[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20005-20007]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-08550]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5858-N-01]


Establishment of the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory 
Committee: Solicitation of Appointment Nominations

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development announces the

[[Page 20006]]

establishment of the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee, a 
federal advisory committee established pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall 
Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act, and invites the public to nominate individuals for one-
year, two-year and three-year term appointments.

DATES: Please submit applications as soon as possible, but no later 
than May 14, 2015.
    Submission Address: Nominations must be in writing and be submitted 
to: Marjorie George, Senior Housing Program Officer, U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, Office of Housing Counseling, Office of 
Outreach and Capacity Building, 200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 300, 
Memphis, TN 38103; or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marjorie George, Senior Housing 
Program Officer, Office of Housing Counseling, U.S. Department of 
Housing and Urban Development, 200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 300, 
Memphis, TN 38103; telephone number 901-544-4228 (this is not a toll-
free number); email [email protected]. For hearing and speech-
impaired persons, this number may be accessed via TTY by calling the 
Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background and Authority

    Subtitle D of title XIV of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 
Consumer Protection Act (Pub. L. 111-203, 124 Stat. 1376 (July 21, 
2010)) (Dodd-Frank Act) mandates that the Secretary shall appoint an 
advisory committee to provide advice to the Office of Housing 
Counseling (OHC). The value of the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory 
Committee (HCFAC) will be to advise the OHC to meet its mission to 
provide individuals and families with the knowledge they need to 
obtain, sustain, and improve their housing through a strong national 
network of HUD-approved housing counseling agencies and HUD-certified 
counselors. The HCFAC, however, shall have no role in reviewing or 
awarding of OHC housing counseling grants and procurement contracts.
    The HCFAC shall consist of not more than 12 individuals. The 
membership will equally represent the mortgage and real estate 
industry, consumers and HUD-approved housing counseling agencies. Each 
member shall be appointed in his or her individual capacity for a term 
of 3 years and may be reappointed at the discretion of the Secretary. 
Except that of the 12 members first appointed to the HCFAC, 4 shall be 
appointed for an initial term of 1 year and 4 shall be appointed for a 
term of 2 years.
    The HCFAC is subject to the requirements of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix), and Presidential Memorandum ``Final 
Guidance on Appointments of Lobbyists to Federal Boards and 
Commissions,'' dated June 18, 2010, along with any relevant guidance 
published in the Federal Register or otherwise issued by the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB).\1\
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    \1\ See https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-lobbyists-agency-boards-and-commissions 
(``Lobbyist on Agency Boards and Commissions''); see also 76 FR 
61756 (``Final Guidance on Appointments of Lobbyists to Federal 
Boards and Commissions''); and 79 FR 47482 (``Revised Guidance on 
Appointment of Lobbyists to Federal Advisory Committees, Boards, and 
Commissions'').
    .
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II. Selection and Meetings

    After all applications have been reviewed, HUD will publish a 
notice in the Federal Register announcing the appointment of HCFAC 
members and the first meeting of the HCFAC. Selection of members will 
be made by the Secretary and will be based on the candidate's 
qualifications to contribute to the accomplishment of the HCFAC's 
objectives. HCFAC selection will be made on the basis of factors such 
as expertise and diversity of viewpoints that are necessary to 
effectively address the matters before the HCFAC. Membership on the 
Committee is personal to the appointee and committee members serve at 
the discretion of the Secretary for a 3-year term, except the first 
appointed members will consist of at a minimum 4 appointees that serve 
for a 2-year term and 4 appointees that serve for a 1-year term.
    The estimated number of meetings anticipated within a fiscal year 
is 2. Additional meetings may be held as needed to render advice to the 
Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Housing Counseling. All 
meetings will be announced by notice in the Federal Register. The 
meetings may use electronic communication technologies for attendance. 
Members of the HCFAC shall serve without pay but shall receive travel 
expenses including per diem in lieu of subsistence as authorized by 5 
U.S.C. 5703. Regular attendance is essential to the effective operation 
of the HCFAC.

III. Application for the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee

    HUD is seeking applications for representatives from the mortgage 
and real estate industry, including consumers and HUD-approved housing 
counseling agencies. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and cannot be 
employees of the U.S. Government. All applicants will be serving in 
their ``individual capacity'' and not in a ``representative capacity,'' 
therefore, no Federally-registered lobbyists may serve on the HCFAC.\2\ 
Individual capacity, as clarified by OMB, refers to individuals who are 
appointed to committees to exercise their own individual best judgment 
on behalf of the government, such as when they are designated as 
Special Government Employees as defined in 18 U.S.C. 202.\3\
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    \2\ See 79 FR 47482 (``Revised Guidance on Appointment of 
Lobbyists to Federal Advisory Committees, Boards, and Commissions'') 
(clarifying that federally registered lobbyists may not serve on an 
advisory committee, board, or Commission in an ``individual 
capacity.'').
    \3\ See 79 FR 47482.
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    Nominations to the HCFAC must be submitted on the application 
available on the Office of Housing Counseling's Web site at: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/sfh/hcc. 
Individuals may nominate themselves. Each nominee will be required to 
include the following information:
     Name, title, and organization of the nominee and a 
description of the organization, sector or other interest of the 
nominee;
     Nominee's mailing address, email address, and telephone 
number;
     A statement summarizing the nominee's qualifications 
(including unique experiences, skills and knowledge you will bring to 
the HCFAC) and reasons why the nominee should be appointed to the 
HCFAC;
     A statement confirming that the nominee is not a 
registered federal lobbyist; and
     A statement agreeing to submit to any pre-appointment 
screenings HUD might require of Special Government Employees, as 
defined in 18 U.S.C. 202.
    Applications should be submitted to Marjorie George, Senior Housing 
Program Officer, U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
Office of Housing Counseling, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, 
200 Jefferson Avenue, Suite 300, Memphis, TN 38103. All deliveries 
should be addressed to Marjorie George at the above address. 
Applications submitted via email should be addressed to:

[[Page 20007]]

[email protected]. All applications must be received no later 
than May 14, 2015.
    HCFAC members will be required to adhere to the conflict of 
interest rules applicable to Special Government Employees as such 
employees are defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 202(a). The rules include 
relevant provisions in 18 U.S.C. related to criminal activity, 
Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Executive Branch (5 
CFR part 2635), and Executive Order 12674 (as modified by Executive 
Order 12731). Therefore, applicants will be required to submit to pre-
appointment screenings relating to identity of interest and financial 
interests that HUD might require as shown above. If selected, HCFAC 
members will also be asked to complete form OGE Form 450 (Confidential 
Financial Disclosure Report).
    Please note this Notice is not intended to be the exclusive method 
by which HUD will solicit nominations and expressions of interest to 
identify qualified candidates; however, all candidates for membership 
on the HCFAC will be subject to the same evaluation criteria.

    Dated: April 8, 2015.
Genger Charles,
General Deputy Assistant, Secretary for Housing.
[FR Doc. 2015-08550 Filed 4-13-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4210-67-P