31 U.S.C. § 3333 Relief For Payments Made Without Negligence

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(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.

Cite as 31 U.S.C. § 3333

Source: 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.

Notes from the Office of Law Revision Counsel

current through 8/1/2023

<TABLE> <TR><TD colspan="3">HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>Revised Section</TD> <TD>Source (U.S. Code)</TD> <TD>Source (Statutes at Large)</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>3333(a)</TD> <TD>31:156(less proviso).</TD> <TD>Aug. 4, 1947, ch. 455, §3, 61 Stat. 730.</TD> </TR> <TR> <TD>3333(b)</TD> <TD>31:156(proviso).</TD> <TD/> </TR> </TABLE>

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.