GSA Order PFM P4253.1 which details the procedures and policies for collection by GSA of undisputed delinquent debt of the contractor issued individually billed travel charge card.
GSA ORDER PFM P 4253.1, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE POLICY HANDBOOK, CHAPTER 14, PART 5, SECTION 4. COLLECTION FROM GSA EMPLOYEES' DISPOSABLE PAY OF UNDISPUTED DELINQUENT AMOUNTS OWED TO THE CONTRACTOR ISSUING THE INDIVIDUALLY BILLED TRAVEL CHARGE CARD.

1. General. This section details the procedures and policies for collection by GSA of undisputed delinquent debt on the contractor issued individually billed travel charge card.

2. Authority. Public Law 105-264, October 19, 1998 (codified at 5 U.S.C. section 5701, note) authorizes Federal agencies to collect undisputed delinquent amounts incurred on an employees individually billed travel charge card from an employee's disposable pay. This statue is implemented by Federal Travel Regulation (FTR), Part 301-54 and 301-76.

3.Request for collection.

a. The Director, Finance Initiatives Division (BCD), Washington, DC, is designated to receive the written request from the travel card contractor for collection from an employee's pay of undisputed debt on a contractor issued travel card.

b. The travel card contractor must make a written request to the agency, with a copy to the employee, for collection of this debt. The request must include:

The delinquent debtor's name and travel card account number;

The amount of debt will be itemized by purchase and represent undisputed amounts owed on the travel charge card. No interest will accrue on amounts presented for collection;

Copies of monthly statements showing the amount was properly billed to the employee;

The travel card contractor's routing information for electronic payment of the employee's debt; and

a contact at the travel card contractor with information to allow the employee an opportunity to make a written agreement to repay the debt and clarify that amount presented will not be increased.

4.Offset Process Responsibilities.

a. The Director, Finance Initiatives Division (BCD), will receive the written request from the travel card contractor to collect the undisputed delinquent debt by offset from the employee's biweekly pay. The Relocation Management and Travel Policy Branch (BCDT) will review the written request and documentation and determine that charges are undisputed and owed by the GSA employee. BCDT will reconcile any discrepancies for amounts owed with the travel card contractor before any further steps are taken. After review is completed, BCDT will send documentation to support undisputed charges with the written request to Accounts Payable (6BCP).

b. Accounts Payable (6BCP) will review travel payment records and determine that all properly submitted travel expense vouchers have been paid to the employee. If the review shows that GSA has not reimbursed all payments, 6BCP will advise BCDT of the amounts and the expected date of payment to the employee. BCDT will notify the travel card contractor if any of these travel payments will delay the offset process. If all properly submitted travel expenses have been paid, 6BCP will forward all documentation to the National Payroll Center (NPC) to initiate the offset of biweekly pay.

c. The NPC will review the employee's payroll records and determine that the employee has the ability to pay the debt. If the employee does not have the ability to pay the debt, NPC will notify BCDT by E-mail and no further action will be taken by NPC. BCDT will notify the travel card contractor in writing that the employee cannot pay the debt by offset due to other debt collection with higher priority.

d. If the employee has the ability to pay the claim, the NPC will notify the employee of GSA's intention to collect the debt by offset, the amount of the biweekly deduction, and provide copies of the documentation to the employee of the undisputed amounts owed to the travel card contractor. This notice to offset will be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the home address contained in the employee master record. This notice will advise the employee that he/she will have 30 days from the date on the signed receipt requested to review the information and make a written agreement with the contractor to repay the debt.

e. The employee will provide a copy of the written agreement to the NPC. If the employee does not make an agreement with the travel card contractor to repay the debt after 30 days from the date the employee signed the return receipt requested, the NPC will advise the employee that biweekly deductions will begin the next available pay period. If the employee makes an agreement with the travel card contractor at a later date, the NPC will stop the offset after receipt of a written agreement between the employee and the travel card contractor.

5. Due process.

a. Notice to employee. When the GSA determines that collection can begin the employee must be notified and provided with the following due process protections. Notice will be mailed to the employee's home address, return receipt requested. The written notice must include the following:

The type and amount of the claim, identifying the card contractor and account number;

GSA's intention to collect the claim by deduction from the employee's disposable pay as described in Federal Travel Regulation, Part 301-54 and 301-76;

Copies of monthly account statements showing itemized charges that substantiate the undisputed debt owed;

An opportunity for a review within GSA of GSA's decision to collect the amounts; and

An opportunity to make a written agreement with the contractor to repay the delinquent amounts.

b. GSA's responsibilities. GSA is responsible for assuring that the employee has been afforded due process before any amounts are collected from the employee's disposable pay.

A review will be made to determine that the amounts requested represent undisputed delinquent debt owed by the employee on the contractor issued travel charge card.

The employee will be afforded 30 days from date the employee signed the return receipt requested as described in paragraph 4(d) to make a written agreement with the travel card contractor.

If the employee wants a review within the agency, the request must be in writing or by E-mail and collection cannot begin until the review has been completed.

A copy of the written agreement will be obtained by NPC from the employee. If no agreement has been reached collection may begin.

6. Collection by National Payroll Center. Once all due process requirements are satisfied NPC will proceed with collection. NPC will calculate the employee's disposable pay using the definition at FTR Part 301-76.2. The NPC will calculate the amounts that will be deducted and the number of pay periods over which collection will occur. Once all prerequisites are met, NPC will notify the employee and the travel card contractor that collection will begin the next pay period.

a. Maximum collection amount. No more than 15% of the employee's disposable pay per pay period will be collected under this procedure.

b. Priority of collection. The debt covered by this collection procedure is lower in priority to all other involuntary collection, garnishment, and offset actions, and will not be collected if higher priority debt would result in more than 15% of the employee's disposable pay for any given pay period from being collected.

c. Termination of collection. Collection under this section will be terminated when the full amount of debt is collected, or the employee enters into a written agreement with the travel card contractor to repay the travel card contractor, or when the employee separates from GSA.

7. Voluntary repayment. Nothing in this GSA order shall preclude a voluntary agreement between the employee and the travel card contractor for repayment. If a voluntary collection agreement is made, the parties must notify GSA in writing so that collection can be terminated. Voluntary repayment may be accomplished through a voluntary allotment of pay initiated by the employee, but will not be effected through this procedure.