§ 33.1 Purpose, authority, and scope.

(a) Purpose. This part prescribes the Department's standards and procedures for the collection of debts owed by Federal employees to the United States through involuntary salary offset. (b) Authority. 5 U.S.C. 5514; 5 CFR part 550, subpart K. (c) Scope. (1) This part applies to internal and Government-wide collections of debts owed by Federal employees by administrative offset from the current pay account of the debtor without his or her consent. (2) The procedures contained in this part do not apply to any case where an employee consents to collection through deduction(s) from the employee's pay account, or to debts arising under the Internal Revenue Code or the tariff laws of the United States, or where another statute explicitly provides for, or prohibits, collection of a debt by salary offset (e.g., travel advances in 5 U.S.C. 5705 and employee training expenses in 5 U.S.C. 4108). (3) This part does not preclude an employee from requesting waiver of an erroneous payment under 5 U.S.C. 5584, 10 U.S.C. 2774, or 32 U.S.C. 716, or in any way questioning the amount or validity of a debt, in the manner prescribed by the Secretary. Similarly, this part does not preclude an employee from requesting waiver of the collection of a debt under any other applicable statutory authority. (4) Nothing in this part precludes the compromise of the debt, or the suspension or termination of collection actions, in accordance with part 30 of this title.