(a)

(1) When the Department is the creditor agency, the office designated in §33.4(a)(10) shall schedule a hearing, if one is requested by an employee, before a hearing official.

(2) When the Department cannot provide a prompt and appropriate hearing before an administrative law judge or a hearing official furnished pursuant to another lawful arrangement, the office designated in §33.4(a)(10) may:

(i) When the debtor is not an employee of the Department, contact an agent of the employee's paying agency designated in 5 CFR part 581, appendix A, to arrange for a hearing official; or

(ii) When the debtor is an employee of the Department, contact an agent of any agency designated in 5 CFR part 581, appendix A, to arrange for a hearing official.

(b)

(1) When another agency is the creditor agency, it is the responsibility of that agency to arrange for a hearing if one is requested. The Department will provide a hearing official upon the request of a creditor agency when the debtor is employed by the Department and the creditor agency cannot provide a prompt and appropriate hearing before a hearing official furnished pursuant to another lawful arrangement.

(2) Services rendered to a creditor agency under paragraph (b)(1) of this section will be provided on a fully reimbursable basis pursuant to the Economy Act of 1932, as amended, 31 U.S.C. 1535.

(c) The determination of a hearing official designated under this section is considered to be an official certification regarding the existence and amount of the debt for purposes of executing salary offset under 5 U.S.C. 5514 and this part. A creditor agency may make a certification to the Secretary of the Treasury under 5 CFR 550.1108 or a paying agency under 5 CFR 550.1109 regarding the existence and amount of the debt based on the certification of a hearing official. If a hearing official determines that a debt may not be collected via salary offset, but the creditor agency finds that the debt is still valid, the creditor agency may still seek collection of the debt through other means, such as offset of other Federal payments or litigation.