As used in this part:

(a) Agency refers to the agency that administers the program that gave rise to the debt or the agency that pursues recovery of the debt.

(b) Debt or claim refers to any money, funds, or property that has been determined by an appropriate official of an agency to be owed to the United States by an individual, including a debt administered by a third party as an agent for the Federal Government.

(c) Debtor refers to an individual who owes a delinquent nontax debt to the Postal Service.

(d) Delinquent nontax debt means any nontax debt that has not been paid by the date specified in the agency's initial written demand for payment, or applicable agreement, unless other satisfactory payment arrangements have been made.

(e) Garnishment refers to the process of withholding amounts from an employee's disposable pay and the payment of those amounts to a creditor in satisfaction of a withholding order.

(f) General Counsel refers to the General Counsel of the United States Postal Service and includes a designated representative.

(g) Hearing Official refers to any individual qualified to hear cases, as determined by the Judicial Officer, including an administrative law judge appointed under the Administrative Procedure Act, an administrative judge appointed under the Contract Disputes Act, or other qualified person who is designated by the Judicial Officer to conduct the hearing under 31 CFR 285.11.

(h) Judicial Officer refers to the Judicial Officer, Associate Judicial Officer, or Acting Judicial Officer of the United States Postal Service.

(i) Notice of Intent to Initiate Administrative Wage Garnishment Proceedings refers to the formal written notice required by 31 U.S.C. 3720D and 31 CFR 285.11 before administrative wage garnishment deductions can be taken from a debtor's salary.

(j) Recorder refers to the Recorder, Judicial Officer Department, U.S. Postal Service, located at 2101 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22201-3078. The Recorder's telephone number is (703) 812-1900, the fax number is (703) 812-1901, and the Judicial Officer Department's website is https://about.usps.com/who/judicial/.

(k) Withholding order means any order for withholding or garnishment of pay issued by an agency, or judicial or administrative body.