To request a hearing, the debtor must file, within 15 days of receiving the Commission's notice of intent to offset, a written petition signed by the debtor and addressed to the Commission stating why the debtor believes the Commission's determination of the existence or amount of the debt is in error. The Commission may waive the 15-day time limit for filing a request for hearing if the employee shows that the delay was due to circumstances beyond his or her control or because the employee did not receive notice of the 15-day time limit. A debtor who has previously obtained a hearing to contest a debt that arose from a notice of violation or proposed civil fine assessment matters under 25 CFR parts 580 through 585 may not re-litigate matters that were at issue in that hearing.

Regardless of whether the debtor is a Commission employee, the Commission will provide a prompt and appropriate hearing before a hearing official who is not from the Commission.

The hearing will be conducted according to the FCCS review requirements at 31 CFR 901.3(e).

Unless the employee requests, and a hearing official grants, a delay in proceedings, within 60 days after the petition for hearing the hearing official will issue a written decision on:

The determination of the creditor agency concerning the existence or amount of the debt; and

The repayment schedule, if a schedule was not established by written agreement between the employee and the creditor agency.

If the hearing official determines that a debt may not be collected by salary offset but the Commission has determined that the debt is valid, the Commission may seek collection of the debt through other means in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

The form of hearings, written responses, and final decisions will be according to the Commission's review requirements at § 513.7. Written decisions regarding salary offset that are provided after a request for hearing must state: The facts purported to evidence the nature and origin of the alleged debt; the hearing official's analysis, findings, and conclusions as to the employee's or creditor agency's grounds; the amount and validity of the alleged debt; and, where applicable, the repayment schedule.