(a) The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is issuing the regulation the regulations in this part pursuant to 31 CFR 900-904 and under the authority contained in 31 U.S.C. 3711(d)(2). The regulations in this part prescribe the standards that NEH will use in the administrative collection, offset, compromise, suspension, and termination of collection activity for civil claims for money, funds, or property, as defined by 31 U.S.C. 3701(b), unless specific Federal agency statues or regulations apply to such activities or, as provided for by Title 11 of the United States Code, when the claims involve bankruptcy. Federal agencies include agencies of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Government, including Government corporations. The regulations in this part also prescribe standards for referring debts to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for litigation. Additional guidance is contained in the Office of Management and Budget's circular A-129 (Revised), “Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax Receivables,” the Department of the Treasury's (Treasury) “Managing Federal Receivables,” and other publications concerning debt collection and debt management. These publications are available from the Debt Management Services, Financial Management Service, Department of the Treasury, 401 14th Street SW, Room 151, Washington, DC 20227.

(b) Additional rules governing centralized administrative offset and the transfer of delinquent debts to Treasury or Treasury-designated debt collection centers for collection (cross-servicing) under the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, Public Law 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321, 1358 (April 26, 1996) (DCIA), are issued in separate regulations by Treasury. Rules governing the use of certain debt collection tools created under the DCIA, such as administrative wage garnishment, also are issued in separate regulations by Treasury. See generally 31 CFR 285.

(c) NEH is not limited to the remedies contained in this part and may use all authorized remedies, including alternative dispute resolution and arbitration, to collect civil claims, to the extent that such remedies are not inconsistent with the Federal Claims Collection Act, as amended, Public Law 89-508, 80 Stat. 308 (July 19, 1966), the Debt Collection Act of 1982, Public Law 97-365, 96 Stat. 1749 (October 25, 1982), the DCIA, or other relevant statutes. The regulations in this part are not intended to impair NEH's common law rights to collect debts.

(d) Standards and policies regarding the classification of debt for accounting purposes (for example, write off of uncollectible debt) are contained in the Office of Management and Budget's Circular A-129 (Revised), “Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax Receivables.”