Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 71.djvu/500

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PUBLIC LAW 85-183-AUG. 28, 1957 Public Law 85-183

August 28, 1957 [S. 1799]

G o V ernment checks. Payment.

Consolidated account.

Transfer funds.

D. C. funds.

of

[71

ST A T,

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AN ACT To facilitate the payment of Government checks, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 1 of the Act of July 11, 1947 (61 Stat. 308; 31 U.S.C. 132) is hereby amended to read as follows: "That (a) all checks heretofore or hereafter drawn on the Treasurer of the United States, including those drawn by wholly owned and mixed-ownership Government corporations, shall be payable without limitation of time: Provided, That where on presentation of any check for payment the Treasurer of the United States is on notice of a doubtful question of law or fact the payment of such check shall be deferred pending settlement by the General Accounting Office. " (b) The amount of all checks drawn by authorized officers of the United States on designated depositaries which have not been paid prior to the close of the fiscal year next following the fiscal year in which the checks were issued shall be withdrawn from the accounts with such depositaries and deposited with the Treasurer of the United States for credit to a consolidated account or accounts on the books of the Treasury. Claims for the proceeds of such unpaid checks shall be payable from such consolidated accounts by checks drawn on the Treasurer of the United States pursuant to settlement by the General Accounting Office. "(c) The limitation imposed in respect to certain claims or demands against the United States by the Act of October 9, 1940 (54 Stat. 1061; 31 U.S.C. 71a, 237), shall not be deemed to apply to original or substitute checks heretofore or hereafter drawn on the Treasurer of the United States, including those drawn by wholly owned and mixed-ownership Government corporations, or drawn by authorized officers of the United States on designated depositaries." SEC. 2. Section 3 of the Act of July 11, 1947 (61 Stat. 309; 31 U.S.C. 134) is hereby amended to read as follows: "SEC. 3. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to transfer, at appropriate intervals, amounts of unpaid checks from the accounts on which drawn to a consolidated account or accounts on the books of the Treasury and to transfer to such consolidated account or accounts the balance of the special deposit account established pursuant to section 1 of the Act of July 11, 1947 (61 Stat. 308), which consolidated account or accounts shall be available for the payment of such checks and any unpaid checks heretofore payable from the special deposit account. The Secretary of the Treasury is further authorized to transfer, at appropriate intervals, from the accounts available for the payment of unpaid checks to the appropriate receipt account on the books of the Treasury any amounts not required for the payment of such checks and with the concurrence of the Comptroller General to make such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary or proper for the administration of the provisions of this Act: Provided,, That in the case of checks issued by the Disbursing Officers of the District of Columbia and the Disbursing Officer of the Corps of Engineers in reference to the disbursement of District funds, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to transfer, at appropriate intervals, from the accounts available for the payment of such unpaid checks, to the general revenues of the District of Columbia, any amounts not required for the payment of such checks: Provided further, That as to such checks issued on or before June 30, 1955, transfers to the general revenues of the District of Columbia shall be limited to the amount of undelivered checks."

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