12 CFR § 797.3 - Definitions.

Except where the context clearly indicates otherwise or where the term is defined elsewhere in this subpart, the following definitions shall apply to this subpart.

(a) Administrative offset, as defined in 31 U.S.C. 3701(a)(1), means withholding money payable by the United States government to, or held by the government for, a person to satisfy a debt the person owes the government.

(b) Agency means a department, agency, or instrumentality in the Executive, Judicial, or Legislative branch of the government.

(c) Claim or debt means money or property owed by a person or entity to an agency of the federal government. A “claim” or “debt” includes amounts due the government, fees, services, overpayments, penalties, damages, interest, fines and forfeitures. For purposes of this part, a debt owed to NCUA constitutes a debt owed to the federal government.

(d) Claim certification means a creditor agency's written request to a paying agency to effect an administrative or salary offset.

(e) Creditor agency means an agency to which a claim or debt is owed.

(f) Debtor means the person or entity owing money to the federal government.

(g) Disposable pay means that part of current basic pay or other authorized pay remaining after the deduction of any amount required by law to be withheld. NCUA shall allow the deductions described in 5 CFR 581.105(b) through (f).

(h) Employee means a current employee of NCUA or another agency.

(i) FCCS means the Federal Claims Collection Standards published in 31 CFR part 900.

(j) Hearing official means an individual who is authorized to conduct a hearing with respect to the existence or amount of a debt claimed and issue a final decision on the basis of such hearing. A hearing official may not be under the supervision or control of NCUA when NCUA is the creditor agency.

(k) NCUA means the National Credit Union Administration.

(l) Paying agency means an agency of the federal government owing money to a debtor against which an administrative or salary offset can be effected.

(m) Salary offset means an administrative offset to collect a debt under 5 U.S.C. 5514 by deductions at one or more officially established pay intervals from the current pay account of a debtor.

(n) Waiver means the cancellation, remission, forgiveness, or nonrecovery of a debt allegedly owed by an employee to NCUA or another agency as permitted or required by 5 U.S.C. 5584 or any other law.