22 U.S.C. § 2716: Debt collection

Summary

The Secretary of State must hire companies to collect money owed to the U.S. from State Department activities when the debt is more than 90 days past due and is not owed by a foreign government. If funds are available, those contracts must make the collector send a progress report at least every 180 days. The rules in 31 U.S.C. 3718 also apply unless they conflict. When the law allows, the Secretary must tell the credit reporting agencies it uses about any State Department-related debt over $100 that is more than 31 days past due.

Title 22, §2716

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Contract authority

(1)Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of State shall enter into contracts for collection services to recover indebtedness owed by a person, other than a foreign country, to the United States which arises out of activities of the Department of State and is delinquent by more than 90 days.

(2)Each contract entered into under this section shall provide that the person with whom the Secretary enters into such contract shall submit to the Secretary at least once every 180 days a status report on the success of the person in collecting debts. Section 3718 of title 31 shall apply to any such contract to the extent that such section is not inconsistent with this subsection.

(b)Disclosure of delinquent debt to credit reporting agencies

The Secretary of State shall, to the extent otherwise allowed by law, disclose to those credit reporting agencies to which the Secretary reports loan activity information concerning any debt of more than $100 owed by a person, other than a foreign country, to the United States which arises out of activities of the Department of State and is delinquent by more than 31 days.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 44 of act Aug. 1, 1956, was renumbered section 45 by section 117(1) of Pub. L. 101–246, and subsequently renumbered, and set out as a

Short Title

of 1956 Amendment note under section 2651 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–138, title I, § 111(1), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 654.

§2716 Debt Collection