210.6—Agencies.

Notwithstanding ACH Rules 2.2.3, 2.4.5, 2.5.2, 4.2, and 8.7.2, agencies shall be subject to the obligations and liabilities set forth in this section in connection with Government entries.

(a) Receiving entries. An agency may receive ACH debit or credit entries only with the prior written authorization of the Service.

(b) Liability to a recipient. An agency will be liable to the recipient for any loss sustained by the recipient as a result of the agency's failure to originate a credit or debit entry in accordance with this part. The agency's liability shall be limited to the amount of the entry(ies).

(c) Liability to an originator. An agency will be liable to an originator or an ODFI for any loss sustained by the originator or ODFI as a result of the agency's failure to credit an ACH entry to the agency's account in accordance with this part. The agency's liability shall be limited to the amount of the entry(ies).

(d) Liability to an RDFI or ACH association. Except as otherwise provided in this part, an agency will be liable to an RDFI for losses sustained in processing duplicate or erroneous credit and debit entries originated by the agency. An agency's liability shall be limited to the amount of the entry(ies), and shall be reduced by the amount of the loss resulting from the failure of the RDFI to exercise due diligence and follow standard commercial practices in processing the entry(ies). This section does not apply to credits received by an RDFI after the death or legal incapacity of a recipient of benefit payments or the death of a beneficiary as governed by subpart B of this part. An agency shall not be liable to any ACH association.

(e) Acquittance of the agency. The final crediting of the amount of an entry to a recipient's account shall constitute full acquittance of the Federal Government.

(f) Reversals. An agency may reverse any duplicate or erroneous entry, and the Federal Government may reverse any duplicate or erroneous file. In initiating a reversal, an agency shall certify to the Service that the reversal complies with applicable law related to the recovery of the underlying payment. An agency that reverses an entry shall indemnify the RDFI as provided in the applicable ACH Rules, but the agency's liability shall be limited to the amount of the entry. If the Federal Government reverses a file, the Federal Government shall indemnify the RDFI as provided in the applicable ACH Rules, but the extent of such liability shall be limited to the amount of the entries comprising the duplicate or erroneous file. Reversals under this section shall comply with the time limitations set forth in the applicable ACH Rules.

(g) Point-of-purchase debit entries. An agency may originate a Point-of-Purchase (POP) entry using a check drawn on a consumer or business account and presented at a point-of-purchase unless the Receiver opts out in accordance with the ACH Rules. The requirements of ACH Rules 2.1.2 and 3.12 shall be met for such an entry if the Receiver presents the check at a location where the agency has posted the notice required by the ACH Rules and has provided the Receiver with a copy of the notice.

(h) Returned item service fee. An agency that has authority to collect returned item service fees may do so by originating an ACH debit entry to collect a one-time service fee in connection with an ARC, POP or BOC entry that is returned due to insufficient funds. An entry originated pursuant to this paragraph shall meet the requirements of ACH Rules 2.1.2 and 3.5 if the agency includes the following statement in the required notice(s) to the Receiver: “If the electronic fund transfer cannot be completed because there are insufficient funds in your account, we may impose a one-time fee of $ [____] against your account, which we will also collect by electronic fund transfer.”

Code of Federal Regulations

[64 FR 17487, Apr. 9, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 17903, Apr. 11, 2002; 69 FR 13189, Mar. 19, 2004; 70 FR 67367, Nov. 7, 2005; 73 FR 52584, Sept. 10, 2008]

CFR

210.6—Agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations