[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3733 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3733

To reduce the interest rates on mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie 
                          Mae and Freddie Mac.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 19, 2011

   Mr. Hastings of Florida introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reduce the interest rates on mortgages owned or guaranteed by Fannie 
                          Mae and Freddie Mac.

    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 ``Affordable Mortgage for Homeowners 
Act of 2011''.

SEC. 2. PRINCIPAL REDUCTION OF MORTGAGES OWNED OR GUARANTEED BY FANNIE 
              MAE AND FREDDIE MAC.

    (a) Program Authority.--The Federal National Mortgage Association 
and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation shall each carry out a 
program under this section to provide for the reduction of the interest 
rates on qualified mortgages on single-family housing owned or 
guaranteed by such enterprises, in accordance with this section and 
policies and procedures that the Director of the Federal Housing 
Finance Agency shall establish.
    (b) Timing.--Each enterprise shall commence the program required 
under subsection (a) upon the expiration of the 90-day period beginning 
upon the date of the enactment of this Act and shall complete all 
reductions of the interest rates of qualified mortgages required under 
the program not later than the expiration of the 12-month period 
beginning upon the commencement of such program.
    (c) Interest Rate Reduction.--In reducing the interest rate on a 
qualified mortgage under a program of an enterprise required under this 
section, the enterprise shall reduce the annual rate of interest 
charged with respect to the outstanding principal obligation of the 
mortgage for the remainder of the term of the mortgage, notwithstanding 
whether the interest rate under the mortgage is otherwise subject to 
adjustment during such mortgage term, to a fixed interest rate that is 
the lesser of--
            (1) 4 percent annually; or
            (2) the rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, as most 
        recently published in the Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey 
        of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, as of the time 
        of such interest rate reduction for such qualified mortgage.
    (d) Exempt Mortgages.--The Director shall provide that the 
following qualified mortgages shall not be subject to reduction of the 
interest rate under a program under this section:
            (1) Fixed-rate mortgages.--In the case of a qualified 
        mortgage having a rate of interest that is fixed for the entire 
        term of the mortgage, any mortgage having such an interest rate 
        that is a lower than the interest rate determined for the 
        mortgage under subsection (c).
            (2) Adjustable-rate mortgages.--In the case of a mortgage 
        having a rate of interest that is subject to adjustment during 
        the term of the mortgage, any mortgage for which the interest 
        rate cannot, as a result of the terms of the terms and 
        conditions of the mortgage, exceed the interest rate determined 
        for the mortgage under subsection (c) at any time during the 
        term of the mortgage.
    (e) Option to Opt-Out.--Each program of an enterprise required 
under this section shall provide for the enterprise to--
            (1) notify the mortgagor under a qualified mortgage in 
        writing, before the proposed reduction of the interest rate on 
        qualified mortgage of the mortgagor, of--
                    (A) such proposed reduction and the interest rate 
                applicable to the mortgage upon such reduction; and
                    (B) the opportunity, in accordance with paragraph 
                (2), for the mortgagor to request that no such interest 
                rate reduction be applied with respect to such 
                mortgage; and
            (2) forego such interest rate reduction with respect to the 
        qualified mortgage of a mortgagor upon receipt by the 
        enterprise of a request by the mortgagor that no such interest 
        rate reduction be applied with respect to such mortgage.
    (f) Maintenance of Loan Status.--Any reduction of the interest rate 
on a qualified mortgage under a program under this section shall not 
result in the treatment of the modified mortgage as a new mortgage.
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the following 
definitions shall apply:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
            (2) Enterprise.--The term ``enterprise'' means the Federal 
        National Mortgage Association and the Federal Home Loan 
        Mortgage Corporation.
            (3) Qualified mortgage.--The term ``qualified mortgage'' 
        means a mortgage, without regard to whether the mortgagor is 
        current or in default on payments due under the mortgage, 
        that--
                    (A) is an existing first mortgage that was made for 
                purchase of, or refinancing another first mortgage on, 
                a one- to four-family dwelling, including a condominium 
                or a share in a cooperative ownership housing 
                association, that is occupied by the mortgagor as the 
                principal residence of the mortgagor;
                    (B) is owned or guaranteed by the Federal National 
                Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage 
                Corporation; and
                    (C) was originated on or before the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
    (h) Regulations.--The Director shall issue any regulations or 
guidance necessary to carry out the programs required under this 
section not later than the expiration of the 90-day period that begins 
on the date of the enactment of this Act.
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