TITLE 10 - ENERGY

CHAPTER I - NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

PART 15 - DEBT COLLECTION PROCEDURES

subpart b - ADMINISTRATIVE COLLECTION OF CLAIMS

15.20 - Aggressive agency collection activity.

  (a) The NRC shall take aggressive action to collect all debts. These collection activities will be undertaken promptly and follow-up action will be taken as appropriate. These regulations do not require the Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury (Treasury), or any other Treasury-designated collection center to duplicate collection activities previously undertaken by NRC.

  (b) Debt referred or transferred to Treasury or to a Treasury-designated debt collection center under the authority of 31 U.S.C. 3711(g) must be serviced, collected, or compromised, or the collection action will be suspended or terminated, in accordance with the statutory requirements and authorities applicable to the collection of the debts.

  (c) The NRC shall cooperate with other agencies in their debt collection activities.

  (d) The NRC will consider referring debts that are less than 180 days delinquent to Treasury or to a Treasury-designated debt collection center to accomplish efficient, cost-effective debt collection.

Referrals to debt collection centers are at the discretion of, and for a time period acceptable to, Treasury.

  (e) The NRC shall transfer any debt that has been delinquent for 180 days or more to Treasury so that it may take appropriate action to collect the debt or terminate collection actions. This requirement does not apply to any debt that (1) Is in litigation or foreclosure; (2) Will be disposed of under an approved asset sale program; (3) Has been referred to a private collection contractor for a period of time acceptable to Treasury; (4) Is at a debt collection center for a period of time acceptable to Treasury; (5) Will be collected under internal offset procedures within 3 years after the date the debt first became delinquent; or (6) Is exempt from this requirement based on a determination by Treasury that exemption for a certain class of debt is in the best interest of the United States.

  (f) Agencies operating Treasury-designated debt collection centers are authorized to charge a fee for services rendered regarding referred or transferred debts. The fee may be paid out of amounts collected and may be added to the debt as an administrative cost.

[67 FR 30319, May 6, 2002]