Title 31Money and FinanceRelease 119-73

§3545 Civil action to recover money

Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— - FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - ACCOUNTING AND COLLECTION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - COLLECTION › § 3545

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Attorney General must sue to get back public money when someone in charge won't pay the Treasury; the claim adds any fee the person got plus 6% yearly interest from receipt until repayment, and the fee is lost at judgment.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §3545

Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Attorney General shall bring a civil action to recover an amount due to the United States Government on settlement of the account of a person accountable for public money when the person neglects or refuses to pay the amount to the Treasury. Any commission of that person and interest of 6 percent a year from the time the money is received by the person until repaid to the Treasury shall be added to the amount due on the account. The commission is forfeited when judgment is obtained.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 354531:505.R.S. § 3624. The functions of the First Comptroller of the Treasury, referred to in Revised Statutes section 3624, were as a matter of law vested in the Solicitor of the Treasury by Revised Statutes section 377 and 379 (based on the Act of May 28, 1830, ch. 153, 45 Stat. 414). This function is now vested in the Attorney General. See 28:507 as enacted in 1948 and revision notes thereto and existing 28:519, 547, and 509. The words “bring a civil action” are substituted for “institute suit” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The word “amount” is substituted for “sum or balance” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “reported to be” are omitted as surplus. The word “settlement” is substituted for “adjustment” for consistency. The words “by the person” are added for clarity. The words “stated to be”, “in every instance where suit is commenced and . . . thereon”, and “it shall be” are omitted as surplus.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 3545

Title 31Money and Finance

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73