# 12 CFR § 1208.1: Authority and scope

> Federal · Regulations · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.1

## Section

- **Citation:** 12 CFR § 1208.1
- **Heading:** Authority and scope
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Regulations
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** September 22, 2026
- **Source:** Publisher's official text
- **Location:** Title 12—Banks and Banking > CHAPTER XII—FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY > SUBCHAPTER A—ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS > PART 1208—DEBT COLLECTION > Subpart A—General

## Text

(a) Authority. FHFA issues this part 1208 under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 5514 and 31 U.S.C. 3701-3720D, and in conformity with the Federal Claims Collection Standards (FCCS) at 31 CFR chapter IX; the regulations on salary offset issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at 5 CFR part 550, subpart K; the regulations on tax refund offset issued by the United States Department of the Treasury (Treasury) at 31 CFR 285.2; and the regulations on administrative wage garnishment issued by Treasury at 31 CFR 285.11.
(b) Scope—(1) This part applies to debts that are owed to the Federal Government by Federal employees; other persons, organizations, or entities that are indebted to FHFA; and by Federal employees of FHFA who are indebted to other agencies, except for those debts listed in paragraph (b)(2) of this section.
(2) Subparts B and C of this part 1208 do not apply to—
(i) Debts or claims arising under the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.) or the tariff laws of the United States;
(ii) Any case to which the Contract Disputes Act (41 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) applies;
(iii) Any case where collection of a debt is explicitly provided for or provided by another statute, e.g. travel advances under 5 U.S.C. 5705 and employee training expenses under 5 U.S.C. 4108, or, as provided for by title 11 of the United States Code, when the claims involve bankruptcy;
(iv) Any debt based in whole or in part on conduct in violation of the antitrust laws or involving fraud, the presentation of a false claim, or misrepresentation on the part of the debtor or any party having an interest in the claim, unless the Department of Justice authorizes FHFA to handle the collection; or
(v) Claims between agencies.
(3) Nothing in this part precludes the compromise, suspension, or termination of collection actions, where appropriate, under standards implementing the Debt Collection Improvement Act (DCIA) (31 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), the FCCS (31 CFR chapter IX) or the use of alternative dispute resolution methods if they are not inconsistent with applicable law and regulations.
(4) Nothing in this part precludes an employee from requesting waiver of an erroneous payment under 5 U.S.C. 5584, 10 U.S.C. 2774, or 32 U.S.C. 716, or from questioning the amount or validity of a debt, in the manner set forth in this part.

## Nearby sections

- [12 CFR § 1208.1 § 1208.1 Authority and scope.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.1.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.2 § 1208.2 Definitions.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.2.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.3 § 1208.3 Referrals to the Department of the Treasury, collection services, and use of credit bureaus.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.3.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.4 § 1208.4 Reporting delinquent debts to credit bureaus.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.4.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.20 § 1208.20 Authority and scope.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.20.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.21 § 1208.21 Notice requirements before salary offset where FHFA is the creditor agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.21.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.22 § 1208.22 Review of FHFA records related to the debt.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.22.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.23 § 1208.23 Opportunity for a hearing where FHFA is the creditor agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.23.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.24 § 1208.24 Certification where FHFA is the creditor agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.24.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.25 § 1208.25 Voluntary repayment agreements as alternative to salary offset where FHFA is the creditor agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.25.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.26 § 1208.26 Special review where FHFA is the creditor agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.26.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.27 § 1208.27 Notice of salary offset where FHFA is the paying agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.27.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.28 § 1208.28 Procedures for salary offset where FHFA is the paying agency.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.28.md)
- [12 CFR § 1208.29 § 1208.29 Coordinating salary offset with other agencies.](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.29.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/ecfr-12-1208.1. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.