#### § 33.2 Definitions.

In this part—

*Administrative offset* means withholding funds payable by the United States to, or held by the United States for, a person to satisfy a debt owed by the payee.

*Agency* means an executive department or agency; a military department; the United States Postal Service; the Postal Rate Commission; the United States Senate; the United States House of Representatives; and court, court administrative office, or instrumentality in the judicial or legislative branches of the Government; or a Government Corporation.

*Creditor agency* means the agency to which the debt is owed, including a debt collection center when acting on behalf of a creditor agency in matters pertaining to the collection of a debt.

*Day* means calendar day. For purposes of computation, the last day of the period will be included unless it is a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday, in which case the next business day will be considered the last day of the period.

*Debt* means an amount determined by an appropriate official to be owed to the United States from sources which include loans insured or guaranteed by the United States and all other amounts due the United States from fees, leases, rents, royalties, services, sales of real or personal property, overpayments, penalties, damages, interest, fines and forfeitures (except those arising under the Uniform Code of Military Justice), and all other similar sources.

*Debt collection center* means the Department of the Treasury or other Government agency or division designated by the Secretary of the Treasury with authority to collect debts on behalf of creditor agencies in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711(g).

*Debtor* means a Federal employee who owes a debt to the United States.

*Delinquent debt* means a debt which the debtor does not pay or otherwise resolve by the date specified in the initial demand for payment, or in an applicable written repayment agreement or other instrument, including a post-delinquency repayment agreement.

*Department* means the Department of Health and Human Services, its Staff Divisions, Operating Divisions, and Regional Offices.

*Disposable pay* means that part of the debtor's current basic, special, incentive, retired, and retainer pay, or other authorized pay, remaining after deduction of amounts required by law to be withheld. For purposes of calculating disposable pay, legally required deductions that must be applied first include: Tax levies pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code (title 26, United States Code); properly withheld taxes, FICA, Medicare; health and life insurance premiums; and retirement contributions. Amounts deducted under garnishment orders, including child support garnishment orders, are not legally required deductions for calculating disposable pay.

*Employee* means any individual currently employed by an agency, as defined in this section, including seasonal and temporary employees and current members of the Armed Forces or a Reserve of the Armed Forces (Reserves).

*Evidence of service* means information retained by the Department indicating the nature of the document to which it pertains, the date of mailing the document, and the address and name of the debtor to whom it is being sent. A copy of the dated and signed written notice of intent to offset provided to the debtor pursuant to this part may be considered evidence of service for purposes of this part. Evidence of service may be retained electronically so long as the manner of retention is sufficient for evidentiary purposes.

*Hearing* means a review of the documentary evidence to confirm the existence or amount of a debt or the terms of a repayment schedule. If the Secretary determines that the issues in dispute cannot be resolved by such a review, such as when the validity of the claim turns on the issue of credibility or veracity, the Secretary may provide an oral hearing.

*Hearing official* means a Departmental Appeals Board administrative law judge or appropriate alternate as outlined in § 33.7(a)(2).

*Paying agency* means the agency employing the individual and authorizing the payment of his or her current pay.

*Salary offset* means an administrative offset to collect a debt under 5 U.S.C. 5514 owed by a federal employee through deductions at one or more officially established pay intervals from the current pay account of the employee without his or her consent.

*Secretary* means the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or the Secretary's designee within any Staff Division, Operating Division or Regional Office.

*Waiver* means the cancellation, remission, forgiveness, or non-recovery of a debt owed by an employee to this Department or another agency as required or permitted by 5 U.S.C. 5584, 8346(b), 10 U.S.C. 2774, 32 U.S.C. 716, or any other law.