
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 2002]
[CITE: 31USC1322]

 
                       TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE
 
                     SUBTITLE II--THE BUDGET PROCESS
 
                       CHAPTER 13--APPROPRIATIONS
 
                 SUBCHAPTER II--TRUST FUNDS AND REFUNDS
 
Sec. 1322. Payments of unclaimed trust fund amounts and refund 
        of amounts erroneously deposited
        
    (a) On September 30 of each year, the Secretary of the Treasury 
shall transfer to the Treasury trust fund receipt account ``Unclaimed 
Moneys of Individuals Whose Whereabouts are Unknown'' that part of the 
balance of a trust fund account named in section 1321(a)(1)-(82) of this 
title or an analogous trust fund established under section 1321(b) of 
this title that has been in the fund for more than one year and 
represents money belonging to individuals whose whereabouts are unknown. 
Subsequent claims to the transferred funds shall be paid from the 
account ``Unclaimed Moneys of Individuals Whose Whereabouts are 
Unknown''.
    (b) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, necessary 
amounts are appropriated to the Secretary of the Treasury to make 
payments from--
        (1) the Treasury trust fund receipt account ``Unclaimed Moneys 
    of Individuals Whose Whereabouts are Unknown''; and
        (2) the United States Government account ``Refund of Moneys 
    Erroneously Received and Covered'' and other collections erroneously 
    deposited that are not properly chargeable to another appropriation.

    (c)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury shall hold in the Treasury 
trust fund receipt account ``Unclaimed Moneys of Individuals Whose 
Whereabouts Are Unknown'' the balance remaining after the final 
distribution of unclaimed Postal Savings System deposits under 
subsection (a) of the first section of the Act of August 13, 1971 
(Public Law 92-117; 85 Stat. 337). The Secretary shall use the balance 
to pay claims for Postal Savings System deposits without regard to the 
State law or the law of other jurisdictions of deposit concerning the 
disposition of unclaimed or abandoned property.
    (2) Necessary amounts may be appropriated without fiscal year 
limitation to the trust fund receipt account to pay claims for deposits 
when the balance in the account is not sufficient to pay the claims made 
within the time limitation set forth in paragraph (3) of this 
subsection.
    (3) No claim for any Postal Savings System deposit may be brought 
more than one year from the date of the enactment of the Postal Savings 
System Statute of Limitations Act.
    (4) The United States Postal Service shall assist the Secretary of 
the Treasury in providing public notice of the time limitation set forth 
in paragraph (3) of this subsection by posting notices thereof in all 
post offices as soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of 
the Postal Savings System Statute of Limitations Act.

(Pub. L. 97-258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 922; Pub. L. 98-359, Sec. 2, 
July 13, 1984, 98 Stat. 402.)

                                          Historical and Revision Notes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
           Revised Section                   Source (U.S. Code)                
Source (Statutes at Large)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------
1322(a)..............................  31:725s(a)(last sentence last   June 26,
 1934, ch. 756, Sec.  20(a)(last
                                        proviso).                       sentenc
e last proviso), 48 Stat. 1233;
                                                                        Apr. 21
, 1976, Pub. L. 94-273, Sec.
                                                                        2(16), 
90 Stat. 375.
1322(b)..............................  31:725p-1.                      June 30,
 1949, ch. 286, Sec.  101(par.
                                                                        under h
eading ``Payments of Unclaimed
                                                                        Moneys'
'), 63 Stat. 359.
                                       31:725q-1.                      June 30,
 1949, ch. 286, Sec.  101(par.
                                                                        under h
eading ``Refund of Moneys
                                                                        Erroneo
usly Received and Covered''), 63
                                                                        Stat. 3
58.
1322(c)..............................  31:725p(note).                  Aug. 13,
 1971, Pub. L. 92-117, 85 Stat.
                                                                        337.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------

    In subsection (a), the words ``directed to be established in section 
725p of this title'' are omitted as surplus.
    In subsection (b), before clause (1), the words ``Secretary of the 
Treasury'' are substituted for ``Treasury Department'' for consistency. 
The words ``out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise 
appropriated'' in 31:725q-1 are omitted as surplus. In clause (1), the 
words ``of the character formerly chargeable to the appropriation 
accounts abolished under section 725p of this title'' in 31:725p-1 are 
omitted as unnecessary because of the restatement. In clause (2), the 
words ``United States Government account `Refund of Moneys Erroneously 
Received and Covered' '' are substituted for ``of the character formerly 
chargeable to the appropriation accounts abolished under section 725q of 
this title'' in 31:725q-1 for clarity and to eliminate unnecessary 
words.
    In subsection (c)(1), the words ``claims for . . . deposits'' are 
substituted for ``claims by or on behalf of depositors'' to eliminate 
unnecessary words. The text of section 1(a) of the Act of August 13, 
1971 (Pub. L. 92-117, 85 Stat. 337), is omitted as executed.

                       References in Text

    Subsection (a) of the first section of the Act of August 13, 1971 
(Public Law 92-117; 85 Stat. 337), referred to in subsec. (c)(1), was 
repealed by Pub. L. 97-258, Sec. 5(b), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1081.
    The date of the enactment of the Postal Savings System Statute of 
Limitations Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(3) and (4), is the date of 
enactment of Pub. L. 98-359, which was approved July 13, 1984.


                               Amendments

    1984--Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 98-359 substituted provision 
authorizing the balance to be held by the Secretary for provision 
authorizing the balance to be held by the Secretary in perpetuity.
    Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 98-359 substituted reference to par. (3) of 
this subsection for reference to par. (1) of this subsection.
    Subsec. (c)(3), (4). Pub. L. 98-359 added pars. (3) and (4).

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 331 of this title; title 20 
section 225; title 33 section 770; title 38 section 5504.
