---
type: "LegalText"
title: "28 U.S.C. § 3012"
description: "Joinder of additional defendant"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 28
title_name: "JUDICIARY AND JUDICIAL PROCEDURE"
chapter_number: "176"
chapter_name: "FEDERAL DEBT COLLECTION PROCEDURE"
section: "3012"
citation: "28 U.S.C. § 3012"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc28@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t28/s3012"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-28/usc28.xml"
source_hash: "cbdecd6ccb3526675b07aad959118aac81ccf258f411aa3f82492a278eaa8f17"
raw_snapshot_hash: "3390f867a2c02f5d0c496269da780795fe19663a090a3040c64a9ee0a541cdcf"
text_hash: "7b5e47a182795e5d0d6764bf3d4162991f719665440a1ba28e84029675e6718f"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 28 U.S.C. § 3012 - Joinder of additional defendant

## Text

The United States or the debtor may join as an additional defendant in an action or proceeding under this chapter any person reasonably believed to owe money (including money owed on account of a requirement to provide goods or services pursuant to a loan or loan guarantee extended under Federal law) to the debtor arising out of the transaction or occurrence giving rise to a debt.

(Added Pub. L. 101–647, title XXXVI, § 3611, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4938.)

## Notes

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateSection effective 180 days after Nov. 29, 1990, and applicable with respect to certain actions for debts owed the United States pending in court on that effective date, see section 3631 of Pub. L. 101–647, set out as a note under section 3001 of this title.