A bill to amend section 3718 of title 31, United States Code, to authorized contracts retaining private counsel to furnish legal services in the case of indebtedness owed the United States.

Summary

Authorizes the Attorney General to make contracts retaining private counsel to furnish legal services in the case of any claim of indebtedness owed the United States. Requires the Attorney General, in making such a contract in any judicial district, to make his best efforts to retain more than one private counsel from among attorneys regularly engaged in private practice in such district. Prohibits the legal fee payable for such services from exceeding the fee typically charged in the area for the collection of claims of indebtednesss. Requires the Attorney General to enter into contracts with law firms owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. Permits the head of an executive or legislative agency, subject to the approval of the Attorney General, to refer to a private counsel any claims of indebtedness owed the United States arising out of such agency's activities. Declares that, for the purposes of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, a private counsel performing collection services under this Act shall be considered a debt collector. Requires the Attorney General to transmit to the Congress an annual report on the activities of the Department of Justice to recover indebtedness owed the United States. Requires the Attorney General, within 180 days after the enactment of this Act, to transmit to the Congress a report on the actions taken under this Act. Requires the Attorney General to carry out this Act through a pilot program in at least five and not more than ten judicial districts. Requires the Attorney General to issue regulations to carry out this Act and to submit such regulations to the Congress at least 60 days before they become effective. Declares this Act to be effective for a period of three years, beginning on the date on which the regulations become effective.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

3 official files

• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 29 September 1986

  Open at official source

• Reported to House with amendment(s)

  summary · EN · 27 September 1986

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 17 September 1986

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.