§ 91.44 Charges on overdue accounts and issuance of delinquency notices.

(a) Accounts are considered overdue if payment is late with the National Finance Center (NFC). The timeliness of a payment will be based on the postmark date of the payment or the date of receipt by the NFC if no postmark date is present or legible. Bills are payable upon receipt and become delinquent 30 days from date of billing. (b) Any amount due not paid by the due date will be increased by a late payment charge. The actual assessed rate applied to overdue accounts is set quarterly by the Department of the Treasury. This amount is one-twelfth of one year's late penalty interest rate computed at the prescribed rate. (c) Overtime or holiday laboratory service will not be performed for any applicant with a notice of delinquency. (d) Applicants with three notices of delinquency will be reviewed for possible termination of services. A deposit in advance sufficient to cover the fees and expenses for any subsequent service may be required of any person failing to pay in claim after issuance of such notice of delinquency. (e) The Deputy Administrator of S&T program and personnel of the USDA, NFC Billings and Collections Branch (address as listed in § 91.42) will take such actions as may be necessary to collect any delinquent amounts due for accounts in claim status.