---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 U.S.C. § 4017"
title: "20"
title_heading: "Education"
number: "4017"
heading: "Recovery of costs"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/20/4017"
units:
  - "Chapter 52 — Education for Economic Security"
  - "Subchapter V — Asbestos School Hazard Abatement"
---

# §4017. Recovery of costs

- (a) **Loan condition—**
  - (1) As a condition of the award of any financial assistance under [section 4014 of this title](/usc/20/4014.md), the recipient of any such loan or grant shall permit the United States to sue on behalf of such recipient any person determined by the [Attorney General](/usc/20/4020.md?p=2) to be liable to the recipient for the costs of any activities undertaken by the recipient under such section.
  - (2) The proceeds from any judgment recovered in any suit brought by the United States under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) (or, if the recipient files a similar suit on its own behalf, the proceeds from a judgment recovered by the recipient in such suit) shall be used to repay to the United States, by deposit in the [Asbestos](/usc/20/4020.md?p=1) Trust Fund established by [section 4022 of this title](/usc/20/4022.md), to the extent that the proceeds are sufficient to provide for such repayment, an amount equal to the sum of—
    - (A) the amount (i) outstanding on any loan and (ii) of any grant made to the recipient; and
    - (B) an amount equal to the interest which would have been charged on such loan were the loan made by a commercial lender at prevailing interest rates (as determined by the [Administrator](/usc/20/4020.md?p=7)).
- (b) **Expeditious recovery—** The [Attorney General](/usc/20/4020.md?p=2) shall, where appropriate, proceed in an expeditious manner to recover the amounts expended by the United States to carry out this subchapter from the persons identified by the [Attorney General](/usc/20/4020.md?p=2) as being liable for such costs.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 98–377, title V, § 508, Aug. 11, 1984, 98 Stat. 1293; Pub. L. 101–637, §§ 9, 14(a)(8), (b)(10), (11), (c)(5), Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 4592, 4594–4596.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1990—Pub. L. 101–637, § 14(a)(8), inserted section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–637, § 14(b)(10), inserted heading.

Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 101–637, § 14(c)(5), substituted “section” for “sections” after “such”.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 101–637, § 9, inserted “by deposit in the Asbestos Trust Fund established by section 4022 of this title,” after “repay to the United States,”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 101–637, § 14(b)(11), inserted heading.