[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3637 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 3637


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 24, 2000

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, 
                           and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
    To amend the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 to make certain 
                         technical corrections.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Private Mortgage Insurance Technical 
Corrections and Clarification Act''.

SEC. 2. CHANGES IN AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE.

    (a) Treatment of Adjustable Rate Mortgages.--The Homeowners 
Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) in section 2--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(B)(i), by striking 
                ``amortization schedules'' and inserting ``the 
                amortization schedule then in effect'';
                    (B) in paragraph (16)(B), by striking 
                ``amortization schedules'' and inserting ``the 
                amortization schedule then in effect'';
                    (C) by redesignating paragraphs (6) through (16) 
                (as amended by the preceding provisions of this 
                paragraph) as paragraphs (8) through (18), 
                respectively; and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(6) Amortization schedule then in effect.--The term 
        `amortization schedule then in effect' means, with respect to 
        an adjustable rate mortgage, a schedule established at the time 
        at which the residential mortgage transaction is consummated 
        or, if such schedule has been changed or recalculated, is the 
        most recent schedule under the terms of the note or mortgage, 
        which shows--
                    ``(A) the amount of principal and interest that is 
                due at regular intervals to retire the principal 
                balance and accrued interest over the remaining 
                amortization period of the loan; and
                    ``(B) the unpaid balance of the loan after each 
                such scheduled payment is made.''; and
            (2) in section 3(f)(1)(B)(ii), by striking ``amortization 
        schedules'' and inserting ``the amortization schedule then in 
        effect''.
    (b) Treatment of Balloon Mortgages.--Paragraph (1) of section 2 of 
the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901(1)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following new sentence: ``A residential mortgage 
that (A) does not fully amortize over the term of the obligation, and 
(B) contains a conditional right to refinance or modify the unamortized 
principal at the maturity date of the term, shall be considered to be 
an adjustable rate mortgage for purposes of this Act.''.
    (c) Treatment of Loan Modifications.--
            (1) In general.--Section 3 of the Homeowners Protection Act 
        of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4902) is amended--
                    (A) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as 
                subsections (e) through (g), respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after subsection (c) the following 
                new subsection:
    ``(d) Treatment of Loan Modifications.--If a mortgagor and 
mortgagee (or holder of the mortgage) agree to a modification of the 
terms or conditions of a loan pursuant to a residential mortgage 
transaction, the cancellation date, termination date, or final 
termination shall be recalculated to reflect the modified terms and 
conditions of such loan.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Section 4(a) of the Homeowners 
        Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4903(a)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``section 3(f)(1)'' and 
                        inserting ``section 3(g)(1)'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)(ii)(IV), by 
                        striking ``section 3(f)'' and inserting 
                        ``section 3(g)''; and
                            (iii) in subparagraph (B)(iii), by striking 
                        ``section 3(f)'' and inserting ``section 
                        3(g)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``section 
                3(f)(1)'' and inserting ``section 3(g)(1)''.

SEC. 3. DELETION OF AMBIGUOUS REFERENCES TO RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGES.

    (a) Termination of Private Mortgage Insurance.--Section 3 of the 
Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4902) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (c), by inserting ``on residential 
        mortgage transactions'' after ``imposed''; and
            (2) in subsection (g) (as so redesignated by section 
        2(c)(1)(A) of this Act)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``mortgage or'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``mortgage or''; 
                and
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``mortgage or'' 
                and inserting ``residential mortgage or residential''.
    (b) Disclosure Requirements.--Section 4 of the Homeowners 
Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4903(a)) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``mortgage or'' the first 
                        place it appears; and
                            (ii) by striking ``mortgage or'' the second 
                        place it appears and inserting ``residential''; 
                        and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``mortgage or'' 
                and inserting ``residential'';
            (2) in subsection (c), by striking ``paragraphs (1)(B) and 
        (3) of subsection (a)'' and inserting ``subsection (a)(3)''; 
        and
            (3) in subsection (d), by inserting before the period at 
        the end the following: ``, which disclosures shall relate to 
        the mortgagor's rights under this Act''.
    (c) Disclosure Requirements for Lender-Paid Mortgage Insurance.--
Section 6 of the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4905) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``a residential mortgage or''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``transaction'' 
                after ``residential mortgage''; and
            (2) in subsection (d), by inserting ``transaction'' after 
        ``residential mortgage''.

SEC. 4. CANCELLATION RIGHTS AFTER CANCELLATION DATE.

    Section 3 of the Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4902) 
is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting after ``cancellation date'' the following: 
                ``or any later date that the mortgagor fulfills all of 
                the requirements under paragraphs (1) through (4)'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph 
                (4); and
                    (D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(3) is current on the payments required by the terms of 
        the residential mortgage transaction; and''; and
            (2) in subsection (e)(1)(B) (as so redesignated by section 
        2(c)(1)(A) of this Act), by striking ``subsection ``(a)(3)'' 
        and inserting ``subsection (a)(4)''.

SEC. 5. CLARIFICATION OF CANCELLATION AND TERMINATION ISSUES AND LENDER 
              PAID MORTGAGE INSURANCE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS.

    (a) Good Payment History.--Section 2(4) of the Homeowners 
Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901(4)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A)--
                    (A) by inserting ``the later of (i)'' before ``the 
                date''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, or (ii) the date that the 
                mortgagor submits a request for cancellation under 
                section 3(a)(1)'' before the semicolon; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B)--
                    (A) by inserting ``the later of (i)'' before ``the 
                date''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``, or (ii) the date that the 
                mortgagor submits a request for cancellation under 
                section 3(a)(1)'' before the period at the end.
    (b) Automatic Termination.--Paragraph (2) of section 3(b) of the 
Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4902(b)(2)) is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(2) if the mortgagor is not current on the termination 
        date, on the first day of the first month beginning after the 
        date that the mortgagor becomes current on the payments 
        required by the terms of the residential mortgage 
        transaction.''.
    (c) Premium Payments.--Section 3 of the Homeowners Protection Act 
of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4902) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection:
    ``(h) Accrued Obligation for Premium Payments.--The cancellation or 
termination under this section of the private mortgage insurance of a 
mortgagor shall not affect the rights of any mortgagee, servicer, or 
mortgage insurer to enforce any obligation of such mortgagor for 
premium payments accrued prior to the date on which such cancellation 
or termination occurred.''.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Refinanced.--Section 6(c)(1)(B)(ii) of the Homeowners 
Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4905(c)(1)(B)(ii)) is amended by 
inserting after ``refinanced'' the following: ``(under the meaning 
given such term in the regulations issued by the Board of Governors of 
the Federal Reserve System to carry out the Truth in Lending Act (15 
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.))''.
    (b) Midpoint of the Amortization Period.--Section 2 of the 
Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901) is amended by 
inserting after paragraph (6) (as added by section 2(a)(1)(D) of this 
Act) the following new paragraph:
            ``(7) Midpoint of the amortization period.--The term 
        ``midpoint of the amortization period'' means, with respect to 
        a residential mortgage transaction, the point in time that is 
        halfway through the period that begins upon the first day of 
        the amortization period established at the time a residential 
        mortgage transaction is consummated and ends upon the 
        completion of the entire period over which the mortgage is 
        scheduled to be amortized.''.
    (c) Original Value.--Section 2(12) of the Homeowners Protection Act 
of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901(10)) (as so redesignated by section 2(a)(1)(C) 
of this Act) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``transaction'' after ``a residential 
        mortgage''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``In 
        the case of a residential mortgage transaction for refinancing 
        the principal residence of the mortgagor, such term means only 
        the appraised value relied upon by the mortgagee to approve the 
        refinance transaction.''.
    (d) Principal Residence.--Section 2 of the Homeowners Protection 
Act of 1998 (12 U.S.C. 4901) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (14) (as so redesignated by section 
        2(a)(1)(C) of this Act) by striking ``primary'' and inserting 
        ``principal''; and
            (2) in paragraph (15) (as so redesignated by section 
        2(a)(1)(C) of this Act) by striking ``primary'' and inserting 
        ``principal''.

            Passed the House of Representatives May 23, 2000.

            Attest:

                                                 JEFF TRANDAHL,

                                                                 Clerk.