Collapse to view only [§ 3531. Repealed.
- § 3521. Audits by agencies
- § 3522. Making and submitting accounts
- § 3523. General audit authority of the Comptroller General
- § 3524. Auditing expenditures approved without vouchers
- § 3525. Auditing nonappropriated fund activities
- § 3526. Settlement of accounts
- § 3527. General authority to relieve accountable officials and agents from liability
- § 3528. Responsibilities and relief from liability of certifying officials
- § 3529. Requests for decisions of the Comptroller General
- § 3530. Adjusting accounts
- [§ 3531. Repealed.
- § 3532. Notification of account deficiencies
§ 3521. Audits by agencies
(a) Each account of an agency shall be audited administratively before being submitted to the Comptroller General. The head of each agency shall prescribe regulations for conducting the audit and designate a place at which the audit is to be conducted. However, a disbursing official of an executive agency may not administratively audit vouchers for which the official is responsible. With the consent of the Comptroller General, the head of the agency may waive any part of an audit.
(b) The head of an agency may prescribe a statistical sampling procedure to audit vouchers of the agency when the head of the agency decides economies will result from using the procedure. The Comptroller General—
(1) may prescribe the maximum amount of a voucher that may be audited under this subsection; and
(2) in reviewing the accounting system of the agency, shall evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of the procedure.
(c) A disbursing or certifying official acting in good faith under subsection (b) of this section is not liable for a payment or certification of a voucher not audited specifically because of the procedure prescribed under subsection (b) if the official and the head of the agency carry out diligently collection action the Comptroller General prescribes.
(d) Subsections (b) and (c) of this section do not—
(1) affect the liability, or authorize the relief, of a payee, beneficiary, or recipient of an illegal, improper, or incorrect payment; or
(2) relieve a disbursing or certifying official, the head of an agency, or the Comptroller General of responsibility in carrying out collection action against a payee, beneficiary, or recipient.
(e) Each financial statement prepared under section 3515 by an agency shall be audited in accordance with applicable generally accepted government auditing standards—
(1) in the case of an agency having an Inspector General appointed under chapter 4 of title 5, by the Inspector General or by an independent external auditor, as determined by the Inspector General of the agency; and
(2) in any other case, by an independent external auditor, as determined by the head of the agency.
(f) For each audited financial statement required under subsection (a) of section 3515 of this title, the person who audits the statement for purpose of subsection (e) of this section shall submit a report on the audit to the head of the agency and the Controller of the Office of Federal Financial Management. A report under this subsection shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards.
(g) The Comptroller General of the United States—
(1) may review any audit of a financial statement conducted under this subsection by an Inspector General or an external auditor;
(2) shall report to the Congress, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the head of the agency which prepared the statement, regarding the results of the review and make any recommendation the Comptroller General considers appropriate; and
(3) may audit a financial statement prepared under section 3515 of this title at the discretion of the Comptroller General or at the request of a committee of the Congress.
An audit the Comptroller General performs under this subsection shall be in lieu of the audit otherwise required by subsection (e) of this section. Prior to performing such audit, the Comptroller General shall consult with the Inspector General of the agency which prepared the statement.
(h) Each financial statement prepared by an executive agency for a fiscal year after fiscal year 1991 shall be audited in accordance with this section and the plan required by section 3512(a)(3)(B)(viii) of this title.
(i)
(1) If the Government Accountability Office audits any financial statement or related schedule which is prepared under section 3515 by an executive agency (or component thereof) for a fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 2009, such executive agency (or component) shall reimburse the Government Accountability Office for the cost of such audit, if the Government Accountability Office audited the statement or schedule of such executive agency (or component) for fiscal year 2007.
(2) Any executive agency (or component thereof) that prepares a financial statement under section 3515 for a fiscal year beginning on or after October 1, 2009, and that requests, with the concurrence of the Inspector General of such agency, the Government Accountability Office to conduct the audit of such statement or any related schedule required by section 3521 may reimburse the Government Accountability Office for the cost of such audit.
(3) For the audits conducted under paragraphs (1) and (2), the Government Accountability Office shall consult prior to the initiation of the audit with the relevant executive agency (or component) and the Inspector General of such agency on the scope, terms, and cost of such audit.
(4) Any reimbursement under paragraph (1) or (2) shall be deposited to a special account in the Treasury and shall be available to the Government Accountability Office for such purposes and in such amounts as are specified in annual appropriations Acts.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 961; Pub. L. 101–576, title III, § 304(a), Nov. 15, 1990, 104 Stat. 2852; Pub. L. 103–356, title IV, § 405(b), Oct. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 3416; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(f) [title VIII, § 805(a)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–314, 3009–392; Pub. L. 106–531, § 4(b), Nov. 22, 2000, 114 Stat. 2539; Pub. L. 110–323, § 6(a), Sept. 22, 2008, 122 Stat. 3547; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(b)(55), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4349.)
§ 3522. Making and submitting accounts
(a)
(1) Unless the Comptroller General decides the public interest requires that an account be made more frequently, each disbursing official shall make a quarterly account. An official or agent of the United States Government receiving public money not authorized to be kept as pay of the official or agent shall make a monthly account of the money.
(2) An official or agent of the Government receiving public money shall make an account of public money received by the official or agent according to the appropriation from which the money was advanced.
(b)
(1) A monthly account shall be submitted to the appropriate official in the District of Columbia by the 10th day after the end of the month covered by the account. The official shall submit the account to the Comptroller General by the 20th day after receiving the account.
(2) An account (except a monthly account) shall be submitted to the appropriate official in the District of Columbia by the 20th day after the end of the period covered by the account. The official shall submit the account to the Comptroller General by the 60th day after receiving the account.
(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, an account of the armed forces shall be submitted to the Comptroller General by the 60th day after the account is received. However, during a war or national emergency and for 18 months after the war or emergency ends, an account shall be submitted to the Comptroller General by the 90th day after the account is received.
(4) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, an account of a disbursing official of the Department of Justice shall be submitted to the Comptroller General by the 80th day after the account is received.
(c) An official shall give evidence of compliance with subsection (b) of this section if an account is not received within a reasonable time after the time required by subsection (b).
(d) The head of an agency may require other returns or reports about the agency that the public interest requires.
(e)
(1) The Comptroller General shall disapprove a requisition for an advance of money if an account from which the advance is to be made is not submitted to the Comptroller General within the time required by subsection (b) of this section. The Comptroller General may disapprove the request for another reason related to the condition of an account of the official for whom the advance is requested. However, the Secretary of the Treasury may overrule the decision of the Comptroller General on the sufficiency of the other reasons.
(2) The Secretary may extend the time requirements of subsection (b)(1) and (2) of this section for submitting an account to the proper official in the District of Columbia or waive a condition of delinquency only when there is, or is likely to be, a manifest physical difficulty in complying with those requirements. If an account is not submitted to the Comptroller General on time under subsection (b), an order of the President or, if the President is ill or not in the District of Columbia, the Secretary is required to authorize an advance.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 961.)
§ 3523. General audit authority of the Comptroller General
(a) Except as specifically provided by law, the Comptroller General shall audit the financial transactions of each agency. In deciding on auditing procedures and the extent to which records are to be inspected, the Comptroller General shall consider generally accepted auditing principles, including the effectiveness of accounting organizations and systems, internal audit and control, and related administrative practices of each agency.
(b) The Comptroller General shall audit the Architect of the Capitol at times the Comptroller General considers appropriate. Section 716 of this title applies to the Architect in conducting the audit. The Comptroller General shall report the results of the audit to Congress. Each report shall be printed as a Senate document.
(c)
(1) When the Comptroller General decides an audit shall be conducted at a place at which the records of an executive agency or the Architect of the Capitol are usually kept, the Comptroller General may require the head of the agency or the Architect to keep any part of an account of an accountable official or of a record required to be submitted to the Comptroller General. The Comptroller General may require records be kept under conditions and for a period of not more than 10 years specified by the Comptroller General. However, the Comptroller General and the head of the agency or the Architect may agree on a longer period.
(2) The Comptroller General and the head of an agency in the legislative or judicial branch of the United States Government (except the Architect) may agree to apply this subsection to the agency.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 962.)
§ 3524. Auditing expenditures approved without vouchers
(a)
(1) The Comptroller General may audit expenditures, accounted for only on the approval, authorization, or certificate of the President or an official of an executive agency, to decide if the expenditure was authorized by law and made. Records and related information shall be made available to the Comptroller General in conducting the audit.
(2) The Comptroller General may release the results of the audit or disclose related information only to the President or head of the agency, or, if there is an unresolved discrepancy, to the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Government Operations of the House of Representatives, and the committees of Congress having legislative or appropriation oversight of the expenditure.
(b) Before December 1 of each year, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall submit a report listing each account that may be subject to this section to the Committees on the Budget and Appropriations of both Houses of Congress, the Committee on Governmental Affairs, and to the Committee on Government Operations, and to the Comptroller General.
(c) The President may exempt from this section a financial transaction about sensitive foreign intelligence or foreign counter-intelligence activities or sensitive law enforcement investigations if an audit would expose the identifying details of an active investigation or endanger investigative or domestic intelligence sources involved in the investigation. The exemption may apply to a class or category of financial transactions.
(d) This section does not—
(1) apply to expenditures under section 102, 103, 105(d)(1), (3), or (5), or 106(b)(2) or (3) of title 3; or
(2) affect authority under section 8(b) of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. 403j(b)).1
1 See References in Text note below.
(e) Information about a financial transaction exempt under subsection (c) of this section or a financial transaction under section 8(b) of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 (50 U.S.C. 403j(b)) 1 may be reviewed by the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.
(f) Subsections (a)(1) and (d)(1) of this section may be superseded only by a law enacted after April 3, 1980, specifically repealing or amending this section.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 963.)
§ 3525. Auditing nonappropriated fund activities
(a) The Comptroller General may audit—
(1) the operations and accounts of each nonappropriated fund and related activities authorized or operated by the head of an executive agency to sell goods or services to United States Government personnel and their dependents;
(2) accounting systems and internal controls of the fund and related activities; and
(3) internal or independent audits or reviews of the fund and related activities.
(b) The head of each executive agency promptly shall provide the Comptroller General with—
(1) a copy of the annual report of a nonappropriated fund and related activities subject to this section when the Comptroller General—
(A) requires a report for a designated class of each fund and related activities having gross sales receipts of more than $100,000 a year; or
(B) specifically requests a report for another fund and related activities; and
(2) a statement on the yearly financial operations, financial condition, and cash flow and other yearly information about the fund and related activities that the head of the agency and the Comptroller General agree on if the information is not included in the annual report.
(c) Records and property of a fund and related activities subject to this section shall be made available to the Comptroller General to the extent the Comptroller General considers necessary.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 963.)
§ 3526. Settlement of accounts
(a) The Comptroller General shall settle all accounts of the United States Government and supervise the recovery of all debts finally certified by the Comptroller General as due the Government.
(b) A decision of the Comptroller General under section 3529 of this title is conclusive on the Comptroller General when settling the account containing the payment.
(c)
(1) The Comptroller General shall settle an account of an accountable official within 3 years after the date the Comptroller General receives the account. A copy of the certificate of settlement shall be provided the official.
(2) The settlement of an account is conclusive on the Comptroller General after 3 years after the account is received by the Comptroller General. However, an amount may be charged against the account after the 3-year period when the Government has or may have lost money because the official acted fraudulently or criminally.
(3) A 3-year period under this subsection is suspended during a war.
(4) This subsection does not prohibit—
(A) recovery of public money illegally or erroneously paid;
(B) recovery from an official of a balance due the Government under a settlement within the 3-year period; or
(C) an official from clearing an account of questioned items as prescribed by law.
(d) On settling an account of the Government, the balance certified by the Comptroller General is conclusive on the executive branch of the Government. On the initiative of the Comptroller General or on request of an individual whose accounts are settled or the head of the agency to which the account relates, the Comptroller General may change the account within a year after settlement. The decision of the Comptroller General to change the account is conclusive on the executive branch.
(e) When an amount of money is expended under law for a treaty or relations with a foreign country, the President may—
(1) authorize the amount to be accounted for each year specifically by settlement of the Comptroller General when the President decides the amount expended may be made public; or
(2) make, or have the Secretary of State make, a certificate of the amount expended if the President decides the amount is not to be accounted for specifically. The certificate is a sufficient voucher for the amount stated in the certificate.
(f) The Comptroller General shall keep all settled accounts, vouchers, certificates, and related papers until they are disposed of as prescribed by law.
(g) This subchapter does not prohibit the Comptroller General from suspending an item in an account to get additional evidence or explanations needed to settle an account.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 964.)
§ 3527. General authority to relieve accountable officials and agents from liability
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the Comptroller General may relieve a present or former accountable official or agent of an agency responsible for the physical loss or deficiency of public money, vouchers, checks, securities, or records, or may authorize reimbursement from an appropriation or fund available for the activity in which the loss or deficiency occurred for the amount of the loss or deficiency paid by the official or agent as restitution, when—
(1) the head of the agency decides that—
(A) the official or agent was carrying out official duties when the loss or deficiency occurred, or the loss or deficiency occurred because of an act or failure to act by a subordinate of the official or agent; and
(B) the loss or deficiency was not the result of fault or negligence by the official or agent;
(2) the loss or deficiency was not the result of an illegal or incorrect payment; and
(3) the Comptroller General agrees with the decision of the head of the agency.
(b)
(1) The Comptroller General shall relieve an official of the armed forces referred to in subsection (a) responsible for the physical loss or deficiency of public money, vouchers, or records, or a payment described in section 3528(a)(4)(A) of this title, or shall authorize reimbursement, from an appropriation or fund available for reimbursement, of the amount of the loss or deficiency paid by or for the official as restitution, when—
(A) in the case of a physical loss or deficiency—
(i) the Secretary of Defense or the appropriate Secretary of the military department of the Department of Defense (or the Secretary of Homeland Security, in the case of a disbursing official of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy) decides that the official was carrying out official duties when the loss or deficiency occurred;
(ii) the loss or deficiency was not the result of an illegal or incorrect payment; and
(iii) the loss or deficiency was not the result of fault or negligence by the official; or
(B) in the case of a payment described in section 3528(a)(4)(A) of this title, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the appropriate military department (or the Secretary of Homeland Security, in the case of a disbursing official of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy), after taking a diligent collection action, finds that the criteria of section 3528(b)(1) of this title are satisfied.
(2) The finding of the Secretary involved is conclusive on the Comptroller General.
(c) On the initiative of the Comptroller General or written recommendation of the head of an agency, the Comptroller General may relieve a present or former disbursing official of the agency responsible for a deficiency in an account because of an illegal, improper, or incorrect payment, and credit the account for the deficiency, when the Comptroller General decides that the payment was not the result of bad faith or lack of reasonable care by the official. However, the Comptroller General may deny relief when the Comptroller General decides the head of the agency did not carry out diligently collection action under procedures prescribed by the Comptroller General.
(d)
(1) When the Comptroller General decides it is necessary to adjust the account of an official or agent granted relief under subsection (a) or (c) of this section, the amount of the relief shall be charged—
(A) to an appropriation specifically provided to be charged; or
(B) if no specific appropriation, to the appropriation or fund available for the expense of the accountable function when the adjustment is carried out.
(2) Subsection (c) of this section does not—
(A) affect the liability, or authorize the relief, of a payee, beneficiary, or recipient of an illegal, improper, or incorrect payment; or
(B) relieve an accountable official, the head of an agency, or the Comptroller General of responsibility in carrying out collection action against a payee, beneficiary, or recipient.
(e) Relief provided under this section is in addition to relief provided under another law.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 965; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title IX, § 913(c)(4), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 411; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title X, § 1009(c)(2), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2635;
§ 3528. Responsibilities and relief from liability of certifying officials
(a) A certifying official certifying a voucher is responsible for—
(1) information stated in the certificate, voucher, and supporting records;
(2) the computation of a certified voucher under this section and section 3325 of this title;
(3) the legality of a proposed payment under the appropriation or fund involved;
(4) repaying a payment—
(A) illegal, improper, or incorrect because of an inaccurate or misleading certificate;
(B) prohibited by law; or
(C) that does not represent a legal obligation under the appropriation or fund involved; and
(5) verifying transportation rates, freight classifications, and other information provided on a Government bill of lading or transportation request, unless the Administrator of General Services has determined that verification by a prepayment audit conducted pursuant to section 3726(a) of this title for a particular mode or modes of transportation, or for an agency or subagency, will not adequately protect the interests of the Government.
(b)
(1) The Comptroller General may relieve a certifying official from liability when the Comptroller General decides that—
(A) the certification was based on official records and the official did not know, and by reasonable diligence and inquiry could not have discovered, the correct information; or
(B)
(i) the obligation was incurred in good faith;
(ii) no law specifically prohibited the payment; and
(iii) the United States Government received value for payment.
(2) The Comptroller General may deny relief when the Comptroller General decides the head of the agency did not carry out diligently collection action under procedures prescribed by the Comptroller General.
(c) The Comptroller General shall relieve a certifying official from liability for an overpayment—
(1) to a common carrier under section 3726 of this title when the Comptroller General decides the overpayment occurred only because the administrative audit before payment did not verify transportation rates, freight classifications, or land-grant deductions and the Administrator of General Services has determined that verification by a prepayment audit conducted pursuant to section 3726(a) of this title for a particular mode or modes of transportation, or for an agency or subagency, will not adequately protect the interests of the Government; or
(2) provided under a Government bill of lading or transportation request when the overpayment was the result of using improper transportation rates or classifications or the failure to deduct the proper amount under a land-grant law or agreement and the Administrator of General Services has determined that verification by a prepayment audit conducted pursuant to section 3726(a) of this title for a particular mode or modes of transportation, or for an agency or subagency, will not adequately protect the interests of the Government.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 966; Pub. L. 98–216, § 1(4), Feb. 14, 1984, 98 Stat. 4; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title IX, § 913(c)(5), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 412; Pub. L. 105–264, § 3(a)(2), Oct. 19, 1998, 112 Stat. 2352.)
§ 3529. Requests for decisions of the Comptroller General
(a) A disbursing or certifying official or the head of an agency may request a decision from the Comptroller General on a question involving—
(1) a payment the disbursing official or head of the agency will make; or
(2) a voucher presented to a certifying official for certification.
(b)
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Comptroller General shall issue a decision requested under this section.
(2) A decision requested under this section concerning a function transferred to or vested in the Director of the Office of Management and Budget under section 211(a) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996 (109 Stat. 535), as in effect immediately before the effective date of title II of the General Accounting Office Act of 1996, or under this Act, shall be issued—
(A) by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, except as provided in subparagraph (B); or
(B) in the case of a function delegated by the Director to another agency, by the head of the agency to which the function was delegated.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 967; Pub. L. 104–316, title II, § 204, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3845.)
§ 3530. Adjusting accounts
(a) An appropriation or fund currently available for the expense of an accountable function shall be charged with an amount necessary to adjust an account of an accountable official or agent when—
(1) necessary to adjust the account for a loss to the United States Government resulting from the fault or negligence of the official or agent; and
(2) the head of the agency decides the loss is uncollectable.
(b) An adjustment does not affect the personal financial liability of an official or agent for the loss.
(c) The Comptroller General shall prescribe regulations to carry out subsection (a) of this section.
(d) Under procedures prescribed by the Comptroller General, the head of an agency may charge the net amount of unpaid and overpaid balances in individual pay accounts against the appropriation for the fiscal year in which the balances occurred and from which the accounts were payable. The net amount shall be credited to and paid from the corresponding appropriation for the next fiscal year.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 967.)
[§ 3531. Repealed. Pub. L. 104–316, title I, § 115(f)(1), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3834]
§ 3532. Notification of account deficiencies
An accounting official discovering a deficiency in an account of an official of the United States Government having custody of public money shall notify the head of the agency having jurisdiction of the official of the kind and amount of the deficiency.
(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 968.)