(a) Due process requirements—Entitlement to notice, hearing, written response and decision. (1) Prior to initiating collection action through salary offset, USAID will first provide the employee with the opportunity to pay in full the amount owed, unless such notification will compromise the Government's ultimate ability to collect the debt.

(2) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each employee from whom the Agency proposes to collect a debt by salary offset under this section is entitled to receive a written notice as described in paragraph (c) of this section.

(3) Each employee owing a debt to the United States that will be collected by salary offset is entitled to request a hearing on the debt. This request must be filed as prescribed in paragraph (d) of this section. The Agency will make appropriate hearing arrangements that are consistent with law and regulations. Where a hearing is held, the employee is entitled to a written decision on the following issues:

(i) The determination of the Agency concerning the existence or amount of the debt; and

(ii) The repayment schedule, if it was not established by written agreement between the employee and the Agency.

(b) Exceptions to due process requirements—pay and allowances. The procedural requirements of paragraph (a) of this section are not applicable to overpayments of pay or allowances caused by the following:

(1) Any adjustment of pay arising out of an employee's election of coverage or a change in coverage under a Federal benefits program (such as health insurance) requiring periodic deductions from pay, if the amount to be recovered was accumulated over four pay periods or less. However, if the amount to be recovered was accumulated over more than four pay periods the full procedures prescribed under paragraph (d) of this section will be extended to the employee;

(2) Routine intra-agency adjustment in pay or allowances that is made to correct an overpayment of pay attributable to clerical or administrative errors or delays in processing pay documents, if the overpayment occurred with the 4 pay periods preceding the adjustment and, at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the employee is provided written notice of the nature and amount of the adjustment; or

(3) Any adjustment to collect a debt amounting to $50 or less, if at the time of such adjustment, or as soon thereafter as practical, the employee is provided written notice of the nature and amount of the adjustment.

(c) Notification before deductions begin. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, deductions will not be made unless the employee is first provided with a minimum of 30 calendar days written notice. Notice will be sent by mail and must include the following:

(1) The Agency's determination that a debt is owed, including the origin, nature, and amount of the debt;

(2) The Agency's intention to collect the debt by means of deductions from the employee's current disposable pay account;

(3) The amount, frequency, proposed beginning date and duration of the intended deductions. (The proposed beginning date for salary offset cannot be earlier than 30 days after the date of notice, unless this would compromise the Government's ultimate ability to resolve the debt);

(4) An explanation of the requirements concerning interest, penalties, and administrative costs;

(5) The employee's right to inspect and copy all records relating to the debt or to request and receive a copy of such records;

(6) If not previously provided, the employee's right to enter into a written agreement for a repayment schedule differing from that proposed by the Agency where the terms of the proposed repayment schedule are acceptable to the Agency. (Such an agreement must be in writing and signed by both the employee and the appropriate USAID official and will be included in the debt file);

(7) The right to a hearing conducted by a hearing official not under the control of USAID, if a request is filed;

(8) The method and time for requesting a hearing;

(9) That the filing of a request for hearing within 15 days of receipt of the original notification will stay the assessment of interest, penalties, and administrative costs, and the commencement of collection proceedings;

(10) That a final decision on the hearing (if requested) will be issued at the earliest practical date, but no later than 60 days after the filing of the request, unless the employee requests and the hearing official grants a delay in the proceedings;

(11) That any knowingly false or frivolous statements, representations or evidence may subject the employee to—

(i) Disciplinary procedures under 5 U.S.C. chapter 75 or any other applicable statutes or regulations;

(ii) Criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 286, 287, 1001 and 1002 or other applicable statutory authority; or

(iii) Penalties under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. 3729-3731, or any other applicable statutory authority;

(12) Any other rights and remedies available to the employee under statutes or regulations governing the program for which the collection is being made; and

(13) Unless there are applicable contractual or statutory provisions to the contrary, amounts paid or deducted for the debt which are later waived or found not owed to the United States will be promptly refunded to the employee.

(d) Request for a hearing. An employee may request a hearing by filing a written, signed request to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, United States Agency for International Development, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, USAID Annex, Room 8.80D, Washington, DC 20523-4601. The request must state the basis upon which the employee disputes the proposed collection of the debt. The employee must sign the request, and USAID must receive it within 15 days of his or her receipt of the notification of proposed deductions. The employee should submit, in writing, all facts, evidence, and witnesses that support his or her position to the CFO within 15 days of the date of the request for a hearing. The CFO will arrange for the services of a hearing official not under the control of USAID, and will provide the hearing official with all documents relating to the claim.

(e) Requests for hearing made after time expires. Late requests for a hearing may be accepted if the employee can show that the delay in filing the request for a hearing was due to circumstances beyond the employee's control.

(f) Form of hearing, written response, and final decision. (1) Normally, a hearing will consist of the hearing official's making a decision based on a review of the claims file and any materials submitted by the debtor. However, in instances in which the hearing official determines that the validity of the debt turns on an issue of veracity or credibility that the review of documentary evidence cannot resolve, the hearing official, at his or her discretion, may afford the debtor an opportunity for an oral hearing. Such an oral hearing will consist of a conference before a hearing official in which the employee and the Agency will have the opportunity to present evidence, witnesses, and argument. If desired, the employee may be represented by an individual of his or her choice. The Agency shall maintain a summary record of oral hearings provided under the procedures in this section.

(2) Written decisions provided after a request for hearing will, at a minimum, state the facts evidencing the nature and origin of the alleged debt; and the hearing official's analysis, findings and conclusions.

(3) The decision of the hearing official is final and binding on the parties.

(g) Request for waiver. In certain instances, an employee may have a statutory right to request a waiver of overpayment of pay or allowances (e.g., 5 U.S.C. 5584 or 5 U.S.C. 5724(i)). When an employee requests waiver consideration under a right authorized by statute, the Agency will suspend further collection on the debt until it makes a final administrative decision on the waiver request. However, when it appears that an employee's resignation, termination, or other action may prejudice the Government's ability to recover the debt, the suspension of recovery is not required. During the period of the suspension, USAID will not assess interest, penalties, charges, and administrative costs against the debt. The Agency will not duplicate, for purposes of salary offset, any of the procedures already provided the debtor under a request for waiver. See § 213.13.

(h) Method and source of collection. A debt will be collected in a lump sum or by installment deductions at established pay intervals from an employee's current pay account, unless the employee and the Agency agree to alternative arrangements for payment. The alternative payment schedule must be in writing, signed by both the employee and the CFO and will be documented in the Agency's files.

(i) Limitation on amount of deduction. The size and frequency of installment deductions generally will bear a reasonable relation to the size of the debt and the employee's ability to pay. However, the amount deducted for any period may not exceed 15 percent of the disposable pay from which the deduction is made, unless the employee has agreed in writing to the deduction of a greater amount. If possible, the installment payments will be in amounts sufficient to liquidate the debt in three years or less. Installment payments of less than $50 normally will be accepted only in the most unusual circumstances.

(j) Duration of deduction. If the employee is financially unable to pay a debt in a lump sum or the amount of the debt exceeds 15 percent of disposable pay, collection will be made in installments. Installment deductions will be made over the period of active duty or employment except as provided in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(k) When deductions may begin. (1) Deductions to liquidate an employee's debt will begin on the date stated in the Agency's written demand-for-payment notice of intention to collect, from the employee's current pay unless he or she has paid the debt or filed a timely request for a hearing on issues for which a hearing is appropriate.

(2) If the employee has filed a timely request for hearing with the Agency, deductions will begin after the hearing official has provided the employee with a final written decision indicating the amount owed the Government. Following the decision by the hearing official, the employee will be given 30 days to repay the amount owed prior to collection through salary offset, unless otherwise provided by the hearing official.

(l) Liquidation from final check. If the employee retires, resigns, or the period of employment ends before collection of the debt is completed, the remainder of the debt will be offset from subsequent payments of any nature due the employee (e.g., final salary payment, lump-sum leave, etc.).

(m) Recovery from other payments due a separated employee. If the debt cannot be liquidated by offset from any final payment due the employee on the date of separation, USAID will liquidate the debt, where appropriate, by administrative offset from later payments of any kind due the former employee (e.g., retirement pay). Such administrative offset will be taken in accordance with the procedures set forth in § 213.20.

(n) Interest, penalties, and administrative cost. USAID will assess interest, penalties, and administrative costs on debts collected under the procedures in this section. Interest, penalties, and administrative costs will continue to accrue during the period that the debtor is seeking a review of the debt or requesting a waiver. The following guidelines apply to the assessment of these costs on debts collected by salary offset:

(1) USAID will start to assess interest on all debts not collected by the payment due date specified in the initial written demand-for-payment notice. USAID will waive the collection of interest and administrative charges on the portion of the debt paid within 30 days after the date on which interest begins to accrue.

(2) Administrative costs will be assessed if the debt is referred to Treasury for cross-servicing.

(3) Deductions by administrative offset normally begin prior to the time for assessment of a penalty. Therefore, USAID will not assess a penalty charge unless deductions occur more than 90 days from the due date in the initial written demand-for-payment notice.

(o) Non-waiver of right by payment. An employee's payment under protest of all or any portion of a debt does not waive any rights that the employee may have under either the procedures in this section or any other provision of law.

(p) Refunds. USAID will promptly refund to the employee amounts paid or deducted pursuant to this section, the recovery of which is subsequently waived or otherwise found not owing to the United States. Refunds do not bear interest unless specifically authorized by law.

(q) Time limit for commencing recovery by salary setoff. USAID will not initiate salary offset to collect a debt more than 10 years after the Government's right to collect the debt first accrued, unless facts material to the right to collect the debt were not known and could not have been known through the exercise of reasonable care by the Government official responsible for discovering and collecting such debts.

[67 FR 47258, July 18, 2002, as amended at 86 FR 31144, June 11, 2021]