2 U.S. Code § 1904 - Certifying officers

(a) Appointment of certifying officers of the Capitol Police

The Chief Administrative Officer of the United States Capitol Police, or when there is not a Chief Administrative Officer, the Chief of the Capitol Police, shall appoint certifying officers to certify all vouchers for payment from funds made available to the United States Capitol Police.

(b) Responsibility and accountability of certifying officers

(1) In general

Each officer or employee of the Capitol Police who has been duly authorized in writing by the Chief Administrative Officer, or the Chief of the Capitol Police if there is not a Chief Administrative Officer, to certify vouchers pursuant to subsection (a) shall—

(A) be held responsible for the existence and correctness of the facts recited in the certificate or otherwise stated on the voucher or its supporting papers and for the legality of the proposed payment under the appropriation or fund involved;

(B) be held responsible and accountable for the correctness of the computations of certified vouchers; and

(C) be held accountable for and required to make good to the United States the amount of any illegal, improper, or incorrect payment resulting from any false, inaccurate, or misleading certificate made by such officer or employee, as well as for any payment prohibited by law or which did not represent a legal obligation under the appropriation or fund involved.

(2) Relief by Comptroller General

The Comptroller General may, at the Comptroller General’s discretion, relieve such certifying officer or employee of liability for any payment otherwise proper if the Comptroller General finds—

(A) that the certification was based on official records and that the certifying officer or employee did not know, and by reasonable diligence and inquiry could not have ascertained, the actual facts; or

(B) that the obligation was incurred in good faith, that the payment was not contrary to any statutory provision specifically prohibiting payments of the character involved, and the United States has received value for such payment.

(c) Enforcement of liability

The liability of the certifying officers of the United States Capitol Police shall be enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as currently provided with respect to the enforcement of the liability of disbursing and other accountable officers, and such officers shall have the right to apply for and obtain a decision by the Comptroller General on any question of law involved in a payment on any vouchers presented to them for certification.

(Pub. L. 106–554, § 1(a)(2) [title I, § 107], Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2763, 2763A–103; Pub. L. 111–145, § 2(a)(3), Mar. 4, 2010, 124 Stat. 49.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Section was classified to section 207d of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, § 1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062.

Amendments

2010—Subsecs. (a), (b)(1). Pub. L. 111–145 substituted “the Chief of the Capitol Police” for “the Capitol Police Board”.