[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 249 (Wednesday, December 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 95595-95596]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31381]
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FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY
[No. 2016-N-13]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Federal Housing Finance Agency.
ACTION: Notice of revision to an existing system of records; request
for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act), the Federal Housing
Finance Agency (FHFA) is making a revision to an existing system of
records entitled ``National Mortgage Database Project'' (FHFA-21). The
system of records covers the National Mortgage Database Project which
is comprised of the National Mortgage Database, the National Survey of
Mortgage Originations (formerly known as the National Survey of
Mortgage Borrowers), and the American Survey of Mortgage Borrowers. The
National Mortgage Database Project is for monitoring, researching,
analyzing, and reporting information relevant to the functioning of the
mortgage markets.
DATES: To be assured of consideration, comments must be received on or
before January 26, 2017. The revisions to the existing system will
become effective on February 6, 2017 unless comments necessitate
otherwise. FHFA will publish a new notice if, in order to review
comments, the effective date is delayed or if changes are made based on
comments received.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments, identified by ``2016-N-13,'' using only one
of the following methods:
Agency Web site: www.fhfa.gov/open-for-comment-or-input.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your
comment to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also send it by email
to FHFA at [email protected] to ensure timely receipt by FHFA.
Please include ``2016-N-13'' in the subject line of the message.
Hand Delivered/Courier: The hand delivery address is:
Alfred M. Pollard,
[[Page 95596]]
General Counsel, Attention: Comments/2016-N-13, Federal Housing Finance
Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20219. To
ensure timely receipt of hand delivered package, please ensure that the
package is delivered to the Seventh Street entrance Guard Desk, First
Floor, on business days between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
U.S. Mail, United Parcel Service, Federal Express, or
Other Mail Service: The mailing address for comments is: Alfred M.
Pollard, General Counsel, Attention: Comments/2016-N-13, Federal
Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Eighth Floor,
Washington, DC 20219. Please note that all mail sent to FHFA via the
U.S. Postal Service is routed through a national irradiation facility,
a process that may delay delivery by approximately two weeks. For any
time-sensitive correspondence, please plan accordingly.
See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for additional information on
submission and posting of comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Forrest Pafenberg, Program Manager,
National Mortgage Database Project, [email protected] or (202)
649-3129; Stacy Easter, Privacy Act Officer, [email protected] or (202)
649-3803; or David A. Lee, Senior Agency Official for Privacy,
[email protected] or (202) 649-3803 (not toll-free numbers), Federal
Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.
The telephone number for the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf is
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Comments
FHFA seeks public comments on the revision to the system of records
and will take all comments into consideration. See 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(4)
and (11). In addition to referencing ``Comments/2016-N-13,'' please
reference the ``National Mortgage Database Project'' (FHFA-21).
All comments received will be posted without change on the FHFA Web
site at http://www.fhfa.gov, and will include any personal information
provided, such as name, address (mailing and email), and telephone
numbers. In addition, copies of all comments received will be available
without change for public inspection on business days between the hours
of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400
Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. To make an appointment to
inspect comments, please call the Office of General Counsel at (202)
649-3804.
II. Introduction
This notice satisfies the Privacy Act requirement that an agency
publish a system of records notice in the Federal Register when there
is an addition or change to an agency's system of records. Congress has
recognized that application of all requirements of the Privacy Act to
certain categories of records may have an undesirable and often
unacceptable effect upon agencies in the conduct of necessary public
business. Consequently, Congress established general exemptions and
specific exemptions that could be used to exempt records from
provisions of the Privacy Act. Congress also required that exempting
records from provisions of the Privacy Act would require the head of an
agency to publish a determination to exempt a record from the Privacy
Act as a rule in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act. The
Director of FHFA has determined that records and information in this
system of records are not exempt from the requirements of the Privacy
Act.
As required by the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(r), and pursuant to
paragraph 4c of Appendix I to OMB Circular No. A-130, ``Federal Agency
Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals,'' dated
November 28, 2000, FHFA has submitted a report describing the system of
records covered by this notice to the Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform of the House of Representatives, the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the
Office of Management and Budget.
III. Revised System of Records
The ``National Mortgage Database Project'' (FHFA-21) system of
records is being revised to add data fields related to language,
specifically information related to Limited English Proficiency or a
Preferred Language. The information is being collected to identify
obstacles for borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) or a
Preferred Language (PL) in accessing mortgage credit, analyze potential
solutions, and develop measures to improve access to credit. This
information will assist FHFA in ensuring that its regulated entities
appropriately support meaningful access to the mortgage market for
mortgage ready LEP/PL borrowers, as well as support the overall goal of
assuring that borrowers are able to understand and participate fully in
the mortgage life cycle, including origination, servicing, and loss
mitigation, regardless of the language spoken.
Information about LEP or PL will be collected as part of the
National Survey of Mortgage Originations and the American Survey of
Mortgage Borrowers. Responses to the survey will be maintained in
anonymized form as part of the National Mortgage Database Project. A
separate opt-out list from the Surveys will be maintained which will
contain name, address, and Zip Code of those individuals who have opted
out of receiving communications about the Surveys. FHFA employees will
not have access to this list. This list is maintained in order to
ensure that these individuals do not receive any future communications
about the Surveys after opting out.
The revision to the system of records notice is described in detail
below. All other aspects of the system of records notice, other than
the changes described below, remain unchanged.
FHFA-21
SYSTEM NAME:
National Mortgage Database Project.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Records include information related to an individual's language
preference, including, but not limited to, information about the
borrower's or co-borrower's Limited English Proficiency and/or
Preferred Language.
Dated: December 21, 2016.
Melvin L. Watt,
Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency.
[FR Doc. 2016-31381 Filed 12-27-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8070-01-P