DESIGNATION AND LIABILITY OF DISBURSING AND CERTIFYING OFFICIALS.

SEC. 913. DESIGNATION AND LIABILITY OF DISBURSING AND CERTIFYING OFFICIALS. (a) Disbursing Officials.— (1) Section 3321(c) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out paragraph (2) and inserting in lieu thereof the following: “(2) The Department of Defense ”. (2) Section 2773 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (A) in subsection (a)— (i) in paragraph (1), by striking out “With the approval of a Secretary of a military department when the Secretary considers it necessary, a disbursing official of the military department” and inserting in lieu thereof “Subject to paragraph (3), a disbursing official of the Department of Defense”; and (ii) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: “(3) A disbursing official may make a designation under paragraph (1) only with the approval of the Secretary of Defense or, 110 STAT. 411in the case of a disbursing official of a military department, the Secretary of that military department.”; and (B) in subsection (b)(1), by striking out “any military department” and inserting in lieu thereof “the Department of Defense”. (b) Designation of Members of the Armed Forces To Have Authority To Certify Vouchers.— Section 3325(b) of title 31, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: “(b) In addition to officers and employees referred to in subsection (a)(1)(B) of this section as having authorization to certify vouchers, members of the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Defense may certify vouchers when authorized, in writing, by the Secretary to do so.”. (c) Conforming Amendments.— (1) Section 1012 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking out “Secretary concerned” both places it appears and inserting in lieu thereof “Secretary of Defense”. (2) Section 1007(a) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by striking out “Secretary concerned” and inserting in lieu thereof “Secretary of Defense, or upon the denial of relief of an officer pursuant to section 3527 of title 31”. (3) (A) Section 7863 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (i) in the first sentence, by striking out “disbursements of public moneys or” and “the money was paid or”; and (ii) in the second sentence, by striking out “disbursement or”. (B) (i) The heading of such section is amended to read as follows: “§7863. Disposal of public stores by order of commanding officer”. (ii) The item relating to such section in the table of sections at the beginning of chapter 661 of such title is amended to read as follows: “7863. Disposal of public stores by order of commanding officer.”. (4) Section 3527(b)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (A) by striking out “a disbursing official of the armed forces” and inserting in lieu thereof “an official of the armed forces referred to in subsection (a)”; (B) by striking out “records,” and inserting in lieu thereof “records, or a payment described in section 3528(a)(4)(A) of this title,”; (C) by redesignating subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C) as clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), and realigning such clauses four ems from the left margin; (D) by inserting before clause (i), as so redesignated, the following: “(A) in the case of a physical loss or deficiency—”; (E) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by striking out the period at the end and inserting in lieu thereof “; or”; and (F) by adding at the end the following: “(B) in the case of a payment described in section 3528(a)(4)(A) of this title, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the appropriate military department, after taking a diligent collection action, finds that the criteria of section 3528(b)(1) of this title are satisfied.” 110 STAT. 412 (5) Section 3528 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by striking out subsection (d).