[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 81 (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 22874]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-10578]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4488-D-01]


Redelegation of Authority to Housing-Federal Housing 
Administration Comptroller

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing 
Commissioner, HUD.

ACTION: Notice of redelegation of authority.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing 
Commissioner is redelegating to the Housing-Federal Housing 
Administration Comptroller certain responsibilities that pertain to the 
financial operations administered by the Assistant Secretary. Under 
this legislation, the Housing-FHA Comptroller will be able to designate 
disbursing officials, within the Office of Housing, who may, in turn, 
disburse public money in connection with federal obligations under 
HUD's single family property disposition program.

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 5, 1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Victoria L. Bateman, Housing-FHA Comptroller, Office of Housing, 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street SW., 
room 5132, Washington, DC 20410. Telephone (202) 401-8800. Persons with 
hearing or speech impairments may call HUD's TTY number (202) 708-1455 
or the Federal Information Relay Service's TTY number at (800) 877-
8339. Other than the ``800'' number, the telephone and TTY numbers 
listed are not toll-free.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the routine administration of the single 
family property disposition program, the Office of Housing must make a 
broad range of expenditures in connection with the properties that it 
owns. Payees include utility companies, taxing authorities, and 
individual vendors that provide maintenance services.
    Authority to disburse public money is vested in the United States 
Treasury Department, which authority may be delegated to officers and 
employees of other executive agencies. To facilitate and promote the 
efficiency of HUD's property disposition program, on February 24, 1999, 
the Treasury Department issued a delegation of disbursing authority to 
the Housing Assistant Secretary. On March 5, 1999, the Assistant 
Secretary signed the delegation instrument, thereby indicating his 
acceptance and making it effective. The delegation is set forth as an 
appendix to this Federal Register notice.
    The disbursing authority, set forth in the delegation instrument, 
is subject to limitations. For example, disbursements can only be made 
from a particular account that is identified in the delegation and 
utilized for the single family property disposition program. The 
account must be in the name of the FHA, and can only be drawn upon by 
the disbursing officials designated under the delegation. The 
disbursing authority may be redelegated to the Housing-FHA Comptroller, 
who can designate disbursing officials. However, authority to make 
disbursements cannot be redelegated to non-federal personnel, including 
contractors.
    Accordingly, the Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing 
Commissioner redelegates the following authority:

Section A. Authority Redelegated

    The Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner 
redelegates to the Housing-Federal Housing Administration Comptroller 
the authority to disburse public money, and to designate disbursement 
officials from within the Office of Housing-Federal housing 
Administration, subject to the following terms and limitations:
    This delegation of disbursing authority is limited to disbursements 
currently being made from the Controlled Disbursement Account 
authorized by the Financial Management Service on January 30, 1989, due 
to the unique administrative program processes of the single family 
property disposition program involving the payment requirements of 
utility companies and taxing authorities to be paid in a certain manner 
and the high number of individual vendors. Funds held outside of the 
U.S. Treasury must be approved by the Federal Management Service in 
accordance with 31 CFR Part 202. The Controlled Disbursement Account 
shall be in the name of the Federal Housing Administration, U.S. 
Department of Housing and Urban Development, and shall be drawn upon 
only by the disbursing official specifically designated by the Housing-
Federal Housing Administration Comptroller pursuant to this delegation.

Section B. Authority Excepted

    The authority delegated in section A does not include the authority 
to issue regulations.

Section C. No Further Redelegation

    The authority delegated in Section A may not be further redelegated 
by the Housing-FHA Comptroller.

Section D. Revocation of Delegation

    The authority delegated in Section A may be revoked by the 
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner at any 
time. In addition, however, the authority shall be automatically 
revoked (1) at such time as the FHA has effected changes to the single 
family property disposition program that eliminate the need for the 
Controlled Disbursement Account or (2) upon a determination of the U.S. 
Chief Disbursing Officer, Department of the Treasury, to revoke, for 
any reason, the delegation of authority issued to the Assistant 
Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner. Notice of any 
revocation of this authority will be published in the Federal Register.

    Authority: Section 7(d), Department of Housing and Urban 
Development Act, 42 U.S.C. 3535(d); Section 3321, ``Money and 
Finance'', Enactment as title 31, United States Code, 31 U.S.C. 
3321.

    Dated: March 5, 1999.
William C. Apgar,
Assistant Secretary for Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 99-10578 Filed 4-27-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-27-M