republic-os/legal/us/code/title-31/chapter-33/section-3331.md

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LegalText	31 U.S.C. § 3331	Substitute checks	us	united_states_code	code_section	31	MONEY AND FINANCE	33	DEPOSITING, KEEPING, AND PAYING MONEY	3331	31 U.S.C. § 3331	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc31@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t31/s3331	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-31/usc31.xml	a5afde6499a1b72f4c584b2c94fbe96fca69aa84f2fc8fad1c610c4b92eb0056	94d3fba324cbbc12277242f872f8f47cff5250dbcdc0057fe857212764e4b704	3925667e26c7b4dd407211370a061ae67d61cfa103bc9d97b477561f2400b431	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

31 U.S.C. § 3331 - Substitute checks

Text

(a) In this section, “original check”—

(1) means an order for the payment of money—

(A) payable on demand;

(B) that does not bear interest;

(C) drawn by an authorized disbursing official or agent of the United States Government; and

(D) the amount of which is deposited with the Treasury or another account available for payment; and

(2) does not include coins and currency of the Government.

(b) When the Secretary of the Treasury is satisfied that an original check is lost, stolen, destroyed in any part, or is so defaced that the value to the owner or holder is impaired, the Secretary may issue a substitute check to the owner or holder of the original check. Except as provided in subsection (c) or (f) of this section, the substitute check is payable from the amount available to pay the original check.

(c) When the Secretary is satisfied that an original check drawn on a depositary in a foreign country or a territory or possession of the United States is lost, stolen, destroyed in part, or is so defaced that its value to the owner or holder is impaired, the drawer of the original check (or another official designated by the Secretary with the approval of the head of the agency on whose behalf the original check was issued) may issue to the owner or holder of the check a substitute check. The drawer or official shall issue the substitute check by the last day of the fiscal year after the fiscal year in which the original check was issued—

(1) using the current date; and

(2) drawn on the account of the drawer of the original check or another account available for payment of the substitute.

(d) A substitute check issued under this section—

(1) may be paid only if the original check has not been paid;

(2) shall include information necessary to identify the original check;

(3) that is drawn on the Treasury—

(A) is deemed to be an original check; and

(B) is paid under the same conditions as the original check; and

(4) does not relieve a disbursing or certifying official from liability to the Government for payment resulting from erroneously issuing the original check.

(e) Before issuing a substitute check under this section, the Secretary may require the owner or holder of the original check to agree to indemnify the Government with security in the form and amount the Secretary decides is necessary.

(f) The Secretary may waive any provision of this section as may be necessary to ensure that claimants receive timely payments.

(g) Under conditions the Secretary may prescribe, the Secretary may delegate duties and powers of the Secretary under this section to the head of an agency. Consistent with a delegation from the Secretary under this subsection, the head of an agency may delegate those duties and powers to an officer or employee of the agency.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 955; Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(11), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2468; Pub. L. 104–134, title III, § 31001(x)(2), Apr. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 1321–377.)

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes 1982 Act Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 3331(a)31:528(g).R.S. § 3646(a)–(c), (f), (g); Feb. 16, 1885, ch. 123, 23 Stat. 306; Mar. 23, 1906, ch. 1129, 34 Stat. 84; June 19, 1906, ch. 3434, 34 Stat. 301; May 27, 1908, ch. 206(par. beginning on p. 415 amending §§ 3646, 3647), 35 Stat. 415; Feb. 23, 1909, ch. 174, 35 Stat. 643; Mar. 21, 1916, ch. 52, 39 Stat. 37; July 8, 1937, ch. 444, § 9, 50 Stat. 482; Aug. 10, 1939, ch. 665, §§ 5–7, 53 Stat. 1359; restated Dec. 3, 1945, ch. 515, § 1, 59 Stat. 592; July 11, 1947, ch. 222, § 4(c), (d)(related to § 3646(c)), (e), (f), 61 Stat. 309; Aug. 28, 1957, Pub. L. 85–183, §§ 4, 5(a), (c), 71 Stat. 465; June 6, 1972, Pub. L. 92–310, § 231(s), 86 Stat. 211; Sept. 22, 1978, Pub. L. 95–380, 92 Stat. 725. 3331(b)31:528(a)(less last 28 words before proviso, proviso). 3331(c)31:528(c)(1st sentence 1st–158th words, 171st–195th words). 3331(d)31:528(a)(last 28 words before proviso, proviso), (c)(1st sentence 159th–170th words, 237th–last words, last sentence), (f). 3331(e)31:528(b), (c)(1st sentence 196th–236th words). In subsection (a), before clause (1), the words “The term . . . wherever used” are omitted as unnecessary. In clause (1), before subclause (A), the words “check, warrant, or other” are omitted as surplus. In subclause (C), the word “duly” is omitted as surplus. The words “disbursing official or agent” are substituted for “officer or agent” for consistency in the revised title. The words “any wholly owned or mixed-ownership Government corporation” are omitted as already being included in the restated source provisions and because of section 101 of the revised title. Therefore, the text is not meant to exclude employees of wholly owned Government corporations and mixed-ownership Government corporations. The words “the District of Columbia, or the District Unemployment Compensation Board” are omitted because of section 448 of the Act of December 24, 1973 (Pub. L. 93–198, 87 Stat. 801). The words “or by any entity owned or controlled by the United States” are omitted as unnecessary. In subclause (D), the words “and covered . . . or deposited with the Treasurer of the United States” are omitted as surplus. The words “or another account available for payment” are added for clarity and consistency in the revised section. In clause (2), the word “money” is omitted as being covered by “coins and currency”. In subsections (b) and (c), the words “When the Secretary is satisfied” are substituted for “whenever it is clearly proved to the satisfaction of the Secretary” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “mutilated or” are omitted as being covered by “defaced”. In subsection (c), before clause (1), the words “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section” are omitted as unnecessary. The words “including the Panama Canal Zone” are omitted because of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977. The words “official designated” are substituted for “officer or employee of the United States as may be authorized” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The word “agency” is substituted for “department or agency” because of section 101 of the revised title and for consistency. In clause (2), the words “drawn on” are substituted for “drawn against” for consistency in the revised chapter. In subsection (d)(3), before subclause (A), the word “Treasury” is substituted for “Treasurer of the United States” 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 subsection (d)(4), the word “official” is substituted for “officer” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. In subsection (e), the words “surety or” are omitted as surplus. The words “the receipt and approval by the Secretary of the Treasury of” are omitted because of the restatement.

1983 ActThis restates, as 31:3331(f), section 3646(h) of the Revised Statutes that was inadvertently omitted from the codification of title 31 by the Act of Sept. 13, 1982 (Pub. L. 97–258, 96 Stat. 1084). It provides authority for the Secretary of the Treasury to delegate duties and powers related to issuing substitute checks to heads of other agencies. The words “terms and” are omitted as surplus. The words “duties and powers” are substituted for “power, authority, or discretion” for consistency in the revised title and with other titles of the United States Code. The words “in whole or in part” are omitted as surplus. The words “to such individuals as he may designate within the Treasury Department” are omitted because of 31:321(b)(2). The word “agency” is coextensive with and substituted for “other department or agency of the Government or of any Federal Reserve bank” because of 31:101. The words “terms and conditions” are omitted as surplus.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1996—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 104–134, § 31001(x)(2)(A), substituted “subsection (c) or (f)” for “subsection (c)”. Subsecs. (f), (g). Pub. L. 104–134, § 31001(x)(2)(B), (C), added subsec. (f) and redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g). 1983—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 97–452 added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1983 AmendmentPub. L. 97–452, § 2(i), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2479, provided that: “The amendments made by section 1(11), (14), (19), (22), (24), (26), and (27) [amending this section and sections 3702, 5103, 5154, 6501, 9101, 9107, and 9108 of this title] are effective as of September 13, 1982.”