(a) Accounting Service Center refers to the United States Postal Service Eagan Accounting Service Center or its successor installation.

(b) Administrative offset refers to the withholding of money payable by the Postal Service or the United States to, or held by the Postal Service or the United States for, a former employee in order to satisfy a debt determined to be owed by the former employee to the Postal Service.

(c) Debt refers to any amount determined by the Postal Service to be owed to the Postal Service by a former employee.

(d) Federal Claims Collection Standards or FCCS refers to regulations promulgated by the Department of Justice and the Department of the Treasury and codified at 31 CFR parts 900 through 904.

(e) Former employee refers to an individual whose employment with the Postal Service has ceased. An employee is considered formally separated from the Postal Service rolls as of close of business on the effective date of his or her separation.

(f) General Counsel refers to the General Counsel of the Postal Service, and includes a designated representative.

(g) Hearing Official refers to an Administrative Law Judge qualified to hear cases under the Administrative Procedure Act, an Administrative Judge appointed under the Contract Disputes Act of 1978, or any other qualified person licensed to practice law designated by the Judicial Officer to preside over a hearing conducted pursuant to this part.

(h) Judicial Officer refers to the Judicial Officer, Associate Judicial Officer, or Acting Judicial Officer of the Postal Service.

(i) Reconsideration refers to the review of an alleged debt and/or the proposed offset schedule conducted by the Accounting Service Center at the request of a former employee alleged to be indebted to the Postal Service.

(j) Recorder refers to the Recorder, Judicial Officer Department, United States Postal Service, 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201-3078. The recorder's telephone number is (703) 812-1900, and the Judicial Officer's Web site is http://about.usps.com/who-we-are/judicial/welcome.htm. The fax number is (703) 812-1901.

[77 FR 65104, Oct. 25, 2012]