The Secretary of the Navy may have remitted or cancelled any part of the indebtedness of a person to the United States or any instrumentality of the United States incurred while the person was serving as a member of the naval service, whether as a regular or a reserve in active status, but only if the Secretary considers such action to be in the best interest of the United States.
The authority in subsection (a) may be exercised with respect to any debt covered by that subsection that is incurred on or after October 7, 2001.
This section shall be administered under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.
(Added Pub. L. 86–511, § 1(a), June 11, 1960, 74 Stat. 207, § 6161; amended Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title VI, § 683(b)(1), Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3322; Pub. L. 109–364, div. A, title VI, § 673(b)(1), (2), (e)(2), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2271, 2272; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title X, § 1063(c)(7)(B), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 323; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VI, § 671(b)(2), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2173; renumbered § 8271, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(b)(10), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1835.)