Collapse to view only § 701. Uniforms, arms, and equipment to be same as Army or Air Force
- § 701. Uniforms, arms, and equipment to be same as Army or Air Force
- § 702. Issue of supplies
- § 703. Purchases of supplies by States from Army or Air Force
- § 704. Accountability: relief from upon order to active duty
- § 705. Purchase of uniforms and equipment by officers of National Guard from Army or Air Force
- § 706. Return of arms and equipment upon relief from Federal service
- § 707. Use of public buildings for offices by instructors
- § 708. Property and fiscal officers
- § 709. Technicians: employment, use, status
- § 710. Accountability for property issued to the National Guard
- § 711. Disposition of obsolete or condemned property
- § 712. Disposition of proceeds of condemned stores issued to National Guard
- § 713. Official mail: free transmission
- § 714. Final settlement of accounts: deceased members
- § 715. Property loss; personal injury or death: activities under certain sections of this title
- § 716. Claims for overpayment of pay and allowances, and travel and transportation allowances
- [§ 717. Repealed.
§ 701. Uniforms, arms, and equipment to be same as Army or Air Force
So far as practicable, the same types of uniforms, arms, and equipment as are issued to the Army shall be issued to the Army National Guard, and the same types of uniforms, arms, and equipment as are issued to the Air Force shall be issued to the Air National Guard.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 612.)
§ 702. Issue of supplies
(a) Under such regulations as the President may prescribe, the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force may buy or manufacture and, upon requisition of the governor of any State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands or the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia, issue to its Army National Guard and Air National Guard, respectively, the supplies necessary to uniform, arm, and equip that Army National Guard or Air National Guard for field duty.
(b) Whenever the Secretary concerned is satisfied that the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as the case may be, of any State or Territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia is properly organized, armed, and equipped for field duty, funds allotted to that jurisdiction for its Army National Guard or Air National Guard may be used to buy any article issued by the Army or the Air Force, as the case may be.
(c) Under such regulations as the President may prescribe, the issue of new types of equipment, small arms, or field guns to the National Guard of any State or Territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia shall be without charge against appropriations for the National Guard.
(d) No property may be issued to the National Guard of a State or Territory, Puerto Rico, or the District of Columbia, unless that jurisdiction makes provision, satisfactory to the Secretary concerned, for its protection and care.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 612; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), (4), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(4), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 703. Purchases of supplies by States from Army or Air Force
(a) Subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Army, any State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands may buy from the Department of the Army, for its National Guard or the officers thereof, supplies and military publications furnished to the Army, in addition to other supplies issued to its Army National Guard. On the same basis, it may buy similar property from the Department of the Air Force. A purchase under this subsection shall be for cash, at cost plus transportation.
(b) In time of actual or threatened war, the United States may requisition for military use any property bought under subsection (a). Credit for the return in kind of property so requisitioned shall be given to the State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands from which it is received.
(c) Proceeds of sales by the Department of the Army and the Department of the Air Force under this section shall be credited to the appropriations from which the property was purchased, shall not be covered into the Treasury, and may be used to replace property sold under this section.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 613; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(3), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 704. Accountability: relief from upon order to active duty
Upon ordering any part of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States to active duty, the President may, upon such terms as he may prescribe, relieve the State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, whichever is concerned, of accountability for property of the United States previously issued to it for the use of that part.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 613; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(3), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 705. Purchase of uniforms and equipment by officers of National Guard from Army or Air Force
Officers of the Army National Guard not in Federal service may buy articles of individual clothing and equipment from the Department of the Army, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Army may prescribe. On the same basis, officers of the Air National Guard not in Federal service may buy those items from the Department of the Air Force. Purchases under this section shall be for cash, at average current costs, including overhead, as determined by the Secretary concerned.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 613.)
§ 706. Return of arms and equipment upon relief from Federal service
So far as practicable, whenever units, organizations, or members of the National Guard are returned to their National Guard status under section 325(b) 1
1 See References in Text note below.
of this title, arms and equipment that the Secretary concerned determines are sufficient to accomplish their peacetime mission shall be returned with them.(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 613.)
§ 707. Use of public buildings for offices by instructors
Whenever practicable, instructors of the National Guard shall use State armories or other public buildings for offices.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 614.)
§ 708. Property and fiscal officers
(a) The Governor of each State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, and the commanding general of the National Guard of the District of Columbia, shall, in consultation with the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, appoint, designate or detail, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force, a qualified commissioned officer of the National Guard of that jurisdiction who is also a commissioned officer of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States, as the case may be, to be the property and fiscal officer of that jurisdiction. If the officer is not on active duty, the President may order him to active duty, with his consent, to serve as a property and fiscal officer.
(b) Each property and fiscal officer shall—
(1) receipt and account for all funds and property of the United States in the possession of the National Guard for which he is property and fiscal officer; and
(2) make returns and reports concerning those funds and that property, as required by the Secretary concerned.
(c) When he ceases to hold that assignment, a property and fiscal officer resumes his status as an officer of the National Guard.
(d) The Secretaries shall prescribe a maximum grade, commensurate with the functions and responsibilities of the office, but not above colonel, for the property and fiscal officer of the United States for the National Guard of each State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.
(e) The Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe joint regulations necessary to carry out subsections (a)–(d).
(f) A property and fiscal officer may intrust money to an officer of the National Guard to make disbursements as his agent. Both the officer to whom money is intrusted, and the property and disbursing officer intrusting the money to him, are pecuniarily responsible for that money to the United States. The agent officer is subject, for misconduct as an agent, to the liabilities and penalties prescribed by law in like cases for the property and fiscal officer for whom he is acting.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 614; Pub. L. 92–310, title II, § 207, June 6, 1972, 86 Stat. 203; Pub. L. 95–79, title VIII, § 804(b), July 30, 1977, 91 Stat. 333; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 515(4), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2937; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 101–189, div. A, title VI, § 653(g), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1463; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(2), (4), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title V, § 518, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1350.)
§ 709. Technicians: employment, use, status
(a) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, and subject to subsections (b) and (c), persons may be employed as technicians in—
(1) the organizing, administering, instructing, or training of the National Guard;
(2) the maintenance and repair of supplies issued to the National Guard or the armed forces; and
(3) the performance of the following additional duties to the extent that the performance of those duties does not interfere with the performance of the duties described by paragraphs (1) and (2):
(A) Support of operations or missions undertaken by the technician’s unit at the request of the President or the Secretary of Defense.
(B) Support of Federal training operations or Federal training missions assigned in whole or in part to the technician’s unit.
(C) Instructing or training in the United States or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or possessions of the United States of—
(i) active-duty members of the armed forces;
(ii) members of foreign military forces (under the same authorities and restrictions applicable to active-duty members providing such instruction or training);
(iii) Department of Defense contractor personnel; or
(iv) Department of Defense civilian employees.
(b) Except as authorized in subsection (c), a person employed under subsection (a) must meet each of the following requirements:
(1) Be a military technician (dual status) as defined in section 10216(a) of title 10.
(2) Be a member of the National Guard.
(3) Hold the military grade specified by the Secretary concerned for that position.
(4) While performing duties as a military technician (dual status), wear the uniform appropriate for the member’s grade and component of the armed forces.
(c)
(1) A person may be employed under subsection (a) as a non-dual status technician (as defined by section 10217 of title 10) if the technician position occupied by the person has been designated by the Secretary concerned to be filled only by a non-dual status technician.
(2) The total number of non-dual status technicians in the National Guard is specified in section 10217(c)(2) of title 10.
(d) The Secretary concerned shall designate the adjutants general referred to in section 314 of this title to employ and administer the technicians authorized by this section.
(e) A technician employed under subsection (a) is an employee of the Department of the Army or the Department of the Air Force, as the case may be, and an employee of the United States. However, a position authorized by this section is outside the competitive service if the technician employed in that position is required under subsection (b) to be a member of the National Guard.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned—
(1) a person employed under subsection (a) who is a military technician (dual status) and otherwise subject to the requirements of subsection (b) who—
(A) is separated from the National Guard or ceases to hold the military grade specified by the Secretary concerned for that position shall be promptly separated from military technician (dual status) employment by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned; and
(B) fails to meet the military security standards established by the Secretary concerned for a member of a reserve component under his jurisdiction may be separated from employment as a military technician (dual status) and concurrently discharged from the National Guard by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned;
(2) a technician may, at any time, be separated from his technician employment for cause by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned;
(3) a reduction in force, removal, or an adverse action involving discharge from technician employment, suspension, furlough without pay, or reduction in rank or compensation shall be accomplished by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned;
(4) a right of appeal which may exist with respect to paragraph (1), (2), or (3) shall not extend beyond the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned when the appeal concerns activity occurring while the member is in a military pay status, or concerns fitness for duty in the reserve components;
(5) with respect to an appeal concerning any activity not covered by paragraph (4), the provisions of sections 7511, 7512, and 7513 of title 5, and section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 1
1 See References in Text note below.
(42 U.S.C. 2000e–16) shall apply; and(6) a technician shall be notified in writing of the termination of his employment as a technician and, unless the technician is serving under a temporary appointment, is serving in a trial or probationary period, or has voluntarily ceased to be a member of the National Guard when such membership is a condition of employment, such notification shall be given at least 30 days before the termination date of such employment.
(g)
(1) Except as provided in subsection (f), sections 2108, 3502, 7511, and 7512 of title 5 do not apply to a person employed under this section.
(2) In addition to the sections referred to in paragraph (1), section 6323(a)(1) of title 5 also does not apply to a person employed under this section who is performing active Guard and Reserve duty (as that term is defined in section 101(d)(6) of title 10).
(h) Notwithstanding sections 5544(a) and 6101(a) of title 5 or any other provision of law, the Secretary concerned may prescribe the hours of duty for technicians. Notwithstanding sections 5542 and 5543 of title 5 or any other provision of law, such technicians shall be granted an amount of compensatory time off from their scheduled tour of duty equal to the amount of any time spent by them in irregular or overtime work, and shall not be entitled to compensation for such work.
(i) The Secretary concerned may not prescribe for purposes of eligibility for Federal recognition under section 301 of this title a qualification applicable to technicians employed under subsection (a) that is not applicable pursuant to that section to the other members of the National Guard in the same grade, branch, position, and type of unit or organization involved.
(j) In this section:
(1) The term “military pay status” means a period of service where the amount of pay payable to a technician for that service is based on rates of military pay provided for under title 37.
(2) The term “fitness for duty in the reserve components” refers only to military-unique service requirements that attend to military service generally, including service in the reserve components or service on active duty.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 614; Pub. L. 87–224, § 2, Sept. 13, 1961, 75 Stat. 496; Pub. L. 90–486, § 2(1), Aug. 13, 1968, 82 Stat. 755; Pub. L. 92–119, § 2, Aug. 13, 1971, 85 Stat. 340; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 515(5)–(7), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2937; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title V, §§ 523(a), 524(c), (d), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1656, 1657; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title X, § 1070(b)(2), (d)(5), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2856, 2858; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1038(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 432; Pub. L. 105–85, div. A, title V, § 522(c), Nov. 18, 1997, 111 Stat. 1735; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title V, § 524, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 599; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title V, § 525(d), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2195; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title V, §§ 512(a), (b), 513, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2112, 2113.)
§ 710. Accountability for property issued to the National Guard
(a) All military property issued by the United States to the National Guard remains the property of the United States.
(b) The Secretary of the Army shall prescribe regulations for accounting for property issued by the United States to the Army National Guard and for the fixing of responsibility for that property. The Secretary of the Air Force shall prescribe regulations for accounting for property issued by the United States to the Air National Guard and for the fixing of responsibility for that property. So far as practicable, regulations prescribed under this section shall be uniform among the components of each service.
(c) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned under subsection (b), liability for the value of property issued by the United States to the National Guard that is lost, damaged, or destroyed may be charged (1) to a member of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard when in similar circumstances a member of the Army or Air Force serving on active duty would be so charged, or (2) to a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands when the property is lost, damaged, or destroyed incident to duty directed pursuant to the laws of, and in support of the authorities of, such jurisdiction. Liability charged to a member of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard shall be paid out of pay due to the member for duties performed as a member of the National Guard, unless the Secretary concerned shall for good cause remit or cancel that liability. Liability charged to a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands shall be paid from its funds or from any other non-Federal funds.
(d) If property surveyed under this section is found to be unserviceable or unsuitable, the Secretary concerned or his designated representative shall direct its disposition by sale or otherwise. The proceeds of the following under this subsection shall be deposited in the Treasury under section 4(b)(22) of the Permanent Appropriation Repeal Act, 1934:
(1) A sale.
(2) A stoppage against a member of the National Guard.
(3) A collection from a person, or from a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, to reimburse the United States for the loss or destruction of, or damage to, the property.
(e) If a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, whichever is concerned, neglects or refuses to pay for the loss or destruction of, or damage to, property charged against it under subsection (c), the Secretary concerned may bar it from receiving any part of appropriations for the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as the case may be, until the payment is made.
(f)
(1) Instead of the procedure prescribed by subsections (b), (c), and (d), property issued to the National Guard that becomes unserviceable through fair wear and tear in service may, under regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned, be sold or otherwise disposed of after an inspection, and a finding of unserviceability because of that wear and tear, by a commissioned officer designated by the Secretary. The State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, whichever is concerned, is relieved of accountability for that property.
(2) In designating an officer to conduct inspections and make findings for purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall designate—
(A) in the case of the Army National Guard, a commissioned officer of the Regular Army or a commissioned officer of the Army National Guard who is also a commissioned officer of the Army National Guard of the United States; and
(B) in the case of the Air National Guard, a commissioned officer of the Regular Air Force or a commissioned officer of the Air National Guard who is also a commissioned officer of the Air National Guard of the United States.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 615; Pub. L. 85–861, § 33(c)(3), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1567; Pub. L. 96–328, § 1(a), (b)(1), Aug. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1027; Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 515(8), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2937; Pub. L. 97–258, § 3(h)(2), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1065; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 103–160, div. A, title V, § 524(e), Nov. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 1657; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(3), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 711. Disposition of obsolete or condemned property
Each State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the Virgin Islands shall, upon receiving new property issued to its National Guard to replace obsolete or condemned issues of property, return the replaced property to the Department of the Army or the Department of the Air Force, as the case may be, or otherwise dispose of it, as the Secretary concerned directs. No money credit may be allowed for property disp
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 616; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(2), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 712. Disposition of proceeds of condemned stores issued to National Guard
The following shall be covered into the Treasury:
(1) The proceeds from sales of condemned stores issued to the National Guard of a State, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, and not charged against its allotment.
(2) The net proceeds from collections made from any person to reimburse the United States for the loss or destruction of, or damage to, property described in clause (1).
(3) Stoppage against members of the National Guard for the loss or destruction of, or damage to, property described in clause (1).
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 616; Pub. L. 100–456, div. A, title XII, § 1234(b)(1), Sept. 29, 1988, 102 Stat. 2059; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title X, § 1057(b)(3), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3441.)
§ 713. Official mail: free transmission
Units and headquarters of the National Guard, whether or not in Federal service, have the same privilege of free mailing of official matter as the Department of Defense.
(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 617.)
§ 714. Final settlement of accounts: deceased members
(a) In the settlement of the accounts of a member of the National Guard who dies after December 31, 1955, an amount due from the armed force of which he was a member shall be paid to the person highest on the following list living on the date of death:
(1) Beneficiary designated by him in writing to receive such an amount, if the designation is received, before the deceased member’s death, at the place named in regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned.
(2) Surviving spouse.
(3) Children and their descendants, by representation.
(4) Father and mother in equal parts or, if either is dead, the survivor.
(5) Legal representative.
(6) Person entitled under the law of the domicile of the deceased member.
(b) Designations and changes of designation of beneficiaries under subsection (a)(1) are subject to regulations to be prescribed by the Secretary concerned. So far as practicable, these regulations shall be uniform with those prescribed for the armed forces under section 2771(b) of title 10.
(c) Under such regulations as the Secretary concerned may prescribe, payments under subsection (a) shall be made by the Department of the Army or the Department of the Air Force, as the case may be.
(d) A payment under this section bars recovery by any other person of the amount paid.
(Added Pub. L. 85–861, § 2(12), Sept. 2, 1958, 72 Stat. 1546; amended Pub. L. 87–46, June 16, 1961, 75 Stat. 92; Pub. L. 104–316, title II, § 202(q), Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3844.)
§ 715. Property loss; personal injury or death: activities under certain sections of this title
(a) Under such regulations as the Secretary of the Army or Secretary of the Air Force may prescribe, he or, subject to appeal to him, the Judge Advocate General of the armed force under his jurisdiction, if designated by him, may settle and pay in an amount not more than $100,000 a claim against the United States for—
(1) damage to, or loss of, real property, including damage or loss incident to use and occupancy;
(2) damage to, or loss of, personal property, including property bailed to the United States or the National Guard and including registered or insured mail damaged, lost, or destroyed by a criminal act while in the possession of the National Guard; or
(3) personal injury or death; either caused by a member of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as the case may be, while engaged in training or duty under section 316, 502, 503, 504, or 505 of this title or any other provision of law for which he is entitled to pay under section 206 of title 37, or for which he has waived that pay, and acting within the scope of his employment; or otherwise incident to noncombat activities of the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard, as the case may be, under one of those sections.
(b) A claim may be allowed under subsection (a) only if—
(1) it is presented in writing within two years after it accrues, except that if the claim accrues in time of war or armed conflict or if such a war or armed conflict intervenes within two years after it accrues, and if good cause is shown, the claim may be presented not later than two years after the war or armed conflict is terminated;
(2) it is not covered by section 2734 of title 10 or section 2672 of title 28;
(3) it is not for personal injury or death of such a member or a person employed under section 709 of this title, whose injury or death is incident to his service;
(4) the damage to, or loss of, property, or the personal injury or death, was not caused wholly or partly by a negligent or wrongful act of the claimant, his agent, or his employee, or, if so caused, allowed only to the extent that the law of the place where the act or omission complained of occurred would permit recovery from a private individual under like circumstances; and
(5) it is substantiated as prescribed in regulations of the Secretary concerned.
For the purposes of clause (1), the dates of the beginning and end of an armed conflict are the dates established by concurrent resolution of Congress or by a determination of the President.
(c) Payment may not be made under this section for reimbursement for medical, hospital, or burial services furnished at the expense of the United States or of any State or the District of Columbia or Puerto Rico.
(d) If the Secretary concerned considers that a claim in excess of $100,000 is meritorious, and the claim otherwise is payable under this section, the Secretary may pay the claimant $100,000 and report any meritorious amount in excess of $100,000 to the Secretary of the Treasury for payment under section 1304 of title 31.
(e) Except as provided in subsection (d), no claim may be paid under this section unless the amount tendered is accepted by the claimant in full satisfaction.
(f) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary concerned, an officer or employee under the jurisdiction of the Secretary may settle a claim that otherwise would be payable under this section in an amount not to exceed $25,000. A decision of the officer or employee who makes a final settlement decision under this section may be appealed by the claimant to the Secretary concerned or an officer or employee designated by the Secretary for that purpose.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the settlement of a claim under this section is final and conclusive.
(h) In this section, “settle” means consider, ascertain, adjust, determine, and dispose of a claim, whether by full or partial allowance or disallowance.
(Added Pub. L. 86–740, § 1(1), Sept. 13, 1960, 74 Stat. 878; amended Pub. L. 87–649, § 8(b), Sept. 7, 1962, 76 Stat. 495; Pub. L. 90–486, § 2(3), Aug. 13, 1968, 82 Stat. 756; Pub. L. 90–525, § 6, Sept. 26, 1968, 82 Stat. 878; Pub. L. 91–312, § 3, July 8, 1970, 84 Stat. 412; Pub. L. 92–445, Sept. 29, 1972, 86 Stat. 745; Pub. L. 93–336, § 3, July 8, 1974, 88 Stat. 292; Pub. L. 98–564, § 4, Oct. 30, 1984,
§ 716. Claims for overpayment of pay and allowances, and travel and transportation allowances
(a) A claim of the United States against a person arising out of an erroneous payment of any pay or allowances made before, on, or after October 2, 1972, or arising out of an erroneous payment of travel and transportation allowances, to or on behalf of a member or former member of the National Guard, the collection of which would be against equity and good conscience and not in the best interest of the United States, may be waived in whole or in part by—
(1) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; or
(2) the Secretary concerned, as defined in section 101(5) of title 37, when—
(A) the claim is in an amount aggregating not more than $10,000; and
(B) the waiver is made in accordance with standards which the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall prescribe.
(b) The Director of the Office of Management and Budget or the Secretary concerned, as the case may be, may not exercise his authority under this section to waive any claim—
(1) if, in his opinion, there exists, in connection with the claim, an indication of fraud, misrepresentation, fault, or lack of good faith on the part of the member or any other person having an interest in obtaining a waiver of the claim; or
(2) if application for waiver is received in his office after the expiration of five years immediately following the date on which the erroneous payment was discovered.
(c) A person who has repaid to the United States all or part of the amount of a claim, with respect to which a waiver is granted under this section, is entitled, to the extent of the waiver, to refund, by the department concerned at the time of the erroneous payment, of the amount repaid to the United States, if he applies to that department for that refund within two years following the effective date of the waiver. The Secretary concerned shall pay from current applicable appropriations that refund in accordance with this section.
(d) In the audit and settlement of accounts of any accountable officer or official, full credit shall be given for any amounts with respect to which collection by the United States is waived under this section.
(e) An erroneous payment, the collection of which is waived under this section, is considered a valid payment for all purposes.
(f) This section does not affect any authority under any other law to litigate, settle, compromise, or waive any claim of the United States.
(Added Pub. L. 92–453, § 2(1), Oct. 2, 1972, 86 Stat. 759; amended Pub. L. 96–513, title V, § 515(9), Dec. 12, 1980, 94 Stat. 2937; Pub. L. 99–224, § 3(a), Dec. 28, 1985, 99 Stat. 1742; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title VI, § 657(c), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1393; Pub. L. 104–316, title I, § 116, Oct. 19, 1996, 110 Stat. 3835; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, § 671(b), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2270.)
[§ 717. Repealed. Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 589(b)(2), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3279]