Title 29

SECTION 20.31

20.31 Administrative offset against amounts payable from Civil Service Retirement and Disability fund.

§ 20.31 Administrative offset against amounts payable from Civil Service Retirement and Disability fund.

(a) Unless otherwise prohibited by law, agencies may request that moneys which are due and payable to a debtor from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund be administratively offset in reasonable amounts in order to collect debts owed to the United States by the debtor. Such requests shall be made to the appropriate officials of the Office of Personnel Management in accordance with such regulations as may be prescribed by the Director of that Office.

(b) When making a request for administrative offset under paragraph (a) of this section, an agency shall include a written certification that:

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

(2) The requesting agency has complied with all applicable statutes, regulations, and procedures of the Office of Personnel Management; and

(3) The requesting agency has complied with the requirements of the applicable provisions of the Federal Claims Collection Standards, including any required hearing or review.

(c) Once an agency decides to request administrative offset under paragraph (a) of this section, it should make the request as soon as practical after completion of the applicable due process procedures in order that the Office of Personnel Management may identify and “flag” the debtor's account in anticipation of the time when the debtor becomes eligible and requests to receive payments from the Fund. This will satisfy any requirement that offset be initiated prior to expiration of the applicable statute of limitations. At such time as the debtor makes a claim for payments from the Fund, if at least a year has elapsed since the offset request was originally made, the debtor should be permitted to offer a satisfactory repayment plan in lieu of offset upon establishing that changed financial circumstances would render the offset unjust.

(d) In accordance with procedures established by the Office of Personnel Management, agencies may request an offset from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund prior to completion of due process procedures.

(e) If the requesting agency collects part or all of the debt by other means before deductions are made or completed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, the agency shall act promptly to modify or terminate its request for offset under paragraph (a).

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