Which requirement must be met for an account to be eligible for referral to the U.S. Treasury?

For an account to be eligible for referral to the U.S. Treasury, it must meet specific criteria designed to ensure that the debt is both significant and has been delinquent for a sufficient period. The requirement states that the total amount of the debt must be equal to or greater than $25, and the account must be delinquent for at least 91 days.

This is a critical threshold as it distinguishes between accounts that may still be in the process of being resolved and those that have clearly remained unpaid for an extended period, making them suitable for further collection actions by the Treasury. The 91-day delinquency period demonstrates that the creditor has made efforts to collect the debt before escalating the matter, thereby establishing a sense of seriousness about the collection process.

The minimum debt threshold of $25 ensures that only debts of a practical size are forwarded for Treasury referral, avoiding the referral of trivial amounts that would not justify the costs associated with collection efforts. Therefore, this combination of time and amount reflects the policy intention to prioritize more substantial debts while allowing reasonable time for resolution before involving the Treasury's collection mechanisms.