[FWS Request to Change Date of Interest-Free Period Under Civil Service Retirement System]

The Department of the Interior requested a decision regarding the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) authority to extend an employee's interest-free period for deposit into the Civil Service Retirement System beyond the date set by statute. GAO held that FWS had no authority to waive the statutory provision, which was specific regarding the beginning of the interest-free deposit period. Accordingly, FWS should not change the date of the deposit period.