Relief for payments made without negligence

31 U.S.C. § 3333

• Title: 31 — Money and Finance
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER II—PAYMENTS

Text

(a)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury is not liable for a payment made by the Secretary or depositary in due course and without negligence, of—
(A) a check, draft, or warrant drawn on the Treasury or the depositary;
(B) an electronic payment issued by the Treasury or the depositary; and
(C) a debt obligation guaranteed or assumed by the United States Government.
(2) The Comptroller General shall credit the accounts of the Treasury or the depositary for the payment.
(3) The amount of the relief and the amount of any relief granted to an official or agent of the Department of the Treasury under 31 U.S.C. 3527, shall be charged to the Check Forgery Insurance Fund (31 U.S.C. 3343). A recovery or repayment of a loss for which replacement is made out of the fund shall be credited to the fund and is available for the purposes for which the fund was established.
(b) This section does not relieve another individual from civil or criminal liability for a check, draft, warrant, or debt obligation of the Government.

History

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 956; Pub. L. 108–447, div. H, title II, §220(a), Dec. 8, 2004, 118 Stat. 3242; Pub. L. 110–161, div. D, title I, §119, Dec. 26, 2007, 121 Stat. 1979.)

Editorial Notes

In subsection (a)(1), before clause (A), the words "Secretary of the Treasury" are substituted for "Treasurer" before "is not liable" because of the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of the revised title. The word "depositary" is substituted for "upon the Treasurer of the United States through any Federal Reserve Bank" for consistency in the revised title. The words "Whenever . . . heretofore has been or hereafter" and "or on behalf of" are omitted as surplus. In clause (A), the word "Treasury" is substituted for "Treasurer of the United States" after "drawn upon the" because of the source provisions restated in section 321 of the revised title and Department of the Treasury Order 229 of January 14, 1974 (39 F.R. 2280). In clause (B), the words "public . . . of the United States, including any obligation of any type whatever, the payment of which is" are omitted as surplus.
In subsection (a)(2), the words "of the United States" are omitted as unnecessary. The words "of the Treasury or the depositary" are substituted for "Treasurer's" because of the restatement.
In subsection (b), the words "another individual" are substituted for "any person, other than the Treasurer of the United States" to eliminate unnecessary words. The words "now existing or which may hereafter exist" are omitted as unnecessary.

Editorial Notes

Amendments
2007—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 110–161 added par. (3) and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: "The amount of the relief shall be charged to the Check Forgery Insurance Fund (31 U.S.C. 3343). A recovery or repayment of a loss for which replacement is made out of the fund shall be credited to the fund and is available for the purposes for which the fund was established."
2004—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–447, §220(a)(1), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follow: "The Secretary of the Treasury is not liable for a payment made by the Secretary or depositary in due course and without negligence, of a—
"(A) check, draft, or warrant drawn on the Treasury or the depositary; and
"(B) debt obligation guaranteed or assumed by the United States Government."
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 108–447, §220(a)(2), added par. (3).