[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5032-5033]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-01486]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-6374-N-01]


Appointments to the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory 
Committee; Solicitation of Nominations

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing 
Commissioner, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 
established the HCFAC on April 14, 2015. The HCFAC will consist of 12 
members, equally representing the mortgage industry and real estate 
industry, including consumers, and HUD-approved housing counseling 
agencies. This notice invites nominations for an appointment to fill 
one vacancy on the HCFAC to represent the mortgage industry.

DATES: All nominations must be received no later than February 27, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: Nominations must be in writing using a completed HUD-90005 
(Application for Membership on the HCFAC, OMB Approval Number: 2502-
0606) and submitted via email to [email protected]. Individuals 
who do not have internet access may submit nominations to the Office of 
the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Housing Counseling, U.S. Department 
of Housing and Urban

[[Page 5033]]

Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 9224, Washington, DC 20410.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia F. Holman, Housing Program 
Technical Specialist, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 
Office of Housing Counseling, Office of Outreach and Capacity Building, 
telephone number 540-894-7790 (this is not a toll-free number). HUD 
welcomes and is prepared to receive calls from individuals who are deaf 
or hard of hearing, as well as individuals with speech and 
communication disabilities. To learn more about how to make an 
accessible telephone call, please visit: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/telecommunications-relay-service-trs. Individuals with questions 
may also email [email protected] and in the subject line write 
``HCFAC application question.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Authority

    The HCFAC is congressionally mandated to provide advice to the 
Office of Housing Counseling (OHC) (42 U.S.C. 3533(g)(4)). The HCFAC 
provides the OHC valuable advice regarding 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, does not have any role in reviewing or awarding of 
OHC housing counseling grants and procurement contracts. The HCFAC is 
subject to the requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. 
L. 92-463, codified at 5 U.S.C. App. 1-16), 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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    The HCFAC shall consist of not more than 12 individuals appointed 
by the Secretary. The membership will equally represent the mortgage 
industry, 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.

II. Nominations for the Housing Counseling Federal Advisory Committee

    HUD is seeking nominations for membership on the HCFAC. Nominees 
shall have experience representative of the mortgage industry. 
Nominations may be made by agency officials, members of Congress, the 
general public, professional organizations, and self-nominations. 
Nominees must be U.S. citizens and cannot be U.S. Government employees.
    All appointed nominees will be serving on the HCFAC 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. Nominations to the 
HCFAC must be submitted using HUD-90005 which is available on the 
Office of Housing Counseling's Federal Advisory Committee web pages at: 
https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/housing/sfh/hcc or https://www.hudexchange.info/programs/housing-counseling/federal-advisory-committee/. Each nominee will be required to provide all the 
information on a signed HUD-90005, including a resume. Nominations 
submitted under this Federal Register Notice shall remain valid for two 
(2) years after the close of this nomination period. HUD reserves the 
right to solicit new nominations, at any time, to fill HCFAC vacancies.
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    \2\ See 79 FR 4782 (``Revised Guidance on Appointment of 
Lobbyists to Federal Advisory Committees, Boards, and Commissions'') 
(clarifying that federally registered lobbyists may not serve on 
advisory committee, board, or Commission in an ``individual 
capacity'').
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    Nominations should be submitted via email to 
[email protected]. Individuals that do not have internet access 
may submit nominations to the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary 
for Housing Counseling, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban 
Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 9224, Washington, DC 20410. Those 
who submitted applications previously, and those who have been 
appointed previously, must reapply if they wish to be considered for an 
appointment.
    All Nominations must be received no later than February 27, 2023.
    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. 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. If selected, HCFAC members will also be asked 
to complete OGE Form 450 (Confidential Financial Disclosure Report).
    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.
    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 nominees for membership on 
the HCFAC will be subject to the same application process and 
evaluation criteria.

III. Selection and Meetings

    Member selections will be made by the Secretary and will be based 
on the Nominee's qualifications to contribute to the accomplishment of 
the HCFAC's objectives. Membership on the Committee is personal to the 
appointee and committee members serve at the discretion of the 
Secretary.
    The estimated number of in-person meetings anticipated within a 
fiscal year is two (2) in Washington, DC or elsewhere in the United 
States. Additional meetings may be held as needed to render advice to 
the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Housing Counseling. 
The meetings may use electronic communication technologies for 
attendance.
    All meetings will be announced by notice in the Federal Register. 
Announcements of the meetings may be made using other methods as well.

Julia Gordon,
Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner.
[FR Doc. 2023-01486 Filed 1-25-23; 8:45 am]
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