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Title 10 — Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§2780 Debt Collection

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part IV— SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › Chapter 165— ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY › § 2780

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Defense must hire one or more contractors to collect debts the Department of Defense is owed that are more than three months past due. That hiring only happens if funds are available. Each contract must give the Secretary a report on collection progress at least once every six months. Federal rules in 31 U.S.C. 3718 apply to these contracts unless they conflict with this rule. The Department must report debts over $100 that are more than 31 days late to consumer credit bureaus, following federal reporting rules. The Department must not report a debt while a decision about waiving, remitting, or canceling it is pending under the applicable laws, unless the relevant Defense official decides reporting while the decision is pending is in the best interest of the United States.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2780

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall enter into one or more contracts with a person for collection services to recover indebtedness owed to the United States (arising out of activities related to Department of Defense) that is delinquent by more than three months.
(2)The authority of the Secretary to enter into a contract under this section for any fiscal year is subject to the availability of appropriations.
(3)Any such contract shall provide that the person submit to the Secretary a status report on the person’s success in collecting such debts at least once each six months. Section 3718 of title 31 shall apply to any such contract, to the extent not inconsistent with this subsection.
(b)(1)Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense shall disclose to consumer reporting agencies, in accordance with paragraph (1) of section 3711(e) of title 31, information concerning any debt described in subsection (a) of more than $100 that is delinquent by more than 31 days.
(2)No disclosure shall be made under paragraph (1) with respect to an indebtedness while a decision regarding waiver of collection of the indebtedness is pending under section 2774 of this title or section 716 of title 32, or while a decision regarding remission or cancellation of the indebtedness is pending under section 7837, 8271, or 9837 of this title, unless the Secretary concerned (as defined in section 101(5) of title 37) determines that disclosure under that paragraph pending such decision is in the best interests of the United States.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted “section 7837, 8271, or 9837” for “section 4837, 6161, or 9837”. 2006—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–364 designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “Except as provided in paragraph (2), the Secretary of Defense” for “The Secretary”, and added par. (2). 1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–316 substituted “section 3711(e)” for “section 3711(f)”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2018 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 115–232 effective Feb. 1, 2019, with provision for the coordination of

Amendments

and special rule for certain redesignations, see section 800 of Pub. L. 115–232, set out as a note preceding section 3001 of this title.

Effective Date

of 2006 Amendment Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, § 672(b), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2270, provided that: “(1) In general.—The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on
March 1, 2007. “(2) Application to prior actions.—Paragraph (2) of section 2780(b) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall not be construed to apply to or invalidate any action taken under such section before
March 1, 2007.” Contracts for Recovery of Indebtedness Pub. L. 101–165, title IX, § 9019, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1133, provided that: “During the current fiscal year and hereafter, the Department of Defense may enter into contracts to recover indebtedness to the United States pursuant to section 3718 of title 31, United States Code.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2780

Title 10 — Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60