The head of the agency concerned or his designee may make any determination necessary to administer this subchapter, and when so made it is conclusive as to—

(1) death or finding of death;

(2) the fact of dependency under this subchapter;

(3) any other status covered by this subchapter;

(4) an essential date, including one on which evidence or information is received by the head of the agency concerned; and

(5) whether information received concerning an employee is to be construed and acted on as an official report of death.

When the head of the agency concerned receives information that he considers to conclusively establish the death of an employee, he shall take action thereon as an official report of death, notwithstanding an earlier action relating to death or other status of the employee. After the end of 12 months in a missing status prescribed by section 5565 of this title, the head of the agency concerned or his designee shall make a finding of death when he considers that the information received, or a lapse of time without information, establishes a reasonable presumption that an employee in a missing status is dead.

The head of the agency concerned or his designee may determine the entitlement of an employee to pay and allowances under this subchapter, including credits and charges in his account, and that determination is conclusive. An account may not be charged or debited with an amount that an employee captured, beleaguered, or besieged by a hostile force may receive or be entitled to receive from, or have placed to his credit by, the hostile force as pay, allowances, or other compensation.

When circumstances warrant the reconsideration of a determination made under this subchapter, the head of the agency concerned or his designee may change or modify it.

When the account of an employee has been charged or debited with an allotment paid under this subchapter, the amount so charged or debited shall be recredited to the account of the employee if the head of the agency concerned or his designee determines that the payment was induced by fraud or misrepresentation to which the employee was not a party.

Except an allotment for an unearned insurance premium, an allotment paid from the pay and allowances of an employee for the period he is in a missing status may not be collected from the allottee as an overpayment when payment was caused by delay in receiving evidence of death. An allotment paid for a period after the end, under this subchapter or otherwise, of entitlement to pay and allowances may not be collected from the allottee or charged against the pay of a deceased employee when payment was caused by delay in receiving evidence of death.

The head of the agency concerned or his designee may waive the recovery of an erroneous payment or overpayment of an allotment to a dependent if he considers recovery is against equity and good conscience.

For the purpose of determining status under this section, a dependent of an employee in active service is deemed an employee. A determination under this section made by the head of the agency concerned or his designee is conclusive on all other agencies of the United States. This section does not entitle a dependent to pay, allowances, or other compensation to which he is not otherwise entitled.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 493.)