republic-os/legal/us/code/title-38/chapter-53/section-5314.md

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LegalText	38 U.S.C. § 5314	Indebtedness offsets	us	united_states_code	code_section	38	VETERANS’ BENEFITS	53	SPECIAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO BENEFITS	5314	38 U.S.C. § 5314	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc38@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t38/s5314	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-38/usc38.xml	b6ecafd9ef0dc06922936b90c569634d6135f7c2ccd2f63fddeca0fe02c11751	372998691b72ade88787dfa7633dbda4954bd1b037ec7926c5e06e9b1d17fc66	c1be3c0512a247c4a489049e48adf8f9460d95ea623f5d33c84e580ec866ca34	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

38 U.S.C. § 5314 - Indebtedness offsets

Text

(a) (1) Subject to subsections (b) and (d) of this section and section 3485(e) of this title, the Secretary shall (unless the Secretary waives recovery under section 5302 of this title) deduct the amount of the indebtedness of any person who has been determined to be indebted to the United States by virtue of such person’s participation in a benefits program administered by the Secretary from future payments made to such person under any law administered by the Secretary.

(2) The Secretary may not make a deduction under paragraph (1) while the existence or amount of such indebtedness is disputed under section 5314A of this title.

(b) Deductions may not be made under subsection (a) of this section with respect to the indebtedness of a person described in such subsection unless the Secretary—

(1) has made reasonable efforts to notify such person of such person’s right to dispute through prescribed administrative processes the existence or amount of such indebtedness and of such person’s right to request a waiver of such indebtedness under section 5302 of this title;

(2) has made a determination with respect to any such dispute or request or has determined that the time required to make such a determination before making deductions would jeopardize the Secretary’s ability to recover the full amount of such indebtedness through deductions from such payments; and

(3) has made reasonable efforts to notify such person about the proposed deductions from such payments.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title or of any other law, the authority of the Secretary to make deductions under this section or to take other administrative action authorized by law for the purpose of collecting an indebtedness described in subsection (a) of this section, or for the purpose of determining the creditworthiness of a person who owes such an indebtedness, shall not be subject to any limitation with respect to the time for bringing civil actions or for commencing administrative proceedings.

(d) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for the administration of this section.

(Added Pub. L. 96–466, title VI, § 605(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2209, § 3114; amended Pub. L. 102–16, § 6(b)(3), Mar. 22, 1991, 105 Stat. 51; renumbered § 5314 and amended Pub. L. 102–40, title IV, § 402(b)(1), (d)(1), May 7, 1991, 105 Stat. 238, 239; Pub. L. 102–83, §§ 4(a)(1), (b)(1), (2)(E), 5(c)(1), Aug. 6, 1991, 105 Stat. 403–406; Pub. L. 117–328, div. U, title II, § 255(a), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5464.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

Amendments2022—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–328 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). 1991—Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(b)(1), renumbered section 3114 of this title as this section. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–83, § 5(c)(1), substituted “3485(e)” for “1685(e)”. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places. Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(a)(1), substituted “administered by the Secretary” for “administered by the Veterans’ Administration” in two places. Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(d)(1), substituted “5302” for “3102”. Pub. L. 102–16 inserted “and section 1685(e) of this title” after “Subject to subsections (b) and (d) of this section”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator” in introductory provisions and “Secretary’s” for “Administrator’s” in par. (2). Pub. L. 102–40, § 402(d)(1), substituted “5302” for “3102” in par. (1). Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 102–83, § 4(b)(1), (2)(E), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DatePub. L. 96–466, title VIII, § 802(f), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2218, provided that: “(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by title VI [see Tables for classification] shall become effective on October 1, 1980. “(2) The amendments made by sections 603 [amending sections 1677 and 1798 [now 3698] of this title] and 604 [amending section 1786 [now 3686] of this title] shall not apply to any person receiving educational assistance under chapter 34 or 35 of title 38, United States Code, on September 1, 1980, for the pursuit of a program of education, as defined in section 1652(b) [now 3452(b)] of such title, in which such person is enrolled on that date, for as long as such person continuously thereafter is so enrolled and meets the requirements of eligibility for such assistance for the pursuit of such program under the provisions of such chapter and chapter 36 of such title as in effect on that date.”

Rules and RegulationsPub. L. 96–466, title VI, § 605(b), Oct. 17, 1980, 94 Stat. 2211, provided that: “The Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs [now Secretary of Veterans Affairs] shall, not later than January 1, 1981, prescribe the regulations required to be prescribed under sections 3114 and 3115 [now 5314 and 5315] of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a).”