DESIGNATION AND LIABILITY OF DISBURSING AND CERTIFYING OFFICIALS FOR THE COAST GUARD.

SEC. 1009. DESIGNATION AND LIABILITY OF DISBURSING AND CERTIFYING OFFICIALS FOR THE COAST GUARD. (a) Disbursing Officials.— (1) Section 3321(c) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “(3) The Department of Transportation (with respect to public money available for expenditure by the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy).”. 110 STAT. 2634 (2) (A) Chapter 17 of title 14, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: “§673. Designation, powers, and accountability of deputy disbursing officials “(a) (1) Subject to paragraph (3), a disbursing official of the Coast Guard may designate a deputy disbursing official— “(A) to make payments as the agent of the disbursing official; “(B) to sign checks drawn on disbursing accounts of the Secretary of the Treasury ; and “(C) to carry out other duties required under law. “(2) The penalties for misconduct that apply to a disbursing official apply to a deputy disbursing official designated under this subsection. “(3) A disbursing official may make a designation under paragraph (1) only with the approval of the Secretary of Transportation (when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy). “(b) (1) If a disbursing official of the Coast Guard dies, becomes disabled, or is separated from office, a deputy disbursing official may continue the accounts and payments in the name of the former disbursing official until the last day of the second month after the month in which the death, disability, or separation occurs. The accounts and payments shall be allowed, audited, and settled as provided by law. The Secretary of the Treasury shall honor checks signed in the name of the former disbursing official in the same way as if the former disbursing official had continued in office. “(2) The deputy disbursing official, and not the former disbursing official or the estate of the former disbursing official, is liable for the actions of the deputy disbursing official under this subsection. “(c) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), this section does not apply to the Coast Guard when section 2773 of title 10 applies to the Coast Guard by reason of the operation of the Coast Guard as a service in the Navy. “(2) A designation of a deputy disbursing official under subsection (a) that is made while the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy continues in effect for purposes of section 2773 of title 10 while the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Navy unless and until the designation is terminated by the disbursing official who made the designation or an official authorized to approve such a designation under subsection (a)(3) of such section.”. (B) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item: “673. Designation, powers, and accountability of deputy disbursing officials.”. (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 by striking out “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” and inserting in lieu thereof “members of the armed forces may certify vouchers when authorized, in writing, by the Secretary of Defense or, in the case of the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy, by the Secretary of Transportation”. 110 STAT. 2635 (c) Conforming Amendments.— (1) Section 1007(a) of title 37, United States Code, is amended by inserting after “Secretary of Defense” the following: “(or the Secretary of Transportation, in the case of an officer of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy)”. (2) Section 3527(b)(1) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by inserting after “Department of Defense” the following: “(or the Secretary of Transportation, in the case of a disbursing official of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy)”; and (B) in subparagraph (B), by inserting after “or the Secretary of the appropriate military department” the following: “(or the Secretary of Transportation, in the case of a disbursing official of the Coast Guard when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy)”.