Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 4.djvu/355

 PUBLIC LAW 106-518—NOV. 13, 2000 114 STAT. 2417 (b) SAVINGS PROVISION. —Any leave that an individual accrued 28 USC 996 note. or accumulated (or that otherwise became available to such individual) under the leave system of the United States Sentencing Commission and that remains unused as of the date of the enactment of this Act shall, on and after such date, be treated as leave accrued or accumulated (or that otherwise became available to such individual) under chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code. SEC. 303. PAYMENTS TO MILITARY SURVIVORS BENEFITS PLAN. Section 371(e) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by inserting after "such retired or retainer pay" the following: ", except such pay as is deductible from the retired or retainer pay as a result of participation in any survivor's benefits plein m connection with the retired pay,". SEC. 304. CREATION OF CERTIFYING OFFICERS IN THE JUDICIAL BRANCH. (a) APPOINTMENT OF DISBURSING AND CERTIFYING OFFICERS.— Chapter 41 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: "§ 613. Disbursing and certifying officers " (a) DISBURSING OFFICERS. —The Director may designate in writing officers and employees of the judicial branch of the Government, including the courts as defined in section 610 other than the Supreme Court, to be disbursing officers in such numbers and locations as the Director considers necessary. Such disbursing officers shall— "(1) disburse moneys appropriated to the judicial branch and other funds only in strict accordance with payment requests certified by the Director or in accordance with subsection (b); "(2) examine payment requests as necessary to ascertain whether they are in proper form, certified, and approved; and "(3) be held accountable for their actions as provided by law, except that such a disbursing officer shall not be held accountable or responsible for any illegal, improper, or incorrect payment resulting from any false, inaccurate, or misleading certificate for which a certifying officer is responsible under subsection (b). "(b) CERTIFYING OFFICERS.— "(1) IN GENERAL. —The Director may designate in writing officers and employees of the judicial branch of the Government, including the courts as defined in section 610 other than the Supreme Court, to certify payment requests payable from appropriations and funds. Such certifying officers shall be responsible and accountable for— "(A) the existence and correctness of the facts recited in the certificate or other request for payment or its supporting papers; "(B) the legality of the proposed payment under the appropriation or fund involved; and "(C) the correctness of the computations of certified payment requests. "(2) LIABILITY.—The liability of a certifying officer shall be enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by law with respect to the enforcement of the liability of disbursing and other accountable officers. A certifying officer shall be required to make restitution to the United States

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