[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40613-40614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19135]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-4527-N-01]


Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request Forms 
for Large-Scale Computer Matching Income Verification

AGENCY: The Real Estate Assessment Center, HUD.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described 
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department 
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.

DATES: Comments Due Date: September 27, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB 
Control Number and should be sent to Wanda Funk, U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, Real Estate Assessment Center, 1280 
Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20224-2135; telephone 
Customer Service Center at 1-888-245-4860 (this is a toll-free number).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information can be obtained 
from David Decker, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
Real Estate Assessment Center, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 5156, 
Washington, DC 20410-5000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed 
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended). The Notice is 
soliciting comments from members of the public and affecting agencies 
concerning the proposed collection of information to: (1) evaluate 
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (2) evaluate the accuracy 
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information; (3) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (4) minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on those who are to respond.
    This notice also lists the following information:
    Title of Proposal: Forms for Large-Scale Computer Matching Income 
Verification.
    OMB Control Number, if applicable: Not Available.
    Description of the need for information and proposed use: A notice, 
published December 9, 1998 (63 FR 68129), describes the computer 
matching program applicable to this information collection requirement. 
HUD has recently transferred the responsibility for the computer 
matching income verification program described in that notice to its 
Real Estate Assessment Center.
    REAC has developed the Tenant Assessment Subsystem (TASS) to 
identify potential sources of income discrepancies between income 
reported by tenants and submitted by Public Housing Agencies and owners 
and agents (POAs) with Federal tax data provided by the Internal 
Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration. The process of 
comparing these two sources of income information is referred to as 
computer matching income verification (CMIV). TASS will be used to 
identify potential income discrepancies for tenants receiving 
assistance under HUD's Public Housing (Low Rent), Section 8 Tenant-
Based, and Section 8 Project-Based programs. Through the use of CMIV, 
TASS will:
     Identify potential income discrepancies;
     Generate letters to be sent to tenants identifying 
possible income discrepancies;
     Prepare notifications of possible tenant income 
discrepancies for POA processing and resolution; and
     Track POA discrepancy resolution and recovery of excessive 
rental assistance provided to tenants due to underreported income.
    POAs will be required to resolve potential discrepancies through 
the identification of both positive and false positive discrepancies, 
and to adjust or terminate tenant rental assistance for verified 
discrepancies. Recovery involves a prudent attempt by POAs to obtain 
full repayment of excess tenant rental assistance through repayment 
agreements or prospective adjustments to future rental assistance.
    The REAC has developed three forms to help capture and summarize 
data concerning POA income discrepancy resolution and recovery of 
excessive

[[Page 40614]]

rental assistance. The first form is a case tracking form to be used by 
POAs to report the status of discrepancy cases. The second form is a 
PHA recertification policy form to be used to gather data related to 
the PHA's interim recertification policies. The third form is a request 
to POAs for tenant source documentation for an annual sample of 1,000 
randomly selected households.
    These forms will be used by the two primary component processes of 
nationwide CMIV: (1) the nationwide large-scale matching of all 
tenants, and (2) the estimation of total excessive rental assistance 
paid annually through the use of a nationwide sample of tenant 
households. This second process is required by HUD's Office of 
Inspector General to satisfy financial reporting requirements.
    Agency form numbers, if applicable: Not Available.
    Members of the affected public: Public Housing Agencies (PHAs). 
Owner/Agents (O/As).
    Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the 
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of 
response, and hours of response:
    REAC is requesting Paperwork Reduction Act approval on the three 
forms discussed above. The following parameters apply to the 
calculation of respondent burdens. Nationwide Large-Scale CMIV
     Number of PHAs--4,000.
     Number of OAs--20,000.
     Number of potential discrepancies at the thresholds agreed 
on by OMB and HUD--350,000.
    Nationwide Sample CMIV:
     Sample size--1,000 households.
     Estimated number of households identified with potential 
income discrepancies for annual 1,000 household sample--300.
    Shown below are the estimated burdens imposed on the respondents.

Status Report--Tenant Income Discrepancy Resolution and Funds 
Recovery.

     Time to complete each form--three minutes.
     Average number of tracking cycles before a case is 
resolved--three.
     Total time to complete the tracking form until case 
resolution--nine minutes.
     Total number of cases to be resolved annually--350,000.
    The total annual nationwide respondent burden imposed will be 
3,150,000 minutes or 52,500 hours. On average, the burden imposed per 
POA will be approximately 2\1/4\ hours. This will vary significantly 
depending on the size of the POA.

PHA Interim Recertification Policies

     Number of PHAs--4,000.
     Time to complete form is 15 minutes.
    The respondent burden imposed will be approximately 60,000 minutes 
or 1,000 hours for year one. The form needs to be completed once for 
each POA and, as such, the total burden per PHA for year one will be 15 
minutes. Beyond year one, the respondent burden per POA will be 
directly related to the number of times the POA changes its interim 
recertification policy.

Request for POA Tenant Source Documentation

     Total number of source documents requested is 
approximately 300. There will be several documents for each household.
     Time to compile, photocopy, and mail documentation is 15 
minutes.
    The respondent burden imposed will be approximately 60,000 minutes 
or 1,000 hours for year one. The form needs to be completed once for 
each POA and, as such, the total burden per PHA for year one will be 15 
minutes. Beyond year one, the respondent burden per POA will be 
directly related to the number of times the POA changes its interim 
recertification policy.

Status of the proposed information collection:

    Has not started.

    Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.

    Dated: July 19, 1999.
Barbara L. Burkhalter,
Deputy Director, Real Estate Assessment Center.
[FR Doc. 99-19135 Filed 7-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-01-P