(a) Unless otherwise prohibited by law or regulation, and in accordance with 31 CFR 901.3(d), VA may request that money which is due and payable to a debtor from either the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund or FERS be administratively offset in reasonable amounts in order to collect, in one full payment or a minimal number of payments, debts that are owed to VA by the debtor. Such requests shall be made to the appropriate officials at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in accordance with such regulations prescribed by the Director of OPM. (See 5 CFR 831.1801 through 831.1808). In addition, VA may also offset against a Federal employee's final salary check and lump sum leave payment. See §1.912 for procedures for offset against a final salary check and lump sum leave payment.

(b) When making a request to the Office of Personnel Management for administrative offset under paragraph (a) of this section, VA shall include a written certification that:

(1) The debtor owes VA a debt, including the amount of the debt;

(2) VA has complied with the applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures of the Office of Personnel Management; and

(3) VA has complied with §§1.911, 1.911a, 1.912, 1.912a, and 31 CFR 901.3, to the extent applicable, including any required hearing or review.

(c) Once VA decides to request administrative offset from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund or Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) under paragraph (a) of this section, it shall make the request as soon as possible after completion of the applicable procedures in order that the Office of Personnel Management may identify the debtor's account in anticipation of the time when the debtor requests or becomes eligible to receive payments from the Fund or FERS. This will satisfy any requirement that offset be initiated prior to expiration of the applicable statutes of limitations. At such time as the debtor makes a claim for payments from the Fund or FERS, if at least a year has elapsed since the offset request was originally made, the debtor should be permitted to offer a satisfactory repayment plan in lieu of offset upon establishing that such offset will create financial hardship.

(d) If VA collects all or part of the debt by other means before deductions are made or completed in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section, VA shall promptly act to modify or terminate its request for offset under paragraph (a) of this section.

(e) The Office of Personnel Management is neither required nor authorized by this section to review the merits of VA's determination with respect to the amount and validity of the debt waiver under 5 U.S.C. 5584 or 38 U.S.C. 5302, or providing or not providing an oral hearing.

(Authority: 5 U.S.C. 8461; 31 U.S.C. 3711, 3716; 38 U.S.C. 501)

[52 FR 42108, Nov. 3, 1987. Redesignated and amended at 69 FR 62196, Oct. 25, 2004]