deny an appeal of a claim it had previously denied.

(d) Authority to reduce, withdraw, and restore settlement authority. Any superior settlement authority may reduce, withdraw, or restore delegated authority.

(e) Settlement negotiations. A settlement authority may settle a claim in any sum within its delegated settlement authority, regardless of the amount claimed. Send uncompromised claims in excess of the delegated authority to the level with settlement authority. Unsuccessful negotiations at one level do not bind higher authority.

(f) Special exceptions. Do not settle or deny claims for the following reasons without AFLOA/JACC approval:

(1) Legal malpractice.

(2) On the job personal injury or death of an employee of a government contractor or subcontractor.

(3) Assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, abuse of process, or malicious prosecution committed by an investigative or law enforcement officer.

(4) On-base animal bite cases.

(5) Personal injury from asbestos or radon.

(6) Claims based upon an act or omission of an employee of the government, exercising due care, in the execution of a statute or regulation.

(7) Claims based upon the exercise or performance or the failure to exercise or perform a discretionary function or duty on the part of a federal agency or an employee of the government.

(8) Claims not payable because payment is not in the best interests of the United States, is contrary to public policy, or is otherwise contrary to the basic intent of the MCA.

(9) Claims presented by a national, or a corporation controlled by a national, of a country at war or engaged in armed conflict with the United States, or any country allied with such enemy country.

(10) Medical malpractice.

[55 FR 2809, Jan. 29, 1990, as amended at 56 FR 1574, Jan. 16, 1991. Redesignated and amended at 81 FR 83690, Nov. 22, 2016]