Department of the Interior
Departmental Manual
Effective
Date: 8/2/04
Series: Delegation
Part 205: General Delegations
Chapter
6:
Budget and Financial Management
Originating
Office: Office of Financial Management
205 DM 6
6.0 General. Assistant Secretaries; the Solicitor; the Inspector General; the Director, Office of Hearings and Appeals; the Special Trustee for American Indians, Bureau Heads and the Office of Insular Affairs are delegated the following authorities. The authorities hereby delegated to Bureau Heads may be redelegated, except 6.3, below.
6.1 Reserved.
6.2 Certification
of Time and Attendance Reports.
To authorize employees, in writing, to approve their own Time and
Attendance Reports within the provisions in GAO-03-352G, January 2003,
“Maintaining Effective Control Over Employee Time and Attendance Reporting,
Self-Approval of T & A Reports” http://www.gao.gov (Additional guidance related to Title 7 of
the GAO Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies.)
6.3 Certification of Reports under
Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1955, as Amended. The heads of
bureaus and offices receiving appropriated funds are authorized, pursuant to
section 1311(b) of the Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1955, as amended, to
certify in connection with the submission of requests for proposed
appropriations that any statement of obligations furnished therewith consists
of valid obligations (31 U.S.C. Subtitle II, Chapter 11, Section 108, and
Subtitle II, Chapter 15, Subchapter I, Sections 1501-1502), http://www.gpoaccess.gov/uscode/index.html.
This authority may not be redelegated.
6.4 Collection of Erroneous Payments Made to
Employees. Generally, the National Business
Center will pursue collection of erroneous payments made to employees.
6.5 Waiver of Claims for Erroneous Payments of Pay and Allowances and Referral of Reports of Investigations to the Comptroller General of the United States. To waive, in whole or in part, claims in an amount aggregating not more than $1500, arising out of an erroneous payment to an employee, or deny an application for waiver of a claim in any amount (paid with Federal funds). Such action will be made in accordance with the provisions of 5 U.S.C. Part III, Subpart D, Chapter 55, Subchapter VIII, Section 5584 and the Department of Interior Accounting Handbook, Chapter 9, Fiscal Operations.
6.6 Certifying Officers. To designate certifying officers under 31 U.S.C. Subtitle III, Chapter 33, Subchapter II, Sections 3321 and 3325 and under servicing agreements with other Federal establishments. This delegation of authority includes authority for changes and revocations of certifying officers.
6.7 Collection Officers. To designate collection officers (5 U.S.C. Part I, Chapter 3, Section 301; 43 U.S.C. Chapter 31 Sec. 1457; Title 7 of the GAO Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies, Chapter 7). This delegation of authority includes authority for changes and revocations of such designations.
6.8 Assistant, Alternate, or Deputy Assistant Disbursing Officers.
A. To designate an Assistant, Alternate, or Deputy Assistant Disbursing Officers to Department of the Treasury Regional Disbursing Officer (RDO). This designation is subject to the authorization and approval by the Chief Disbursing Officer U.S. Treasury (5 U.S.C. Part I, Chapter 3, Section 301; 31 U.S.C. Subtitle III, Chapter 33, Subchapter II, Section 3322; 43 U.S.C. Chapter 31 Sec. 1457).
B. To make changes and revocations of designated Assistant, Alternate, or Deputy Assistant Disbursing Officers to the servicing RDO.
6.9 Designate (Indian Service) Special Disbursing Agent. The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs is delegated authority to designate a Special Disbursing Agent, to be known as an Indian Service Special Disbursing Agent (25 U.S.C. Chapter 4, Subchapter III, Section 151). This authority may be redelegated to designated Bureau of Indian Affairs officials, in writing, by the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs, and includes authority to recommend changes and revocations of a designation of an Indian Service Special Disbursing Agent.
6.10 Statistical Sampling. To prescribe the use of effective statistical sampling procedures in the prepayment examination of disbursement vouchers for amounts not in excess of $2500, provided that economies will result (31 U.S.C. Subtitle III, Chapter 35, Subchapter III, Section 3521 (b), Title 7 of the GAO Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies, Chapter 7.4e, and GAO’s “Streamlining the Payment Process While Maintaining Effective Internal Control”. This authority is subject to the following limitations:
A. Statistical sampling procedures must conform to the principles, standards, and related requirements of the Government Auditing Standards, Yellow Book.
B. A cost--benefit analysis must show that economies will result by use of the monetary limit selected.
6.11 Resolution of Irregularities Affecting the Accounts of Accountable Officers Amounting to Less Than $3000 by Administrative Action. The Director, Office of Financial Management is authorized by the GAO Policy and Procedures Manual for Guidance of Federal Agencies, Chapter 8 to resolve, by administrative action appropriate to the circumstances, irregularities affecting the accounts of accountable officers arising from a single incident or series of similar incidents occurring about the same time amounting to less than $3000. The provisions of this paragraph do not apply to exceptions or charges raised by GAO. (See Comp. Gen. letter B-16l457, August 1, 1969; 54 Comp. Gen. 112.)
6.12 General Limitation. Departmental offices receiving budget and administrative support from the National Business Center are not included in the authority delegated in 205 DM 6.0 A. through E. The Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget or his/her delegate exercises such authority.
6.13 Amendment Authority. This Chapter does not limit the authority delegated to the Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget by 209 DM 4. The Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management and Budget is authorized to amend, limit, suspend, or revoke any authority granted by or pursuant to this Chapter. This authority may not be redelegated.
6.14 Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) Waiver Authority. Bureau Chief Financial Officers are delegated the authority to grant or deny EFT waivers. Bureau CFOs may redelegate this authority.