Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2002/09/11/02-23091/salary-offset-procedures-for-collecting-debts-owed-by-federal-employees-to-the-federal-government
Timestamp: 2019-10-15 08:33:42
Document Index: 361832130

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 16', 'arts 900', 'arts 101', 'arts 101', 'arts 900', 'art 16', 'art 51', 'art 550', 'art 285', 'art 16', 'arts 900', '§\u200916', '§\u200916', '§\u200916', '§\u200916', 'art 550', 'art 15', 'art 285', '§\u200916']

Federal Register :: Salary Offset Procedures for Collecting Debts Owed by Federal Employees to the Federal Government
A Rule by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on 09/11/2002
67 FR 57506
57506-57509 (4 pages)
3150-AG96
02-23091
Section 16.1 Purpose and Scope
Section 16.3 Definitions
Section 16.7 Notice Requirements
Section 16.8 Information Collection Requirements: OMB Approval
Section 16.9 Hearing
Section 16.13 Coordinating Offset With Another Federal Agency
Section 16.15 Procedures for Salary Offset
Section 16.23 Interest, Penalties, and Administrative Charges
List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 16
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-23091 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/02-23091
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations concerning the procedures used to collect debts that are owed to NRC by Federal employees. These amendments will conform NRC regulations to the legislative changes enacted in the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA) and the amended procedures presented in the Federal Claims Collection Standards (FCCS) issued by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). The final action will allow the NRC to improve its collection of debts due the United States from Federal employees.
On October 16, 1991 (56 FR 51829), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a final rule concerning procedures for the collection of debts from Federal employees. Since then, the DCIA of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-134), was enacted on April 26, 1996. A major purpose of the DCIA of 1996 is to increase the collection of delinquent nontax debts owed to the Federal Government. Among other things, the DCIA of 1996 established a centralized process for withholding or reducing eligible Federal payments, including Federal salary payments, to pay the payee's delinquent debt owed to the United States. This process is known as “centralized administrative offset.” The DCIA of 1996 requires Federal agencies to annually match their delinquent debtor records with records of Federal employees to identify Federal employees who owe delinquent debt to the Federal Government. The Treasury and other disbursing officials will match payments from the Federal Government, including Federal salary payments, for the purpose of offsetting the payments of those debtors who owe debt to the United States. When a match occurs and all the requirements for offset have been met, the payment will be offset to satisfy the debt in whole or part. To meet this responsibility, Treasury has established the Treasury Offset Program. Under the DCIA of 1996, Federal agencies are required to notify the Financial Management Service (FMS) of all past-due, legally enforceable nontax debts owed to the United States that are over 180 days delinquent. The debts are included in the delinquent debtor database, and include debts owed by Federal employees that the NRC seeks to collect from the employee's pay account at another agency. Compliance with the administrative offset provisions of the DCIA of 1996 will accomplish salary offset. This rule establishes NRC's procedures for notifying Treasury of delinquent debtors for the purpose of matching NRC's debtors against the delinquent debtor database.
The FCCS (31 CFR Chapter IX and Parts 900, 901, 902, 903, and 904) were revised on November 22, 2000 (65 FR 70390). The revised FCCS clarify and simplify Federal debt collection procedures and reflect changes under the DCIA of 1996 and the General Accounting Office Act of 1996. The revised FCCS reflect legislative changes to Federal debt collection procedures enacted under the DCIA of 1996, Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321-358, as part of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996. The revised FCCS provide agencies with greater latitude to adopt agency-specific regulations, tailored to the legal and policy requirements applicable to the various types of Federal debt, to maximize the effectiveness of Federal debt collection procedures. The Secretary of the Treasury has been added as a co-promulgator of the FCCS in accordance with section 31001(g)(1)(C) of the DCIA of 1996. The Comptroller General has been removed as a co-promulgator in accordance with section 115(g) of the General Accounting Office Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-316, 110 Stat. 3826 (October 19, 1996), (65 FR 70390 (November 22, 2000)). The Department of the Treasury and DOJ have published the revised FCCS as a joint final rule under new Chapter IX, 31 Code of Federal Regulations. The revised FCCS supersede the current FCCS codified at 4 CFR Parts 101-105.
The revised FCCS prescribe standards for Federal agency use in the administrative collection, offset, compromise, and the suspension or termination of collection activity for civil claims for money, funds, or property, as defined by 31 U.S.C. 3701(b), unless specific Federal agency statutes or regulations apply to such activities, or as provided for by Title 11 of the United States Code when the claims involve bankruptcy. The revised FCCS also prescribe standards for referring debts to the Department of Justice for litigation.
On April 24, 2002 (67 FR 20059), the NRC published a proposed rule to amend its salary offset procedures to conform NRC regulations to the legislative changes enacted in the DCIA of 1996 and the revised FCCS. The comment period expired on July 8, 2002. No comments were received on the proposed rule.
This section is amended to (1) state the NRC is not limited to collection remedies contained in the revised FCCS, (2) delete the statement that these procedures do not apply to the Social Security Act, 42 U.S.C. 301 et. seq., and (3) delete the reference to 4 CFR parts 101-105 and substitute the reference to 31 CFR Chapter IX, Parts 900-904.
This section is amended to revise the definitions of “agency,” “creditor agency,” “debt and claim,” “disposable pay,” “employee,” and “FCCS” to conform with the DCIA of 1996. Other definitions such as “centralized salary offset computer matching,” “debt collection center,” “delinquent debt record,” “disbursing official,” and “Treasury” have been added to conform to the definitions in the DCIA of 1996. Start Printed Page 57507
This section is amended to state the amount of the intended deduction may be stated as a fixed dollar or a percentage of pay and delete the reference to 4 CFR 102.2(e) and substitute the reference to 31 CFR Chapter IX, 901.2(d).
This section is amended to delete the reference to 4 CFR 102.3(c) and substitute the reference to 31 CFR Chapter IX, 901.3(e).
This section is amended to change the section heading from “Coordinating offset with another Federal agency” to “Procedures for centralized administrative offset” and to include NRC's procedures for offset.
This section is amended to change the section heading from “Procedures for Salary Offset” to “Procedures for Internal Salary Offset.”
This section is amended to delete the reference to 4 CFR 102.13 and substitute the reference to 31 CFR Chapter IX, 901.9.
The National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-113, requires that Federal agencies use technical standards that are developed or adopted by voluntary consensus standards bodies unless using such a standard is inconsistent with applicable law or is otherwise impractical. In this final rule, the NRC is amending part 16 to reflect the current requirements of the DCIA of 1996 and the revised FCCS. This action does not constitute the establishment of a standard that contains generally applicable requirements.
The Commission has determined, under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Commission's regulations in Subpart A of 10 CFR part 51, that this rule, if adopted, would not be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and, therefore, an environmental impact statement is not required. This final rule is necessary to conform the NRC regulations to the amended procedures presented in the FCCS. Amending the procedures that the NRC uses to collect debts which are owed to it will not have any radiological environmental impact offsite and no impact on occupational radiation exposure onsite. The rule does not affect nonradiological plant effluents and has no other environmental impact. The environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact, on which this determination is based, are available for inspection at the NRC Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, between 7:30 am and 4:15 pm except on Federal holidays.
The final rule conforms NRC procedures for collecting debts owed to it with the amended procedures presented in the FCCS, the DCIA of 1996, 5 CFR Part 550 Pay Administration, and 31 CFR part 285 Salary Offset and, as such, will not have a significant impact on state and local Governments and geographical regions; health, safety, and the environment; nor will it represent substantial costs to licensees, the NRC, or other Federal agencies. This constitutes the regulatory analysis for this final rule.
In accordance with the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 605(b)), the Commission certifies that this rule does not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because this rule applies only to Federal agencies and employees.
The NRC has determined that the backfit rule does not apply to this final rule; therefore, a backfit analysis is not required for this final rule because these amendments are mandated by the DCIA of 1996 (Public Law 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321-358 (April 26, 1996)).
For the reasons set out in the preamble and under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended; the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, as amended; and 5 U.S.C. 552 and 553, the NRC is adopting the following amendments to 10 CFR part 16.
Authority: Secs. 161, 186, 68 Stat. 948, 955, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2201, 2236); sec. 201, 88 Stat. 1242, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5841); sec. 1, Pub. L. 97-258, 96 Stat. 972 (31 U.S.C. 3713); sec 5, Pub. L. 89-508, 80 Stat. 308, as amended (31 U.S.C. 3711, 3717, 3718); Pub. L. 97-365, 96 Stat. 1749; Federal Claims Collection Standards, 31 CFR Chapter IX, Parts 900-904; 31 U.S.C. Secs. 3701, 3716; 31 CFR Sec 285; 26 U.S.C. Sec 6402(d); 31 U.S.C. Sec. 3720A; 26 U.S.C. Sec. 6402(c); 42 U.S.C. Sec. 664; Pub. L. 104-134, as amended (31 U.S.C. 3713); 5 U.S.C. 5514; Executive Order 12988 (3 CFR, 1996 Comp., pp. 157-163); 5 CFR 550.
2. In § 16.1 paragraph (b)(2) is removed, paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(4) are redesignated as (b)(2) and (b)(3), paragraph (d) is revised, and paragraph (f) is added to read as follows:
3. In § 16.3, the definition of agency, creditor agency, debt, disposable pay, Start Printed Page 57508employee, and FCCS are revised, and the definitions of centralized salary offset computer matching, debt collection center, delinquent debt record, disbursing official, and Treasury are added in alphabetical order to read as follows:
4. In § 16.7, paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(6) are revised to read as follows:
5. Section 16.8 is added to read as follows:
6. In § 16.9, paragraph (b)(2) is revised to read as follows:
7. Section 16.13 is revised to read as follows:
Procedures for centralized administrative offset.
(a) The NRC must notify Treasury of all debts that are delinquent as defined in the FCCS (over 180 days old) so that recovery may be made by centralized administrative offset. This includes those debts the NRC seeks to recover from the pay account of an employee of another agency via salary offset. The Treasury and other Federal disbursing officials will match payments, including Federal salary payments, against such debts. When a match occurs, and all the requirements for offset have been met, the payments will be offset to collect the debt. Prior to offset of the pay account of an employee, the NRC must comply with the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 5514, 5 CFR part 550, and 10 CFR part 15. Procedures for notifying Treasury of a debt for purposes of collection by centralized administrative offset are contained in 31 CFR part 285 and 10 CFR 15.33. Procedures for internal salary offset are contained in § 16.15 of this chapter.
(c) Offset amount. (1) The amount offset from a salary payment under this section shall be the lesser of: Start Printed Page 57509
8. Section 16.15 is amended by revising the section heading to read as follows:
Procedures for internal salary offset.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 29th day of August 2002.
[FR Doc. 02-23091 Filed 9-10-02; 8:45 am]