Title 31Money and FinanceRelease 119-73not60

§3907 Relationship to Other Laws

Title 31 › Subtitle SUBTITLE III— FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT › Chapter 39— PROMPT PAYMENT › § 3907

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

You can file a claim for an unpaid interest penalty under section 7103 of title 41. Interest under this chapter stops running once a claim is filed under chapter 71 of title 41 or after one year, whichever happens first. That does not stop interest under section 7109(a)(1) and (b) of title 41, which can keep adding up on unpaid contract payments and on the unpaid penalty from this chapter. Except as section 3904 says, this chapter does not require interest when a payment is withheld because the agency head and a business are arguing about the payment amount or contract compliance. A claim about that dispute, and interest for the time the dispute lasts, must be handled under chapter 71 of title 41.

Full Legal Text

Title 31, §3907

Money and Finance — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)A claim for an interest penalty not paid under this chapter may be filed under section 7103 of title 41.
(b)(1)An interest penalty under this chapter does not continue to accrue—
(A)after a claim for a penalty is filed under chapter 71 of title 41; or
(B)for more than one year.
(2)Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not prevent an interest penalty from accruing under section 7109(a)(1) and (b) of title 41 after a penalty stops accruing under this chapter. A penalty accruing under section 7109(a)(1) and (b) may accrue on an unpaid contract payment and on the unpaid penalty under this chapter.
(c)Except as provided in section 3904 of this title, this chapter does not require an interest penalty on a payment that is not made because of a dispute between the head of an agency and a business concern over the amount of payment or compliance with the contract. A claim related to the dispute, and interest payable for the period during which the dispute is being resolved, is subject to chapter 71 of title 41.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3906(a)31 App.:1803(a)(1).May 21, 1982, Pub. L. 97–177, § 4, 96 Stat. 87. 3906(b)31 App.:1803(a)(2), (3). 3906(c)31 App.:1803(b). In the section, the words “be construed to” are omitted as surplus. In subsection (a), the words “not paid under this chapter” are substituted for “which a Federal agency has failed to pay in accordance with the requirements of section 2 or 3 of this chapter” to eliminate unnecessary words. In subsection (b)(2), the word “accruing” is added for clarity. The word “both” is omitted as surplus. In subsection (c), the words “with respect to disputes concerning discounts”, “by the required payment date”, and “other allegations concerning” are omitted as surplus.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2011—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(h)(8)(A), substituted “section 7103 of title 41” for “section 6 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 605)”. Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(h)(8)(B), substituted “chapter 71 of title 41” for “the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)”. Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(h)(8)(C), substituted “section 7109(a)(1) and (b) of title 41” for “section 12 of the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 611)” and “section 7109(a)(1) and (b) may” for “section 12 may”. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 111–350, § 5(h)(8)(D), substituted “chapter 71 of title 41” for “the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.)”. 1988—Pub. L. 100–496 renumbered section 3906 of this title as this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

31 U.S.C. § 3907

Title 31Money and Finance

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60