(a) Settlement authority.

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

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

(ii) Settle a claim 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 a claim for $100,000 or less, and deny a claim in any amount.

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

(i) The Deputy Judge Advocate General.

(ii) The Director of Civil Law.

(iii) The Chief, Deputy Chief, and Branch Chiefs, Claims and Tort Litigation Staff.

(4) The 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 to deny claims filed for $25,000 or less.

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

(b) Redelegation of authority. A settlement authority may redelegate up to $25,000 of settlement authority to a subordinate judge advocate or civilian attorney. This redelegation must be in writing and can be for all claims or limited to a single claim. 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 to settle a claim as that specified above. However, no appellate authority below the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force may deny an appeal of a claim it previously denied.

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

(e) Settlement negotiations. A settlement authority may settle a claim filed in any amount for a sum within the delegated settlement authority regardless of the amount claimed. Unsettled claims in excess of the delegated settlement authority are sent to the individual with higher settlement authority. Unsuccessful negotiations at one level do not bind higher authority.

(f) Special exceptions. No authority below the level of AFLOA/JACC may settle claims for:

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

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

[55 FR 2809, Jan. 29, 1990. Redesignated and amended at 81 FR 83696, Nov. 22, 2016]