Federal Housing Finance Agency – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Housing Regulatory Reform Act (Act), Division A of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), requires the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to conduct a study on the securitization of home mortgage loans purchased or to be purchased from Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) System member financial institutions under the Acquired Member Assets (AMA) programs. FHFA is seeking public comment and hopes that the responses to this request for comments will constitute an important source of information that will assist it in its preparation of the study. FHFA urges commenters to analyze, in light of current market conditions, the benefits and risks associated with securitization, the potential impact of securitization upon liquidity and competitiveness in the mortgage and broader credit markets, the ability of the Banks to manage the risks associated with a securitization program, and the effect of a securitization program on the Banks' existing activities, as well as on the joint and several liability of the Banks and the cooperative structure of the Bank System. This release in no way alters current requirements, restrictions or prohibitions on the Banks with respect to the purchase or sale of mortgages or to the AMA programs.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is correcting the final Flood Insurance Regulation, published in the Federal Register on January 15, 2009 (74 FR 2347), by deleting the addition of a subchapter.

The Federal Housing Regulatory Reform Act, Division A of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA), requires the Director of Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to establish criteria based on the amount and type of capital held by a Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) for each of the following capital classifications: adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized. In addition, HERA provides that the critical capital level for each Bank shall be the amount of capital that the Director by regulation shall require. HERA also sets forth prompt corrective action (PCA) authority that the Director has for the Banks. To implement these new provisions, the FHFA is adopting this interim final rule to define critical capital for the Banks, establish the criteria for each of the capital classifications identified in HERA and delineate its PCA authority over the Banks.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing a final regulation that sets forth factors to be considered by the Director of FHFA in acting upon the Director's authority to limit golden parachute payments to entity-affiliated parties in connection with the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Banks.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issues this regulation hereby implementing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (U.S.C. 552), establishing procedures for public disclosure of information required to be disclosed under the FOIA and procedures to protect from disclosure business confidential and trade secret information, as appropriate.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing to amend the interim final Golden Parachute Payments regulation published in the Federal Register on September 16, 2008 (73 FR 53356), and as corrected on September 19, 2008 (73 FR 54309), and on September 23, 2008 (73 FR 54673). This proposed amendment addresses prohibited and permissible indemnification payments with regard to any administrative proceeding brought by the FHFA against an entity-affiliated party of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Banks in light of the statutory requirements set forth in 12 U.S.C. 4514(e), as amended by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing and seeking comment on an interim final rule to implement section 1218 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (Recovery Act), which requires the FHFA to allow the Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks) until July 30, 2010, to use Affordable Housing Program (AHP) homeownership set-aside funds to refinance low- or moderate-income households' mortgage loans. This rulemaking relocates the AHP regulation to the FHFA rules, and adds new provisions that allow the Banks to use AHP set-aside funds to provide direct subsidies to low- or moderate-income households who qualify for refinancing assistance under the HOPE for Homeowners Program established by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) under Title IV of the Recovery Act.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is proposing a regulation and soliciting comments on implementation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (U.S.C. 552), establishing procedures for public disclosure of information required to be disclosed under the FOIA, and procedures to protect from disclosure business confidential and trade secret information, as appropriate.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is issuing and seeking comment on an interim final regulation to implement section 1202 of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which revises section 7 of the Federal Home Loan Bank Act (Bank Act). Section 7 governs the eligibility and election of individuals to serve on the boards of directors of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks).

This document contains a correction to Sec. Sec. 1231.3 and 1231.4 of the interim final regulation concerning Golden Parachute Payments and Indemnification Payments published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, September 16, 2008. These sections should read ``Reserved.''

This Notice is to announce the establishment of a new independent agency. Division A of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, Public Law 110-289, 122 Stat. 2654 (2008), titled the Federal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008 (Act), created the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) as an independent agency of the Federal Government. FHFA was established on the date of enactment, July 30, 2008, and the Act provides for the abolishment of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) and the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) one year after the date of enactment. These agencies, together with the Housing and Urban Development Government- Sponsored Enterprise Mission Teams, are combined to establish FHFA. Regulations of FHFA will be found in 12 CFR chapter XII, parts 1200- 1299.