12 U.S. Code § 4513 - Duties and authorities of Director

(a) Duties

(1) Principal duties

The principal duties of the Director shall be—

(A) to oversee the prudential operations of each regulated entity; and

(B) to ensure that—

(i) each regulated entity operates in a safe and sound manner, including maintenance of adequate capital and internal controls;

(ii) the operations and activities of each regulated entity foster liquid, efficient, competitive, and resilient national housing finance markets (including activities relating to mortgages on housing for low- and moderate-income families involving a reasonable economic return that may be less than the return earned on other activities);

(iii) each regulated entity complies with this chapter and the rules, regulations, guidelines, and orders issued under this chapter and the authorizing statutes;

(iv) each regulated entity carries out its statutory mission only through activities that are authorized under and consistent with this chapter and the authorizing statutes; and

(v) the activities of each regulated entity and the manner in which such regulated entity is operated are consistent with the public interest.

(2) Scope of authority

The authority of the Director shall include the authority—

(A) to review and, if warranted based on the principal duties described in paragraph (1), reject any acquisition or transfer of a controlling interest in a regulated entity; and

(B) to exercise such incidental powers as may be necessary or appropriate to fulfill the duties and responsibilities of the Director in the supervision and regulation of each regulated entity.

(3) Coordination with the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System

(A) Consultation

The Director shall consult with, and consider the views of, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, with respect to the risks posed by the regulated entities to the financial system, prior to issuing any proposed or final regulations, orders, and guidelines with respect to the exercise of the additional authority provided in this Act regarding prudential management and operations standards, safe and sound operations of, and capital requirements and portfolio standards applicable to the regulated entities (as such term is defined in section 4502 of this title). The Director also shall consult with the Chairman regarding any decision to place a regulated entity into conservatorship or receivership.

(B) Information sharing

To facilitate the consultative process, the Director shall share information with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on a regular, periodic basis as determined by the Director and the Board regarding the capital, asset and liabilities, financial condition, and risk management practices of the regulated entities as well as any information related to financial market stability.

(C) Termination of consultation requirement

The requirement of the Director to consult with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under this paragraph shall expire at the conclusion of December 31, 2009.

(b) Delegation of authority

The Director may delegate to officers and employees of the Agency any of the functions, powers, or duties of the Director, as the Director considers appropriate.

(c) Litigation authority

(1) In general

In enforcing any provision of this chapter, any regulation or order prescribed under this chapter, or any other provision of law, rule, regulation, or order, or in any other action, suit, or proceeding to which the Director is a party or in which the Director is interested, and in the administration of conservatorships and receiverships, the Director may act in the Director’s own name and through the Director’s own attorneys.

(2) Subject to suit

Except as otherwise provided by law, the Director shall be subject to suit (other than suits on claims for money damages) by a regulated entity with respect to any matter under this chapter or any other applicable provision of law, rule, order, or regulation under this chapter, in the United States district court for the judicial district in which the regulated entity has its principal place of business, or in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, and the Director may be served with process in the manner prescribed by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

(f) [1] Recognition of distinctions between the enterprises and the Federal Home Loan Banks

Prior to promulgating any regulation or taking any other formal or informal agency action of general applicability and future effect relating to the Federal Home Loan Banks (other than any regulation, advisory document, or examination guidance of the Federal Housing Finance Board that the Director reissues after the authority of the Director over the Federal Home Loan Banks takes effect), including the issuance of an advisory document or examination guidance, the Director shall consider the differences between the Federal Home Loan Banks and the enterprises with respect to—

(1) the Banks’—

(A) cooperative ownership structure;

(B) the [2] mission of providing liquidity to members;

(C) affordable housing and community development mission;

(D) capital structure; and

(E) joint and several liability; and

(2) any other differences that the Director considers appropriate.

(Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, § 1313, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3945; Pub. L. 105–276, title II, § 202(b), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2483; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 122, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–546; Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, §§ 1102(a), 1118, title II, § 1201, July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2663, 2688, 2782.)

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[1]  So in original. No subsecs. (d) and (e) have been enacted.

[2]  So in original. The word “the” probably should not appear.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This chapter, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1)(B)(iii), (iv) and (c), was in the original “this title”, meaning title XIII of Pub. L. 102–550, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3941, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of title XIII to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 4501 of this title and Tables.

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(3)(A), is Pub. L. 102–550, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3672, known as the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1992 Amendment note set out under section 5301 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, and Tables.

The Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, referred to in subsec. (c)(2), are set out in the Appendix to Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Amendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–289, § 1102(a), amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section consisted of subsecs. (a) to (e) relating to duty and authority of the Director of Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 110–289, § 1118, added par. (3).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 110–289, § 1201, added subsec. (f).

1998—Subsec. (b)(9) to (12). Pub. L. 105–276, which directed the amendment of subsec. (b) by redesignating pars. (9) to (11) as (10) to (12), respectively, and adding a new par. (9) which read “default loss protection levels under section 1454(a)(2)(D) of this title;” was repealed by Pub. L. 105–277, effective upon enactment of Pub. L. 105–276.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, § 122, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–546, provided that the amendment made by section 122 is effective upon enactment of Pub. L. 105–276 (Oct. 21, 1998).