NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 9610.1B Effective Date: August 08, 2022 Expiration Date: August 08, 2027

Subject: Accounts Receivable and Debt Administration

Responsible Office: Office of the Chief Financial Officer

Chapter 4. Collections

4.1 Accounting for Collections

4.1.1 Overview. This chapter establishes requirements for collections received on behalf of NASA.

4.1.2 Public Debt Collections. When NASA receives public money from any source, NASA will deposit these funds into an account of the U.S. Treasury, unless otherwise specifically authorized by law, using one of the several methods established or approved by the Department of Treasury.

4.1.2.1 The Agency OCFO shall guide and coordinate the implementation and utilization of the most modern available deposit mechanisms offered by Treasury to ensure that NASA uses secure and effective deposit practices for the deposit of money in the custody of NASA employees and agents. The NSSC will coordinate with the Agency, Deputy Chief Financial Officer for Finance (DCFO (F)) before changing or implementing new deposit mechanisms or practices.

4.1.2.2 EFT. To the extent possible, NSSC will use the electronic options available through Treasury BFS. EFT will be used for deposits. In most cases, commercial banking institutions are approved by Treasury as general depositories to accept NASA deposits. If, for some reason, Treasury BFS determines NASA should make a deposit in a Federal Reserve Bank (FRB), BFS will authorize NASA to make deposits at the nearest FRB. Collectively, the commercial banks and FRBs are referred to as depositories. As such, making a deposit in a pre-approved depository is considered to be making a deposit in the Treasury. NSSC shall coordinate any prospective changes in depositories with the Agency DCFO (F).

4.1.3 Intragovernmental Debt Collection. NASA delinquent debt collections are processed through the Treasury IPAC system to the appropriate Agency Location Code (ALC). Collections will be promptly recorded in NASA’s core financial system and subsequently reconciled. Upon receipt of reports from Treasury, collections should be accounted for in the following manner:

a. Principal should be credited to the appropriate accounts receivable general ledger account.

b. Penalty charges should be credited to Penalties and Fines Receivable, Not Otherwise Classified Fund.

c. Administrative charges should be credited to Administrative Fees Receivable, Not Otherwise Classified.

4.2 Treasury Designated General Depositories

4.2.1 Financial Institutions (FIs). The Treasury BFS determines those FIs eligible to be designated as general depositories. These may include credit unions, banks, savings banks, savings and loan, building and loan, and homestead associations if they meet criteria established by the Treasury. Except when specifically directed by Treasury BFS, NASA cannot make deposits at a FRB.

4.2.2 The General Lockbox Network (GLN). With the approval of Agency OCFO or DCFO (F) and Treasury BFS, NSSC shall enter into agreements with commercial depositories to perform lockbox remittance services. This permits commercial depositories to act as agents for NASA’s deposit activities.

4.3 Processing Checks Received

4.3.1 NASA will only accept checks for the collection of public receivables in accordance with TFM Volume 1, pt. 5. ch. 2000, Depositing Domestic Checks and Cash Received in Over the Counter (OTC) Collections. NASA Intragovernmental Receivables are collected through the IPAC system.

4.3.1.1 Check Inscription. Payers should make a check payable to “NASA”, not to the Department of Treasury. However, if a check is made payable to Treasury, NASA will accept it and process it immediately. Checks will not be accepted when the payee is an individual NASA employee or official.

4.3.1.2 Payers should be directed to submit all checks directly to NSSC. Any checks received by a NASA Center shall be sent to NSSC without delay. The receiving Center will make a copy of the check and any other documents submitted with the check before sending the check to NSSC for deposit.

4.3.1.3 Record of Checks Deposited. NSSC will maintain records and copies of checks according to the procedures documented in Treasury’s TFM, Volume 1, pt.5, ch. 2030 Record of Checks Received, which includes the specific information that should be shown on the record for each check deposited. Sufficient detail to process a stop payment should be included and a duplicate check should be obtained, if necessary. Records of checks deposited by the NSSC will be kept in the NSSC’s official record retention system and are also located at the Treasury Over-the-Counter Channel Application (OTCnet).

4.3.2 OTCnet. NSSC shall deposit checks through the Treasury’s OTCnet process except for checks drawn on non-U.S. banks or for non-U.S. funds. OTCnet is a web-based application that offers Federal agencies flexible solutions to streamline management and reporting of payment transactions and deposit. Those checks will be manually deposited at the local commercial bank. The mailing of deposits (versus hand-carrying) to FRBs or commercial banks may be done only when specifically authorized in writing by Treasury BFS. The deposit timeframe requirements apply to the mailing of deposits.

4.3.3 Loss of Checks Prior to Deposit. When a check submitted to NSSC to cover an indebtedness (Accounts Receivable) is lost, destroyed, or mutilated, NSSC will immediately request the drawer to stop payment on the original check and to submit or replace the check without the execution of an agreement of indemnity per TFM Volume 1, pt.5. ch. 5000, Unpaid Checks. If a replacement check cannot be obtained without giving an agreement of indemnity, NSSC will transmit the case promptly to the following address:

Division of Financial Management
Bureau of the Fiscal Service Department of the Treasury
Room A5-B
P.O. Box 1328
Parkersburg, WV 26101-1328
Telephone (304) 480-8200

4.3.4 Government Losses in Shipment Act, 40 U.S.C. ch. 173, covers the shipment of deposits prepared and made per the Act’s prescribed regulations. Therefore, the Centers and NSSC shall not insure such remittances.

4.3.5 Reporting Large Deposits. NASA will report daily aggregate deposits (excluding Treasury checks) of $50 million or more to Treasury BFS’s Cash Forecasting Division per TFM Volume 1, pt.6. ch. 8500, paragraph 8530, General Large Dollar Notification Requirements for Deposits and Disbursements.

4.3.6 Requirements for the Deposit Ticket. Collected funds requiring deposit are received in the form of cash or paper check. NSSC shall prepare deposits according to TFM requirements and this chapter for electronic generation of the Standard Form (SF) 215, Deposit Ticket.

4.3.7 Should Centers or NSSC detect counterfeit currency, the Secret Service should be notified immediately.

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NODIS

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