Title 31 — Money and FinanceRelease 119-73
§3322 Disbursing officials
Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 33— - DEPOSITING, KEEPING, AND PAYING MONEY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - PAYMENTS › § 3322
Summary
The Treasury must give public money to a disbursing official only by a written Treasury draft or warrant. The disbursing official must deposit public money as required by section 3302, and may only take money out of the Treasury or a depositary when needed to make payments and payable to the person to be paid, except as allowed by sections 3716, 3720A, or the special rule below. If a place has no depositary, the Secretary of the Treasury may, in writing and when it is essential to the public interest, allow the money to be put in another public depositary or kept in another safe way under rules the Secretary sets to make payment easier. A disbursing official is not liable for an overpayment on a U.S. Government bill of lading or transportation request when the overpayment is caused by (1) use of wrong transportation rates or classifications if the Administrator of General Services has found that a prepayment audit under section 3726(a) would not protect the Government’s interests for that mode or agency, or (2) failure to deduct the right amount under a land grant law or an equalization or other agreement.
Full Legal Text
Title 31, §3322
Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer public money to a disbursing official only by draft or warrant written on the Treasury. Except as provided in section 3716 and section 3720A of this title and subsection (b) of this section, a disbursing official shall—
(1)deposit public money as required by section 3302 of this title; and
(2)draw public money from the Treasury or a depositary only—
(A)as necessary to make payments; and
(B)payable to persons to whom payment is to be made.
(b)In a place without a depositary, the Secretary, on deciding it is essential to the public interest, may authorize specially in writing that public money be—
(1)deposited in any other public depositary; or
(2)kept in another manner under regulations the Secretary decides are the safest and most effective in making a payment to a public creditor easier.
(c)A disbursing official is not liable for an overpayment provided under a United States Government bill of lading or transportation request when the overpayment is caused by the—
(1)use of improper transportation rates or classifications if the Administrator of General Services has determined that verification by a prepayment audit conducted pursuant to section 3726(a) of this title for a particular mode or modes of transportation, or for an agency or subagency, will not adequately protect the interests of the Government; or
(2)failure to deduct the proper amount under—
(A)a land grant law; or
(B)an equalization or other agreement.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
1982 Act Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3322(a)31:492(a).R.S. § 3620(a); Feb. 27, 1877, ch. 69(7th complete par. on p. 249), 19 Stat. 249; Aug. 28, 1965, Pub. L. 89–145, § 1(1), 79 Stat. 582. 3322(b)31:82g(related to disbursing officers).June 1, 1942, ch. 320(related to disbursing officers), 56 Stat. 306. In the section, the words “disbursing official” are substituted for “disbursing officer” for consistency in the revised title. In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “Secretary of the Treasury” are substituted for “Treasurer of the United States” because of the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of the revised title. The words “or an assistant treasurer of the United States” in section 3620(a) of the Revised Statutes are omitted as obsolete because of the 1st–4th pars. under the heading “Independent Treasury” in the Act of May 29, 1920 (ch. 214, 41 Stat. 654). In clause (1), the words “as required by section 3302 of this title” are substituted for “with the Treasurer or some one of the assistant treasurers of the United States (subsequently changed to ‘or with one of the depositaries of the United States mentioned in section 476 of this title’)” because of 31:476. In clause (2), the words “in pursuance of law” are omitted as surplus. The text of 31:492(a)(last sentence) is omitted because of section 3323(a) of the revised title. In subsection (b), before clause (1), the words “On and after June 1, 1942” are omitted as executed. The words “of the United States” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “for transportation” are omitted as surplus. 1984 ActThis is necessary because section 3620(a) (last sentence) of the Revised Statutes inadvertently was omitted from the codification of title 31 by section 1 of the Act of September 13, 1982 (Pub. L. 97–258, 96 Stat. 877). In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section” are added because of the restatement. In subsection (b), before clause (1), the word “however” is omitted as surplus. The words “treasurer or” are omitted as obsolete because of the 1st–4th pars. under the heading “Independent Treasury” in the Act of May 29, 1920 (ch. 214, 41 Stat. 654). In clause (2), the words “rules and” are omitted as surplus.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1998—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 105–264 inserted “if the Administrator of General Services has determined that verification by a prepayment audit conducted pursuant to section 3726(a) of this title for a particular mode or modes of transportation, or for an agency or subagency, will not adequately protect the interests of the Government” after “classifications”. 1996—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 104–134 inserted “section 3716 and section 3720A of this title and” after “Except as provided in” in introductory provisions. 1984—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 98–216 amended subsec. (a) generally, substituting “Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a” for “A” in second sentence. Subsecs. (b), (c). Pub. L. 98–216 added subsec. (b) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (c).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–264, § 3(b), Oct. 19, 1998, 112 Stat. 2354, provided that: “The
Amendments
made by this section [amending this section and section 3528 and 3726 of this title] shall become effective 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 19, 1998].”
Effective Date
of 1996 Amendment Pub. L. 104–134, title III, § 31001(a)(2)(A), Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–358, provided that: “The provisions of this section [enacting sections 3720B to 3720E of this title, amending this section, section 3325, 3331, 3332, 3343, 3701, 3711, 3712, 3716 to 3719, 3720A, and 7701 of this title, section 5514 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, section 6050P, 6103, and 6402 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, and section 404 and 664 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 3701, 3711, 3716, and 3719 of this title and section 2461 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure, amending provisions set out as notes under section 7701 of this title and section 2461 of Title 28, and repealing provisions set out as notes under section 3718 of this title] and the
Amendments
made by this section shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Apr. 26, 1996].”
Effective Date
of 1984 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 98–216 effective Sept. 13, 1982, see section 4(c) of Pub. L. 98–216, set out as a note under section 490 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
31 U.S.C. § 3322
Title 31 — Money and Finance
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73