(a) The NRC shall make appropriate written demands upon the debtor for payment of money or the return of specific property in terms which specify:

(1) The basis of the indebtedness and the right of the debtor to seek review within the NRC;

(2) The amount claimed;

(3) A description of any property which is to be returned by a date certain;

(4) The date on which payment is to be made (which is normally the date the initial written demand letter statement was mailed or hand delivered, unless otherwise specified by contractual agreement, established by Federal statute or regulation, or agreed to under a payment agreement);

(5) The applicable standards for assessing interest, penalties, and administrative costs under 31 CFR 901.9;

(6) The applicable policy for reporting the delinquent debt to consumer reporting agencies; and

(7) The name, address, and phone number of a contact person or office within the NRC will be included with each demand letter.

(b) The NRC shall normally send two demand letters to debtors. The initial demand letter will be followed approximately 30 days later with a second demand letter, unless circumstances indicate that alternative remedies better protect the Government's interest, that the debtor has explicitly refused to pay, or that sending a further demand letter is futile. Depending upon the circumstances, the first and second demand letters may—

(1) Offer or seek to confer with the debtor;

(2) State the amount of the interest and penalties that will be added on a daily basis as well as the administrative costs that will be added to the debt until the debt is paid; and

(3) State that the authorized collection procedures include any procedure authorized in this part including:

(i) Contacts with the debtor's employer when the debtor is employed by the Federal Government or is a member of the military establishment or the Coast Guard;

(ii) The NRC may report debts to credit bureaus, refer debts to debt collection centers and collection agencies for cross-servicing (including wage garnishment), tax refund offset, administrative offset, and litigation. Any eligible debt that is delinquent for 180 days or more will be transferred to the Treasury for collection. Credit bureau reporting for transferred debts will be handled by Treasury or a Treasury-designated center.

(iii) Possible reporting of the delinquent debt to consumer reporting agencies in accordance with the guidance and standards contained in 31 CFR 901.4.

(iv) The suspension or revocation of a license or other remedy under §15.29;

(v) Installment payments possibly requiring security; and

(vi) The right to refer the claim to DOJ for litigation.

(c) The NRC shall normally send only one written demand to a debtor who is a current NRC employee. The procedure described in §15.33 and 10 CFR part 16 will be followed if full payment is not received either 30 days from the date the initial written demand was mailed or hand delivered. If the NRC cannot obtain full payment by following the procedures described in §15.33 and 10 CFR part 16, the NRC may follow other collection procedures described in this subpart.

(d) The failure to state in a letter of demand a matter described in §15.21 is not a defense for a debtor and does not prevent the NRC from proceeding with respect to that matter.

(e) When the NRC learns that a bankruptcy petition has been filed with respect to a debtor, the NRC will cease collection action immediately unless it has been determined that under 11 U.S.C. 362, the automatic stay has been lifted or is no longer in effect.

[47 FR 7616, Feb. 22, 1982, as amended at 55 FR 32378, Aug. 9, 1990; 56 FR 51830, Oct. 16, 1991; 67 FR 30319, May 6, 2002]