CHAPTER 2. DEFINITIONS

2.01 DEFINITIONS

This chapter provides a reference to some of the basic terminology found in this issuance

(1) Agency: Any department, office, commission, board, service, give or legislative branch of the Federal Government.

(2) Claims Collection Officer (CCO): The person designated by the Assistant Secretary for Finance and Information Resources Management to resolve uncollectible claims under the Federal Claims Collection Act (FCCA) and other debt-related VA statutes.

(3) Compromise: A decision by the Government to accept less than the full amount of the established debt owed as full payment.

(4) Debt/Claim/Bill: Any debt owed to the Department in the form of money, property, or service.

(5) Debtor: Anyone who owes a debt to the Department. This includes individuals, corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, estates, trusts, other Government Agencies, and other legal entities against which the Department has a claim.

(6) Offset: The collection of a debt, in part or full, from monies a debtor is currently receiving or may receive in the future from the Government.

(7) Suspension: A decision by the Government to temporarily stop collection activity until some future predetermined time(s) when collection activity will be resumed.

(8) Termination: A decision by the Government that further collection activity will be fruitless or not cost effective and all collection activity is stopped.

(9) Litigation: Referral of a debtor to the Department of Justice or District Counsels for appropriate legal proceedings to recover a debt owed to the Department.