§ 3721. Claims of personnel of agencies and the District of Columbia government for personal property damage or loss

2,080 words·~9 min read·/usc/title-31/section-3721

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(a)In this section—

(1)“agency” does not include a nonappropriated fund activity or a contractor with the United States Government.

(2)“head of an agency” means—

(A)for a military department, the Secretary of the military department;

(B)for the Department of Defense (except the military departments), the Secretary of Defense; and

(C)for another agency, the head of the agency.

(3)“settle” means consider, determine, adjust, and dispose of a claim by disallowance or by complete or partial allowance.

(1)The head of an agency may settle and pay not more than $40,000 for a claim against the Government made by a member of the uniformed services under the jurisdiction of the agency or by an officer or employee of the agency for damage to, or loss of, personal property incident to service. If, however, the claim arose from an emergency evacuation or from extraordinary circumstances, the amount settled and paid under the authority of the preceding sentence may exceed $40,000, but may not exceed $100,000. A claim allowed under this subsection may be paid in money or the personal property replaced in kind.

(2)The Secretary of State may waive the settlement and payment limitation referred to in paragraph

(1)for claims for damage or loss by United States Government personnel under the jurisdiction of a chief of mission in a foreign country if such claims arise in circumstances where there is in effect a departure from the country authorized or ordered under circumstances described in section 5522(a) of title 5, if the Secretary determines that there exists exceptional circumstances that warrant such a waiver.

(c)On paying a claim under this section, the Government is subrogated for the amount of the payment to a right or claim that the claimant may have against a foreign country for the damage or loss for which the Government made the payment.

(d)The Mayor of the District of Columbia may settle and pay a claim against the District of Columbia government made by an officer or employee of the District of Columbia government to the same extent the head of an agency may settle and pay a claim under this section.

(e)A claim may not be allowed under this section if the personal property damage or loss occurred at quarters occupied by the claimant in a State or the District of Columbia that were not assigned or provided in kind by the United States Government or the District of Columbia government.

(f)A claim may be allowed under this section only if—

(1)the claim is substantiated;

(2)the head of the agency decides that possession of the property was reasonable or useful under the circumstances; and

(3)no part of the loss was caused by any negligent or wrongful act of the claimant or an agent or employee of the claimant.

(g)A claim may be allowed under this section only if it is presented in writing within 2 years after the claim accrues. However, if a claim under subsection

(b)of this section accrues during war or an armed conflict in which an armed force of the United States is involved, or has accrued within 2 years before war or an armed conflict begins, and for cause shown, the claim must be presented within 2 years after the cause no longer exists or after the war or armed conflict ends, whichever is earlier. An armed conflict begins and ends as stated in a concurrent resolution of Congress or a decision of the President.

(h)The head of the agency—

(1)may settle and pay a claim made by the surviving spouse, child, parent, or brother or sister of a dead member, officer, or employee if the claim is otherwise payable under this section; and

(2)may settle and pay the claims by the survivors only in the following order:

(A)the spouse’s claim.

(B)a child’s claim.

(C)a parent’s claim.

(D)a brother’s or sister’s claim.

(i)Notwithstanding a contract, the representative of a claimant may not receive more than 10 percent of a payment of a claim made under this section for services related to the claim. A person violating this subsection shall be fined not more than $1,000.

(j)The President may prescribe policies to carry out this section (except subsection

(b)to the extent that subsection

(b)applies to the military departments, the Department of Defense, and the Coast Guard). Subject to those policies, the head of each agency shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.

(k)Settlement of a claim under this section is final and conclusive.

(Pub. L. 97–258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 973; Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(17), Jan. 12, 1983, 96 Stat. 2474; Pub. L. 100–565, § 1, Oct. 31, 1988, 102 Stat. 2833; Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 172(a), Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 412; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1088(a), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 458.)

In the section, the words “or his designee” are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsections

(b)and (c), the word “civilian” is omitted as surplus.

In subsection (b), the words “arising after August 31, 1964” and “arising after October 18, 1974” and 31:241(a)(1)(last sentence) and (b)(1)(last sentence) are omitted as executed.

In subsection (c)(1)(B), the words “mob violence, terrorist attacks, or other” are omitted as surplus. The word “members” is added for consistency.

In subsection (c)(2), the words “in which that damage or loss occurred” are omitted as surplus.

In subsection (c)(3), the text of section 2(last sentence) of the Act of December 12, 1980 (Pub. L. 96–519, 94 Stat. 3032) is omitted as obsolete.

Subsection

(d)is substituted for 31:241(f) because of the restatement.

In subsection (e), the words “assigned to him or otherwise” in 31:241(c)(2) are omitted as surplus. The words “or the District of Columbia government” are added because of the restatement.

In subsection (f), the words “the head of the agency decides” are substituted for “determined to be” in 31:241(b)(1) for clarity.

In subsection (g), the text of 31:243a(c)(words after 1st comma) are omitted as executed. The words “in writing” and “of the United States” in 31:241(c)(1) are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsection (h)(1), the words “the surviving . . . of a dead member, officer, or employee” are substituted for “If a person named in this subsection is dead” and “the decedent’s surviving” in 31:241(a)(3) and (b)(2) and “if such person is deceased” and “the decedent’s surviving” in 31:243a(b) to omit surplus words. The words “that arose before, concurrently with, or after the decedent’s death” in 31:241(a)(3) and (b)(2) and 31:243a(b) are omitted as surplus. The words “child, parent, or brother or sister” are substituted for “(2) children,

(3)father or mother, or both, or

(4)brothers or sisters, or both” to eliminate surplus words and because of 1:1. The words “otherwise payable” are substituted for “otherwise covered” for clarity.

Subsection (h)(2) is substituted for “Claims of survivors shall be settled and paid in the order named” in 31:241(a)(3) and (b)(2) and “Claims of survivors shall be settled and paid in the order set forth in the preceding sentence” in 31:243a(b) for clarity.

In subsection (i), the words “to the contrary” are omitted as surplus. The words “representative of a claimant” are substituted for “agent or attorney” for clarity and consistency. The words “be paid or delivered to or” are omitted as surplus. The word “payment” is substituted for “amount paid in settlement” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “individual . . . submitted and settled . . . the authority of” are omitted as surplus. The words “and the same shall be unlawful” are omitted because of the restatement. The words “shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof . . . in any sum” are omitted as surplus.

In subsection (j), the words “the purposes of” in 31:241(b)(1)(1st sentence words before 5th comma) are omitted as surplus. The words “(except subsection

(b)to the extent that subsection

(b)applies to the military departments, the Department of Defense, and the Coast Guard)” are substituted for the source provisions because of the restatement. The words “to carry out this section” after “regulations” are added for clarity.

In subsection (k), the words “Notwithstanding any other provision of law” are omitted as unnecessary.

Connections179 cite this · traces to 3

Cited by 179 sections · top 60

statutes-at-large

U.S. Code

CFR

IRM

IRM 39.3.1
Claims, Suits, and Related Matters

Traces to 3 documents

U.S. Code

24 references not yet in our index

Pub. L. 97–258
96 Stat. 973
Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(17)
96 Stat. 2474
Pub. L. 100–565, § 1
102 Stat. 2833
Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 172(a)
108 Stat. 412
Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1088(a)
110 Stat. 458
Pub. L. 96–519
94 Stat. 3032
Pub. L. 104–106
Pub. L. 103–236
Pub. L. 100–565, § 1(1)
Pub. L. 100–565, § 1(2)
Pub. L. 97–452
Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1088(b)
110 Stat. 459
Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 172(b)
Pub. L. 100–565, § 2
Pub. L. 97–452, § 2(g)
96 Stat. 2479
Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, § 1088(c)

Citation graph

cites case law

§ 3721

Claims of personnel of agencies and the District of Columbia government for personal property damage or loss

Fed. Reg.×122

Stat.×24

C.F.R.×18

U.S.C.×13

IRM×1

Stat. Comp.×1

U.S.C.§ 5522

U.S.C.§ 542

U.S.C.§ 3721

Pub. L.Pub. L. 97–258

Stat.96 Stat. 973

Pub. L.Pub. L. 97–452, § 1(17)

Stat.96 Stat. 2474

Pub. L.Pub. L. 100–565, § 1

Cites 27 · showing 8Cited by 179 across 6 sources