
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: 31USC3333]

 
                       TITLE 31--MONEY AND FINANCE
 
                   SUBTITLE III--FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
 
            CHAPTER 33--DEPOSITING, KEEPING, AND PAYING MONEY
 
                         SUBCHAPTER II--PAYMENTS
 
Sec. 3333. Relief for payments made without negligence

    (a)(1) The Secretary of the Treasury is not liable for a payment 
made by the Secretary or depositary in due course and without 
negligence, of a--
        (A) check, draft, or warrant drawn on the Treasury or the 
    depositary; and
        (B) debt obligation guaranteed or assumed by the United States 
    Government.

    (2) The Comptroller General shall credit the accounts of the 
Treasury or the depositary for the payment.
    (b) This section does not relieve another individual from civil or 
criminal liability for a check, draft, warrant, or debt obligation of 
the Government.

(Pub. L. 97-258, Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 956.)

                                          Historical and Revision Notes
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           Revised Section                   Source (U.S. Code)                
Source (Statutes at Large)
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3333(a)..............................  31:156(less proviso).           Aug. 4, 
1947, ch. 455, Sec.  3, 61 Stat.
                                                                        730.
3333(b)..............................  31:156(proviso).
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    In subsection (a)(1), before clause (A), the words ``Secretary of 
the Treasury'' are substituted for ``Treasurer'' before ``is not 
liable'' because of the source provisions restated in section 321(c) of 
the revised title. The word ``depositary'' is substituted for ``upon the 
Treasurer of the United States through any Federal Reserve Bank'' for 
consistency in the revised title. The words ``Whenever . . . heretofore 
has been or hereafter'' and ``or on behalf of'' are omitted as surplus. 
In clause (A), the word ``Treasury'' is substituted for ``Treasurer of 
the United States'' after ``drawn upon the'' because of the source 
provisions restated in section 321 of the revised title and Department 
of the Treasury Order 229 of January 14, 1974 (39 F.R. 2280). In clause 
(B), the words ``public . . . of the United States, including any 
obligation of any type whatever, the payment of which is'' are omitted 
as surplus.
    In subsection (a)(2), the words ``of the United States'' are omitted 
as unnecessary. The words ``of the Treasury or the depositary'' are 
substituted for ``Treasurer's'' because of the restatement.
    In subsection (b), the words ``another individual'' are substituted 
for ``any person, other than the Treasurer of the United States'' to 
eliminate unnecessary words. The words ``now existing or which may 
hereafter exist'' are omitted as unnecessary.
