AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO SETTLE CLAIMS RELATING TO PAY, ALLOWANCES, AND OTHER BENEFITS.

SEC. 1012. AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY OF DEFENSE TO SETTLE CLAIMS RELATING TO PAY, ALLOWANCES, AND OTHER BENEFITS. Section 3702(e) of title 31, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking out “Comptroller General” and inserting in lieu thereof “Secretary of Defense”; and (2) by striking out paragraph (2) and inserting in lieu thereof the following new paragraph: “(2) Payment of a claim settled under paragraph (1) shall be made from an appropriation that is available, for the fiscal year in which the payment is made, for the same purpose as the appropriation to which the obligation claimed would have been charged if the obligation had been timely paid.”.