Civil action to recover money

31 U.S.C. § 3545

• Title: 31 — Money and Finance
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER IV—COLLECTION

Text

The Attorney General shall bring a civil action to recover an amount due to the United States Government on settlement of the account of a person accountable for public money when the person neglects or refuses to pay the amount to the Treasury. Any commission of that person and interest of 6 percent a year from the time the money is received by the person until repaid to the Treasury shall be added to the amount due on the account. The commission is forfeited when judgment is obtained.

History

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 969.)

Editorial Notes

The functions of the First Comptroller of the Treasury, referred to in Revised Statutes section 3624, were as a matter of law vested in the Solicitor of the Treasury by Revised Statutes sections 377 and 379 (based on the Act of May 28, 1830, ch. 153, 45 Stat. 414). This function is now vested in the Attorney General. See 28:507 as enacted in 1948 and revision notes thereto and existing 28:519, 547, and 509. The words "bring a civil action" are substituted for "institute suit" for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The word "amount" is substituted for "sum or balance" to eliminate unnecessary words. The words "reported to be" are omitted as surplus. The word "settlement" is substituted for "adjustment" for consistency. The words "by the person" are added for clarity. The words "stated to be", "in every instance where suit is commenced and . . . thereon", and "it shall be" are omitted as surplus.