(a) Action on Reports of Survey.—Under regulations prescribed pursuant to subsection (c), any officer of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force or any civilian employee of the Department of Defense designated in accordance with those regulations may act upon reports of surveys and vouchers pertaining to the loss, spoilage, unserviceability, unsuitability, or destruction of, or damage to, property of the United States under the control of the Department of Defense.
(b) Finality of Action.—(1) Action taken under subsection (a) is final except as provided in paragraph (2).
(2) An action holding a person pecuniarily liable for loss, spoilage, destruction, or damage is not final until approved by a person designated to do so by the Secretary of a military department, commander of a combatant command, or Director of a Defense Agency, as the case may be, who has jurisdiction of the person held pecuniarily liable. The person designated to provide final approval shall be an officer of an armed force, or a civilian employee, under the jurisdiction of the official making the designation.
(c) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations to carry out this section.
Structure US Code
Subtitle A— General Military Law
PART IV— SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY
CHAPTER 165— ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
§ 2771. Final settlement of accounts: deceased members
§ 2772. Share of fines and forfeitures to benefit Armed Forces Retirement Home
§ 2773. Designation, powers, and accountability of deputy disbursing officials
§ 2773a. Departmental accountable officials
§ 2773b. Parking of funds: prohibition; penalties
§ 2774. Claims for overpayment of pay and allowances and of travel and transportation allowances
§ 2775. Liability of members assigned to military housing
§ 2776. Use of receipts of public money for current expenditures
§ 2777. Requisitions for advances and removal of charges outstanding in accounts of advances
§ 2779. Use of funds because of fluctuations in currency exchange rates of foreign countries
§ 2781. Availability of appropriations: exchange fees; losses in accounts
§ 2782. Damage to real property: disposition of amounts recovered
§ 2784a. Management of travel cards
§ 2785. Remittance addresses: regulation of alterations
§ 2788. Property accountability: regulations
§ 2789. Individual equipment: unauthorized disposition
§ 2790. Recovery of improperly disposed of Department of Defense property