Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 71.djvu/117

 71 S T A T. ]

PUBLIC LAW 85-53-JUNE 13, 1957

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Public Law 85-53 AN ACT

j„„e 13. 1957 PH

To fix the responsibilities of certifying Congress. Library of officers and disbursing officer of the

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That hereafter, g rLibrary ol: Coness. each officer and employee of the Library of Congress, including the cg^*/"'^^"^ °''^ Copyright Office, who has been duly authorized in writing by the Librarian of Congress to certify vouchers for payment from appropriations and funds, shall (1) be held responsible for the existence and correctness of the facts tecited in the certificate or otherwise stated on the voucher or its supporting papers and for the legality of the proposed payment under the appropriation or fund involved; (2) be required to give bond to the United States, with good and sufficient surety approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, in such amount as may be determined by the Librarian of Congress, pursuant to standards prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and under such conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Treasury; (3) be held responsible and accountable for the correctness of the computations of certified vouchers; and (4) be held accountable for and required to make good to the United States the amount of any illegal, improper, or incorrect payment resulting from any false, inaccurate, or misleading certificate made by him, as well as for any payment prohibited by law or which did not represent a legal obligation under the appropriation or fund involved: Provided, That the b^^f"*' '""" ^^ Comptroller General of the United States may, at his discretion, relieve such certifying officer or employee of liability for any payment otherwise proper whenever he finds (1) that the certification was based on official records and that such certifying officer or employee did not know, and by reasonable diligence and inquiry could not have ascertained, the actual facts, or (2) that the obligation was incurred in good faith, that the payment was not contrary to any statutory provision specifically prohibiting payments of the character involved, and the United States has received value for such payment: Provided further, That the Comptroller General shall relieve such certifying officer or employee of liability for an overpayment for transportation services made to any common carrier covered by title III, part II, section 322, of the Transportation Act of 1940, approved September \l fj^^ ^|^* 18, 1940, whenever he finds that the overpayment occurred solely because the administrative examination made prior to payment of the transportation bill did not include a verification of transportation rates, freight classifications, or land grant deductions. Ad SEC. 2. The liability of these certifying officers or employees shall sions.v a n c e decibe enforced in the same manner and to the same extent as now provided by law with respect to enforcement of the liability of disbursing and other accountable officers; and they shall have the right to apply for and obtain a decision by the Comptroller General on any question of law involved in a payment on any vouchers presented to them for certification. SEC. 3. The disbursing officer of the Library of Congress shall (1) jDisbursing ©mdisburse moneys of the Library of Congress only upon, and in strict cer. accordance with, vouchers duly certified by the Librarian of Congress or by an officer or employee of the Library of Congress duly authorized in writing by the Librarian to certify such vouchers; (2) make such examination of vouchers as may be necessary to ascertain whether they are in proper form, and duly certified and approved; and (3) be held accountable accordingly: Provided, That the disbursing officer

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