[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 217 (Thursday, November 9, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 56538]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-27725]



 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 217 / Thursday, November 9, 1995 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 56538]]


OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 179

RIN 3206-AH21


Claims Collection Standards Debt Collection Act of 1982: Salary 
Offset

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) proposes to revise 
the delegations of authority for matters affecting debt collection 
reflected in Title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. The proposed 
amendment will clearly reflect the Chief Financial Officer's (CFO) 
responsibility for providing policies, standards, and guidelines 
concerning agency financial administration of all programs, and the 
shared responsibility held by the CFO and the Associate Director for 
the Retirement and Insurance Service for matters affecting debts owed 
to the retirement, health, and life insurance programs.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 8, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to J. Gilbert Seaux, Chief Financial Officer 
(CFO), Office of Personnel Management, Room 5489, 1900 E Street NW., 
Washington, DC 20415.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Loring, Accounting Officer, Office of the CFO, (202) 606-5028.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 11, 1994, the Office of Personnel 
Management (OPM) published final rules (59 FR 35215) establishing 
procedures for salary and administrative offsets for the administrative 
accounts of this agency. In the final rules, 5 CFR 179.102 provided 
specific delegations of authority to the CFO and to the Associate 
Director for Retirement and Insurance. Since then, OPM has reviewed all 
internal relationships and delegations. This revision clarifies the 
agency's delegation of authority with regard to the provisions of the 
Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990. The CFO has full responsibility 
for providing policies, standards, and guidelines for OPM action on all 
claims, including claims affecting the retirement, health, or life 
insurance programs. For matters affecting debts caused by or to be 
collected from payments from the retirement, health or life insurance 
funds, the Associate Director has operating responsibility for 
administration of these programs, subject to the CFO's policies, 
standards, and guidelines.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities because the regulation 
only provides information about the division of responsibility within 
the agency's organizational structure.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 179

    Claims.

Office of Personnel Management.
James B. King,
Director.

    Accordingly, OPM proposes to amend Part 179 of Title 5, Code of 
Federal Regulations, as follows.

PART 179--CLAIMS COLLECTION STANDARDS

    1. The authority citation for part 179 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 31 U.S.C. 952; 5 U.S.C. 1103; Reorganization Plan No. 
2 of 1978; 5 U.S.C. 5514; 5 CFR part 550 subpart K; 31 U.S.C. 3701; 
31 U.S.C. 3711; 31 U.S.C. 3716; 31 U.S.C. 3720A.

    2. Section 179.102 of subpart A is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 179.102  Delegation of authority.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the Chief 
Financial Officer and his or her delegatees are designated by the 
Director and authorized to perform all the duties for which the 
Director is responsible under the Debt Collection Act of 1982 and 
Office of Personnel Management regulations. For administrative accounts 
of the agency, the Chief Financial Officer and his or her delegatees 
will request a review by the General Counsel or his or her designee for 
claims processed (in amounts of $2500 or more) for compromise, 
suspension, and termination of collection action.
    (b) The Chief Financial Officer and the Associate Director for 
Retirement and Insurance share responsibilities in matters affecting 
debts caused by or to be collected from payments from the Civil Service 
Retirement and Disability Fund (Subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 
84), and claims under the provisions of the Federal Employees' Life 
Insurance Fund (chapter 87), the Retired Federal Employees Health 
Benefits Act (74 Stat. 849), the Employees Health Benefits Fund 
(chapter 89), the Panama Canal Construction Annuity Act (58 Stat. 257), 
and the Lighthouse Service Widows' Annuity Act (64 Stat. 465). To 
ensure efficient administration, the Director delegates operating 
responsibility for these matters to the Associate Director and his or 
her delegatees, who, in the performance of this responsibility, shall 
be subject to the policies, standards, and guidelines of the Chief 
Financial Officer concerning financial administration.

[FR Doc. 95-27725 Filed 11-8-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M