USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Rural Development

Business Center

Chief Financial Officer

4300 Goodfellow Blvd 

St. Louis Mo 63120

Voice 314.457.4150

Fax 844.539.5800

TO: Agency Administrators

State Directors

National Office Officials

Administrative Officers

Program Directors

FROM: Tony Bainbridge

Chief Financial Officer

SUBJECT: Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal

PURPOSE

This Unnumbered Letter (UL) is reissued to provide clarification and guidance on 

the use of the Do Not Pay (DNP) Portal to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse of 

federal funds. 

BACKGROUND

Chapter 33 of Title 31 of the United States Code (USC) was amended by the 

Payment Integrity Information Act of 2019 (PIIA). Per 31 USC § 3354, at a minimum 

and before issuing any payment or award, each executive agency shall review as 

appropriate the data sources accessed to verify eligibility of the payment and award. 

This UL replaces the previous UL, dated September 27, 2021, Utilization of the Do 

Not Pay Portal.

IMPLEMENTATION RESPONSIBILITIES

This UL is effective immediately for all applications in process and disbursements of 

funds from existing unliquidated balances.

EXPIRATION DATE: FILING INSTRUCTIONS:

January 31, 2024 Administrative/Other Programs

February 7, 2023
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 2 

In consultation with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the USDA Office of the Chief 

Financial Officer (OCFO), the following data sources are available for Rural Development (RD) 

programs within the DNP Portal:

• American InfoSource Death Data – Obituary (AIS-OBIT)

• American InfoSource Death Data – Probate (AIS-PROB)

• Credit Alert System (CAIVRS)

• Department of Defense Death Data (DOD)

• Department of State Death Data (DOS)

• Electronic Verification of Vital Events Fact of Death (EVVE FOD)

• Health & Human Services (HHS) List of Excluded Individuals & Entities – Public (LEIE-RES)

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Automatic Revocation of Exemption List (ARL)

• Social Security Administration (SSA) Death Master File (DMF)

• System for Award Management (SAM) Entity Registration Records (SAMENT)

• System for Award Management (SAM) Exclusion Records – Restricted (SAM-EXCL-RES)

• Treasury Offset Program (TOP) Debt Check (DBCK)

RD’s Chief Financial Officer designated the DNP Portal as the approved system for accessing 

data sources for RD staff involved in loan, grant, or guarantee pre-award and pre-payment 

actions to complete the required verifications. This UL, plus Attachments, provide clarification to 

RD staff on the stages for screening required participants to reduce improper payments. The 

DNP Portal at https://fiscal.treasury.gov/DNP/ compiles information from the applicable data 

sources available to RD as described above.

Further information about each data source is available as Quick Reference Cards from the 

Department of the Treasury’s DNP Portal Training website, 

https://fiscal.treasury.gov/dnp/training.html. 

Standard Definitions

Applicant – For the purpose of this UL, person or entity requesting qualification for a direct loan, 

grant, subsidy, cooperative agreement, and/or guarantee from Rural Development.

Do Not Pay Coordinator – The Coordinators provide oversight of the DNP system and policies 

for RD. They hold the highest level of administrative authority in the DNP Portal for RD and are 

located with the Office of Compliance Internal Compliance Division (ICD). The Coordinators 

provide guidance and support to all Local Security Administrators (LSAs) of RD, can act as 

backup LSAs as needed, acting LSAs in Access Groups as needed, and create and provide 

training to Portal Users and LSAs within RD.

Employer Identification Number (EIN) – A nine-digit number randomly assigned by the Internal 

Revenue Service (IRS) to identify a business entity.

Entity – For the purpose of this UL, an organization, such as a business or governmental unit, 

that has an identity separate from those of its members. 
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 3 

Intermediary – For the purpose of this UL, the entity receiving Rural Development loan funds for 

relending to ultimate recipients.

Local Security Administrator (LSA) – DNP LSAs oversee an Access Group (a group of Portal 

Users with similar access level). They provide the enrollment, modification, and deactivation of 

Users within the Access Group and conduct Annual Recertification. LSAs are the primary DNP 

point of contact for the Portal Users of their respective Access Group. LSAs have access to the 

DNP Portal but only to review reports.

Participant – For the purposes of this UL, is defined as any individual or entity in a transaction 

supplying goods or services to the federal award recipient, including but not limited to 

contractor, closing attorney, appraiser, auditor, subcontractor, architect, or engineer.

Portal User – Portal Users are members of an Access Group. They have access to the DNP 

Portal’s search functions. Portal Users are at all levels of RD.

Principal – 

(a) An officer, director, owner, partner, principal investigator, or other person within a participant

with management or supervisory responsibilities related to a covered transaction; or

(b) A consultant or other person, whether or not employed by the participant or paid with

Federal funds, who—

(1) Is in a position to handle Federal funds;

(2) Is in a position to influence or control the use of those funds; or,

(3) Occupies a technical or professional position capable of substantially influencing the

development or outcome of an activity required to perform the covered transaction.

(2 CFR §180.995)

Social Security Number (SSN) – A nine-digit number randomly assigned by the Social Security 

Administration (SSA) to identify an individual.

Tax Identification Number – The identification number used by the IRS.

Ultimate Recipient – For the purpose of this UL, the entity receiving financial assistance from 

the intermediary. (Ultimate Recipients are not screened.)

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) – The official name of the non-proprietary identifier effective 

April 4, 2022. A twelve-character alpha numeric identifier used to identify a specific entity. (The 

UEI replaced the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number in SAM.)

Further definitions are available within the USDA RD DNP Portal Guide, 

https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay/SitePages/Guidance.aspx. 

DNP Portal Access

Access to the DNP Portal requires enrollment through the Department of the Treasury. The 

interested enrollee should contact the applicable DNP LSA who will request the enrollment. A 

list of DNP LSAs by state and program area may be found online, 

https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay/Lists/LSA/AllItems.aspx. 
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 4 

The enrolling employee must have the following:

• A functional, physical LincPass

• A concurring Supervisor

• Meet Department of the Treasury eligibility requirements

Complete details including the enrollment process details above can be found in the USDA RD 

DNP Portal Guide on the RD Do Not Pay SharePoint site.

Guidance for the LSA to request enrollment and information regarding the structure and 

hierarchy of the Do Not Pay system access may be found in the Local Security Administrator 

Guide. 

Both guides may be found on the RD Do Not Pay SharePoint site, 

https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay/SitePages/Guidance.aspx. 

Access Maintenance

All registered users of the DNP Portal are responsible for maintaining their access. This 

includes both LSAs and Portal Users. The Aging Rules, as established by Bureau of the Fiscal 

Service (BFS), Department of the Treasury, for this access are as follows:

Suspended: All user accounts that have not logged into the DNP Portal for 120 days will have 

an account status change to “suspended.”

• Suspended users must call the Do Not Pay Technical Help Desk at 855-837-4391,

option 1, to have their account restored for access to the DNP Portal.

Deleted: All user accounts that have not logged into the DNP Portal for 13 months will be 

“deleted.”

• To regain access to the DNP Portal, deleted users must complete the DNP enrollment

process as described above.

To maintain access (not be suspended or deleted), users should set two reminders to perform 

the following steps:

1. Log into the DNP Portal, https://fiscal.treasury.gov/DNP/, at least once every 120 days.

2. Reset their IBM Security Identity Manager (ISIM) password every 120 days,

https://isim.fiscal.treasury.gov/itim/self.

If a user no longer requires access to the DNP Portal or will be on extended leave from their 

position for more than 180 days, the Supervisor must notify the LSA for the user to be 

deactivated promptly.

Communication Protocol and Continuity of Service

The first point of contact for all RD staff for any DNP questions or issues is the DNP LSA for 

their service area. The DNP Coordinators provide backup to all DNP LSAs. A list of DNP LSAs 

by state and program area may be found online as provided above.
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 5 

Due to the large number of Users within RD, a communication protocol has been established 

per BFS and USDA OCFO. DNP Portal Users and RD Staff are to contact their DNP LSA with 

all questions regarding DNP. RD staff are not to contact the Department of the Treasury.

If the DNP LSA is unable to provide assistance, they will contact an RD DNP Coordinator. If 

further expertise is required, the DNP Coordinator will contact the OCFO liaison who will consult 

the Department of the Treasury liaison as needed.

Protecting Information

RD staff obtain information from the DNP Portal to conduct business for customers daily. Staff 

must understand the importance of recognizing and protecting all Personally Identifiable 

Information (PII) from all sources including the DNP Portal. The Terms and Conditions with the 

Department of the Treasury DNP Portal require all information acquired from the Portal be 

protected.

Sharing Information from the DNP Portal

When using the DNP Portal to conduct searches, Portal Users collect data elements containing 

protected information from the Portal as results. It is important this information is safely collected

and stored. Portal Users should never share results from the DNP Portal with any unauthorized 

individual.

Limited information may be shared from the DNP Portal with the customer when there is a 

match.

• Share the debt agency and the phone number

• DO NOT share screen shots or printouts from the DNP Portal

Never share DNP Portal information with anyone else outside of RD; (i.e., packagers, real 

estate agents, lenders, Department of the Treasury, DNP Business Center). 

Before sharing with someone within RD, consider,

• Do they have authority to view the information?

• Do they have a job-specific reason for the information? If not, do not share.

Penalty and Resolution for Sharing Information from the DNP Portal

If information is shared from the DNP Portal with an unauthorized person, the Bureau of The 

Fiscal Service (BFS) will deactivate the registered Portal User’s access to the DNP Portal for

90 days. There are no exceptions to this suspension.

The deactivated Portal User is required to register and complete RD Do Not Pay Training prior 

to the reactivation of their access. They must email their AgLearn certificate of completion to the 

RD DNP Coordinators, Heather Honkomp (heather.honkomp@usda.gov) and Janet Stouder 

(janet.stouder@usda.gov). To regain access, the Portal User must request re-enrollment by 

submitting a completed Exhibit A from the USDA RD DNP Portal Guide to their applicable DNP 

LSA. They must include their existing ISIM User ID. Enrollment will not be requested by the LSA 

until the 90-day period has expired.
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 6 

Further information for protecting information may be found at 

https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay/SitePages/Guidance.aspx. 

DNP Screening

All applicants of RD programs must be screened.

All lenders participating in guaranteed programs must be screened for program eligibility. They 

are also to be screened during program recertification.

All participants receiving a payment directly from RD must be screened.

An entity must be screened as well as its principals. This is to include for-profit entities, nonprofit 

organizations, states, local governments, and federally recognized tribes. Refer to the definition 

of principals provided above to determine who is applicable to screen. For further clarification, 

see Attachment B, Principals Table for guidance.

See Attachment A, Data Sources Table for screening guidance.

How to Screen

To conduct a screening, the following search factors must be used:

Individual Search = SSN/TIN + First Name + Last Name

Entity Search = EIN/TIN + Entity Name + UEI (UEI not required if SAM registration not 

required)

*Principal of Entity Search – Individual = SSN/TIN (if available) + First Name + Last Name

Principal of Entity Search – Entity = EIN/TIN + Entity Name

Select the applicable data sources to be screened as indicated in the attached table. Do not 

utilize the “Select All” option. For complete guidance on how to conduct a screening, visit 

Section 5.2 of the RD DNP Portal Guide.

*Conducting a search utilizing only the first and last name for an entity’s principal could result in

one or more matches. This will be rare since there is only one data source to be screened,

reducing the criteria for SSN – see Attachment A, Data Sources Table. If unable to confirm if

any of the matches belong to the principal, request the SSN, or at a minimum the last four digits

of the SSN. The principal must be notified that the disclosure of the SSN, in whole or part, is

voluntary. If the principal declines to provide the SSN, RD may not deny assistance to the

applicant because of not complying with the request.

When to Screen

There are multiple stages throughout the process of a loan, grant, subsidy, cooperative 

agreement, or guarantee that are required for screening participants in the DNP Portal. Some 

stages may overlap depending on the program or the available funding stream. Participants 

identified in the attached table must be screened at the following applicable stages.
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 7 

Guaranteed Programs All Other Programs

• Guaranteed Lender Eligibility/Lenders Agreement • Application

• Guaranteed Lender Recertification • Prior to Obligation/Approval

• Prior to Loss Claim Disbursement • Prior to each Disbursement

The screening should occur prior to the final decision or award at these stages. See

Attachment A, Data Sources Table for exceptions for Multi-Family Housing Programs screening 

requirements (Section 521 Rental Assistance Program and Section 542 Rural Housing Voucher

Demonstration Program). 

Screening prior to obligation is to be completed within 5 business days before transmitting the 

file to the state office/national office when applicable or within 5 business days prior to the 

obligation signature/approval, depending on the state process.

Screening for disbursement is to be completed within 5 business days prior to disbursement of 

funds. Disbursements from a Supervised Bank Account (SBA) do not require screening. Please 

see an exception for Single Family Housing (SFH) SBA lower tier recipients in Attachment A, 

Data Sources Table. 

The 5-business day window for screening prior to the event includes the day of the event; 

(i.e., obligation, or disbursement). 

Example:

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5

Monday,

April 10

Tuesday,

April 11

Wednesday, 

April 12

Thursday,

April 13

Friday,

April 14

Screening may 

occur

Screening may 

occur

Screening may 

occur

Screening may 

occur

Day of Event 

Screening may 

occur (prior to 

event)

Screening within 30 calendar days from the last completed screening is not required. For 

example, the pre-obligation screening was completed June 1, 2022. The disbursement 

preparation is occurring on June 14, 2022. That is 13 days since the last screening.

Disbursement screening is not required since it is less than 30 days.

See Attachment A, Data Sources Table, for screening references.

A finding or match in the DNP Portal does not constitute a denial, non-payment, or that a project 

must be discontinued. Guidance to locate and interpret match results may be found in Section 

5.4, Data Source Details, of the RD DNP Portal Guide. The Loan Approval or Servicing Official 

refers to applicable program guidance to determine how to proceed.

Note: Any debt that has been filed and settled as a debt with Treasury Offset Program (TOP) 

Debt Check (DBCK) becomes a federal debt and is subject to offset.
Utilization of the Do Not Pay Portal 8 

Required Documentation

The RD staff must ensure documentation of the screenings within the DNP Portal are placed in 

the casefile. All documents may be electronic or hard copy as appropriate.

The following must be included in the documentation printed from the DNP Portal:

• Portal User who conducted the screening

• Access Group

• Date of screening

• Factors used to conduct the screening

o First Name and Last Name

o Tax Identification Number (TIN), Employer Identification Number (EIN), or Social 

Security Number (SSN)

o Business Name

o UEI

• Data Sources screened

• Results of the screening

Guidance to print or save this information for the casefile may be found in the USDA RD DNP 

Portal Guide, Section 5.3, Documentation of DNP Results.

In addition, the Loan Approval or Servicing Official must fully document any decisions or actions 

taken because of the findings within the DNP Portal and place the decision in the casefile.

RESOURCES

Additional information regarding Do Not Pay for Rural Development may be found on the RD 

DNP SharePoint Site, https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay, including, but 

not limited to, the following:

 

• RD DNP Training Schedule

• USDA RD DNP Portal Guide

• Local Security Administrator Guide

• Contacts

• RD DNP Newsletter

• Link to this UL

If there are any questions, please contact Heather Honkomp, lead DNP Coordinator and 

Program Analyst at 515-284-4486 or heather.honkomp@usda.gov, or Janet Stouder, backup 

DNP Coordinator and Compliance Specialist at 202-720-9278 or janet.stouder@usda.gov. 

Attachments: 

Attachment A – Data Sources Table

Attachment B – Principals Table 

Available at 

https://usdagcc.sharepoint.com/sites/rd_cfo/icd/DoNotPay/SitePages/Guidance.aspx 

Sent by Electronic Mail on ________________ at __________________ by the Office of 

Compliance, St. Louis, Missouri. Agency Administrators, State Directors, and National Office 

Officials, should advise other personnel as appropriate.