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59-008

110TH CONGRESS

REPORT

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

1st Session

110-142

--FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE REFORM ACT OF 2007

MAY 9, 2007- Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, from the Committee on Financial Services, submitted the following

R E P O R T

together with

ADDITIONAL AND DISSENTING VIEWS

[To accompany H.R. 1427]

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

CONTENTS Page
Amendment 2
Purpose and Summary 87
Background and Need for Legislation 95
Hearings 98
Committee Consideration 98
Committee Votes 99
Committee Oversight Findings 108
Performance Goals and Objectives 108
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 108
Committee Cost Estimate 108
Congressional Budget Office Estimate 108
Federal Mandates Statement 117
Advisory Committee Statement 117
Constitutional Authority Statement 118
Applicability to Legislative Branch 118
Earmark Identification 118
Exchange of Committee Correspondence 119
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation 125
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported 148
Additional and Dissenting Views 338

AMENDMENT

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
TITLE I--REFORM OF REGULATION OF ENTERPRISES AND FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS
Subtitle A--Improvement of Safety and Soundness
Sec. 101. Establishment of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
Sec. 102. Duties and authorities of Director.
Sec. 103. Federal Housing Enterprise Board.
Sec. 104. Authority to require reports by regulated entities.
Sec. 105. Disclosure of income and charitable contributions by enterprises.
Sec. 106. Assessments.
Sec. 107. Examiners and accountants.
Sec. 108. Prohibition and withholding of executive compensation.
Sec. 109. Reviews of regulated entities.
Sec. 110. Inclusion of minorities and women; diversity in Agency workforce.
Sec. 111. Regulations and orders.
Sec. 112. Non-waiver of privileges.
Sec. 113. Risk-Based capital requirements.
Sec. 114. Minimum and critical capital levels.
Sec. 115. Review of and authority over enterprise assets and liabilities.
Sec. 116. Corporate governance of enterprises.
Sec. 117. Required registration under Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Sec. 118. Liaison with Financial Institutions Examination Council.
Sec. 119. Guarantee fee study.
Sec. 120. Conforming amendments.
Subtitle B--Improvement of Mission Supervision
Sec. 131. Transfer of product approval and housing goal oversight.
Sec. 132. Review of enterprise products.
Sec. 133. Conforming loan limits.
Sec. 134. Annual housing report regarding regulated entities.
Sec. 135. Annual reports by regulated entities on affordable housing stock.
Sec. 136. Revision of housing goals.
Sec. 137. Duty to serve underserved markets.
Sec. 138. Monitoring and enforcing compliance with housing goals.
Sec. 139. Affordable Housing Fund.
Sec. 140. Consistency with mission.
Sec. 141. Enforcement.
Sec. 142. Conforming amendments.
Subtitle C--Prompt Corrective Action
Sec. 151. Capital classifications.
Sec. 152. Supervisory actions applicable to undercapitalized regulated entities.
Sec. 153. Supervisory actions applicable to significantly undercapitalized regulated entities.
Sec. 154. Authority over critically undercapitalized regulated entities.
Sec. 155. Conforming amendments.
Subtitle D--Enforcement Actions
Sec. 161. Cease-and-desist proceedings.
Sec. 162. Temporary cease-and-desist proceedings.
Sec. 163. Prejudgment attachment.
Sec. 164. Enforcement and jurisdiction.
Sec. 165. Civil money penalties.
Sec. 166. Removal and prohibition authority.
Sec. 167. Criminal penalty.
Sec. 168. Subpoena authority.
Sec. 169. Conforming amendments.
Subtitle E--General Provisions
Sec. 181. Boards of enterprises.
Sec. 182. Report on portfolio operations, safety and soundness, and mission of enterprises.
Sec. 183. Conforming and technical amendments.
Sec. 184. Study of alternative secondary market systems.
TITLE II--FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS
Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Directors.
Sec. 203. Federal Housing Finance Agency oversight of Federal Home Loan Banks.
Sec. 204. Joint activities of Banks.
Sec. 205. Sharing of information between Federal Home Loan Banks.
Sec. 206. Reorganization of Banks and voluntary merger.
Sec. 207. Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure.
Sec. 208. Community financial institution members.
Sec. 209. Technical and conforming amendments.
Sec. 210. Study of affordable housing program use for long-term care facilities.
Sec. 211. Effective date.
TITLE III--TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS, PERSONNEL, AND PROPERTY OF OFFICE OF FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE OVERSIGHT, FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD, AND DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Subtitle A--Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight
Sec. 301. Abolishment of OFHEO.
Sec. 302. Continuation and coordination of certain regulations.
Sec. 303. Transfer and rights of employees of OFHEO.
Sec. 304. Transfer of property and facilities.
Subtitle B--Federal Housing Finance Board
Sec. 321. Abolishment of the Federal Housing Finance Board.
Sec. 322. Continuation and coordination of certain regulations.
Sec. 323. Transfer and rights of employees of the Federal Housing Finance Board.
Sec. 324. Transfer of property and facilities.
Subtitle C--Department of Housing and Urban Development
Sec. 341. Termination of enterprise-related functions.
Sec. 342. Continuation and coordination of certain regulations.
Sec. 343. Transfer and rights of employees of Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Sec. 344. Transfer of appropriations, property, and facilities.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

TITLE I--REFORM OF REGULATION OF ENTERPRISES AND FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS

Subtitle A--Improvement of Safety and Soundness

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY.

`SEC. 1311. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY.

`SEC. 1312. DIRECTOR.

SEC. 102. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF DIRECTOR.

`SEC. 1313. DUTIES AND AUTHORITIES OF DIRECTOR.

`SEC. 1313A. PRUDENTIAL MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS STANDARDS.

SEC. 103. FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE BOARD.

`SEC. 1313B. FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE BOARD.

SEC. 104. AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE REPORTS BY REGULATED ENTITIES.

SEC. 105. DISCLOSURE OF INCOME AND CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS BY ENTERPRISES.

SEC. 106. ASSESSMENTS.

SEC. 107. EXAMINERS AND ACCOUNTANTS.

SEC. 108. PROHIBITION AND WITHHOLDING OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

SEC. 109. REVIEWS OF REGULATED ENTITIES.

`SEC. 1319. REVIEWS OF REGULATED ENTITIES.';

SEC. 110. INCLUSION OF MINORITIES AND WOMEN; DIVERSITY IN AGENCY WORKFORCE.

SEC. 111. REGULATIONS AND ORDERS.

SEC. 112. NON-WAIVER OF PRIVILEGES.

`SEC. 1319H. PRIVILEGES NOT AFFECTED BY DISCLOSURE.

SEC. 113. RISK-BASED CAPITAL REQUIREMENTS.

`SEC. 1361. RISK-BASED CAPITAL LEVELS FOR REGULATED ENTITIES.

SEC. 114. MINIMUM AND CRITICAL CAPITAL LEVELS.

SEC. 115. REVIEW OF AND AUTHORITY OVER ENTERPRISE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.

`Subtitle B--Required Capital Levels for Regulated Entities, Special Enforcement Powers, and Reviews of Assets and Liabilities';

`SEC. 1369E. REVIEWS OF ENTERPRISE ASSETS AND LIABILITIES.

SEC. 116. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF ENTERPRISES.

`SEC. 1322A. CORPORATE GOVERNANCE OF ENTERPRISES.

SEC. 117. REQUIRED REGISTRATION UNDER SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

`SEC. 1322B. REQUIRED REGISTRATION UNDER SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934.

SEC. 118. LIAISON WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS EXAMINATION COUNCIL.

SEC. 119. GUARANTEE FEE STUDY.

SEC. 120. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

Subtitle B--Improvement of Mission Supervision

SEC. 131. TRANSFER OF PRODUCT APPROVAL AND HOUSING GOAL OVERSIGHT.

`PART 2--PRODUCT APPROVAL BY DIRECTOR, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF HOUSING GOALS';

SEC. 132. REVIEW OF ENTERPRISE PRODUCTS.

`SEC. 1321. PRIOR APPROVAL AUTHORITY FOR PRODUCTS OF ENTERPRISES.

SEC. 133. CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS.

`SEC. 1322. HOUSING PRICE INDEX.

SEC. 134. ANNUAL HOUSING REPORT REGARDING REGULATED ENTITIES.

`SEC. 1324. ANNUAL HOUSING REPORT REGARDING REGULATED ENTITIES.

SEC. 135. ANNUAL REPORTS BY REGULATED ENTITIES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK.

`SEC. 1329. ANNUAL REPORTS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK.

SEC. 136. REVISION OF HOUSING GOALS.

`SEC. 1331. ESTABLISHMENT OF HOUSING GOALS.

`SEC. 1332. SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING GOALS.

`SEC. 1333. MULTIFAMILY SPECIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING GOAL.

`SEC. 1334. DISCRETIONARY ADJUSTMENT OF HOUSING GOALS.

SEC. 137. DUTY TO SERVE UNDERSERVED MARKETS.

SEC. 138. MONITORING AND ENFORCING COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSING GOALS.

SEC. 139. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.

`SEC. 1337. AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.

SEC. 140. CONSISTENCY WITH MISSION.

`SEC. 1338. CONSISTENCY WITH MISSION.

SEC. 141. ENFORCEMENT.

`Subpart C--Enforcement'.

SEC. 142. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

Subtitle C--Prompt Corrective Action

SEC. 151. CAPITAL CLASSIFICATIONS.

SEC. 152. SUPERVISORY ACTIONS APPLICABLE TO UNDERCAPITALIZED REGULATED ENTITIES.

SEC. 153. SUPERVISORY ACTIONS APPLICABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY UNDERCAPITALIZED REGULATED ENTITIES.

SEC. 154. AUTHORITY OVER CRITICALLY UNDERCAPITALIZED REGULATED ENTITIES.

`SEC. 1367. AUTHORITY OVER CRITICALLY UNDERCAPITALIZED REGULATED ENTITIES.

`SEC. 25. SUCCESSION OF FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS.

SEC. 155. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

Subtitle D--Enforcement Actions

SEC. 161. CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS.

SEC. 162. TEMPORARY CEASE-AND-DESIST PROCEEDINGS.

SEC. 163. PREJUDGMENT ATTACHMENT.

`SEC. 1375A. PREJUDGMENT ATTACHMENT.

SEC. 164. ENFORCEMENT AND JURISDICTION.

SEC. 165. CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES.

SEC. 166. REMOVAL AND PROHIBITION AUTHORITY.

`SEC. 1377. REMOVAL AND PROHIBITION AUTHORITY.

SEC. 167. CRIMINAL PENALTY.

`SEC. 1378. CRIMINAL PENALTY.

SEC. 168. SUBPOENA AUTHORITY.

SEC. 169. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

Subtitle E--General Provisions

SEC. 181. BOARDS OF ENTERPRISES.

SEC. 182. REPORT ON PORTFOLIO OPERATIONS, SAFETY AND SOUNDNESS, AND MISSION OF ENTERPRISES.

SEC. 183. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

SEC. 184. STUDY OF ALTERNATIVE SECONDARY MARKET SYSTEMS.

TITLE II--FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS

SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS.

SEC. 202. DIRECTORS.

SEC. 203. FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY OVERSIGHT OF FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS.

SEC. 204. JOINT ACTIVITIES OF BANKS.

SEC. 205. SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS.

`SEC. 20A. SHARING OF INFORMATION BETWEEN FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANKS.

SEC. 206. REORGANIZATION OF BANKS AND VOLUNTARY MERGER.

SEC. 207. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION DISCLOSURE.

SEC. 208. COMMUNITY FINANCIAL INSTITUTION MEMBERS.

SEC. 209. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

SEC. 210. STUDY OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM USE FOR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES.

SEC. 211. EFFECTIVE DATE.

TITLE III--TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS, PERSONNEL, AND PROPERTY OF OFFICE OF FEDERAL HOUSING ENTERPRISE OVERSIGHT, FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD, AND DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Subtitle A--Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight

SEC. 301. ABOLISHMENT OF OFHEO.

SEC. 302. CONTINUATION AND COORDINATION OF CERTAIN REGULATIONS.

SEC. 303. TRANSFER AND RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES OF OFHEO.

SEC. 304. TRANSFER OF PROPERTY AND FACILITIES.

Subtitle B--Federal Housing Finance Board

SEC. 321. ABOLISHMENT OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD.

SEC. 322. CONTINUATION AND COORDINATION OF CERTAIN REGULATIONS.

SEC. 323. TRANSFER AND RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES OF THE FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE BOARD.

SEC. 324. TRANSFER OF PROPERTY AND FACILITIES.

Subtitle C--Department of Housing and Urban Development

SEC. 341. TERMINATION OF ENTERPRISE-RELATED FUNCTIONS.

SEC. 342. CONTINUATION AND COORDINATION OF CERTAIN REGULATIONS.

SEC. 343. TRANSFER AND RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES OF DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.

SEC. 344. TRANSFER OF APPROPRIATIONS, PROPERTY, AND FACILITIES.

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007, was introduced on March 9, 2007, by Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, with Mr. Watt, Mr. Baker, and Mr. Gary G. Miller. H.R. 1427 is based in significant part on a bill passed by the House in the 109th Congress by a vote of 331-90. Modifications have been made in several areas of the bill in this Congress to reflect discussions with the U.S. Department of the Treasury late in the last Congress. The purpose of the bill is to ensure that the government sponsored enterprises supporting the mortgage markets operate in a safe and sound manner and fulfill the missions assigned under their charters, both through establishment of a strong, independent regulator and through enhancements to their mission responsibilities.

SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS

H.R. 1427 establishes the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA or Agency) as an independent agency to oversee the safe and sound operations as well as the mission functions of the housing government sponsored enterprises (GSEs)--Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks (collectively, the regulated entities). The Agency assumes the supervisory duties of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the Federal Housing Finance Board (Finance Board), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) (with respect to mission oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).

The independent agency created in this legislation is headed by a Director appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for a five-year term. The Director will appoint three deputy directors: a Deputy Director of the Division of Enterprise Regulation; a Deputy Director of Federal Home Loan Bank Regulation; and a Deputy Director for Housing. Among other things, this supervisory structure recognizes the unique nature of, and differences between, the Federal Home Loan Banks and the enterprises.

An oversight board (called the Federal Housing Enterprise Board) is created to advise the Director with respect to overall strategies and policies in carrying out the duties of the Director. The Enterprise Board will consist of the Director of the Agency, the Secretaries of Treasury and HUD, and two additional appointed directors. Funding for the Agency is to be provided by an annual assessment by the Agency on the regulated entities for the FHFA's reasonable costs and expenses. Congressional appropriations approval is not required.

Safety and soundness provisions

The legislation strengthens the existing safety and soundness oversight of the regulated entities, particularly with respect to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the enterprises), providing the new regulator with safety and soundness authority that is comparable to and in some areas broader than that of the federal bank regulatory agencies. Under the legislation, the Director of the Agency will have enhanced authority in several areas critical to the safety and soundness of the GSEs:

Capital. The legislation provides the Agency significantly strengthened authority to establish appropriate capital standards for the regulated entities. In particular, the legislation removes restrictions on authority of the enterprises' current regulator that limit the regulator's ability to impose risk-based capital requirements that cover the full range of risks encountered by the enterprises. Instead, the Agency will have broad authority to establish and adjust risk-based capital standards and critical capital levels for all of the regulated entities in order to ensure that they operate in a safe and sound manner and maintain sufficient capital reserves. The Committee expects that the new regulator will use this expanded authority to determine whether the existing rules for the enterprises, which focus primarily on interest rate risk, should be strengthened, supplemented, or replaced, such as with standards that focus on the particular assets held by the enterprises. The Committee believes that providing the Agency flexibility to establish comprehensive risk-based capital standards will considerably enhance ongoing oversight of the safety and soundness oversight of the enterprises, particularly in a prompt corrective action framework, and that strong risk-based capital rules, combined with appropriate risk management and supervisory oversight, are the best means of ensuring that the enterprises operate safely.

As is the case under banking laws and regulations, a robust risk-based capital regime is an effective first line of defense in a strong financial oversight system. The legislation provides, as a further safeguard to address issues related to safety and soundness, significant new authority to the Agency with respect to minimum capital requirements. The Agency will have the authority to adopt rules to revise the minimum capital levels of the enterprises or the Federal Home Loan Banks, or both, to the extent needed to ensure that they operate in a safe and sound manner. The Agency is given specific authority to increase the minimum capital requirement for an individual regulated entity by order on a temporary basis to address certain violations or unsafe and unsound conditions, with temporary increases rescinded when the underlying conditions are remedied. The legislation also provides the Agency authority to establish capital or reserve requirements for specific programs or activities of the regulated entities.

In all cases, the Committee expects the Agency to exercise this authority in a manner consistent with that of the federal banking regulators, by establishing capital requirements necessary to ensure the safety and soundness of the regulated entities themselves, and not to address broader issues of potential risk to the financial system unrelated to oversight of the safety and soundness of the regulated entities.

Prudential standards. The Agency is provided authority to set prudential management and operations standards for the regulated entities, confirming and clarifying the authority of the enterprises' current regulator to adopt such standards. The requirements of the legislation for the adoption of prudential standards are broadly comparable to the requirements currently applicable to the federal bank regulatory agencies. As with the bank regulatory agencies, the Agency would be required to establish standards for internal controls, internal audit, liquidity, asset and investment management, record systems, and management of interest rate, market, and credit risk, as well as other operational and management standards the Agency determines are appropriate.

Portfolio standards. In addition to the prudential standards requirements, the legislation includes a specific requirement for the establishment of standards for the safe and sound and mission-compliant operation of the enterprises' portfolios. The factors to be considered are limited accordingly to the safety and soundness and mission of the enterprises themselves, and not to the competitive or financial impact on other market participants. The Committee expects the new regulator to establish standards governing the future operation and growth of the portfolios that will both ensure the safety and soundness of the enterprises and enable them to provide the support for the secondary mortgage markets contemplated under their charters. The standards required under this section are not intended to address potential risks to the financial system unrelated to oversight of the safe and sound operation of the portfolios of the enterprises themselves. To be clear, any system risk that results from the unsafe or unsound operations of the portfolios will clearly be addressed when safety and soundness is addressed. However, the Committee does not believe that systemic risk can be attributed to the operation of the portfolios if they are operating in a safe and sound manner. Therefore, the requirement for the development of standards is not intended to permit the new regulator to place arbitrary limits on the size of the portfolios of the enterprises.

This legislation further requires that the Director monitor the portfolios of the enterprises and provides the Director with the extraordinary authority to require an enterprise to dispose of or acquire assets, if the Director determines that such action is consistent with the safety and soundness or mission of the enterprise and is justified by the Director's regulatory responsibilities. The Committee expects this authority to be used solely as necessary to ensure the safety and soundness of the enterprises or their compliance with the requirements of their charters. As with the portfolio standards, the Committee does not expect this authority to be used to place arbitrary limits on the size of the enterprises' portfolios.

Prompt corrective action. The legislation strengthens the existing requirements for prompt corrective action by the regulator in response to conditions that could result in significant degradation of the capital of the regulated entities. H.R. 1427 requires the Director to establish capital classifications for the regulated entities similar to those which exist for federally regulated banks and provides authority for the Director to take actions to return the enterprise to financial health.

Insolvency. The legislation would provide the new regulator with the authority to place a regulated entity into conservatorship or receivership if the Director determines that one or more of the statutory grounds exists. The new regulator also has authority to place a regulated entity that has been classified as critically undercapitalized entity into conservatorship or receivership. Further, the regulator must place the entity into receivership if the Agency determines that the debts of the entity have exceeded its assets for 30 days or the entity has not been paying its debts as they became due for 30 days. The conservatorship and receivership provisions were modeled after similar provisions in the Federal Deposit Insurance Act that apply to federally insured depository institutions.

These provisions are intended to address a criticism of the current regulatory regime for the enterprises, under which the existing regulator does not have the authority to place an enterprise in receivership, which some critics believe has led to inadequate market discipline with respect to the operations of the enterprises. Additionally, the legislation provides for the first time a specific framework for receivership of a Federal Home Loan Bank.

Enforcement powers. The legislation strengthens the existing enforcement powers of the current regulators. The Agency is vested with cease-and-desist powers, if the Director has reasonable cause to believe that the regulated entity or an affiliated party is engaged in an unsafe or unsound practice or other violation of law. The Agency is empowered to issue civil money penalties and has the authority to remove management.

Federal Home Loan Bank operations. H.R. 1427 improves the operations of the Federal Home Loan Bank System by permitting the formation of joint offices by two or more Banks, specifying that joint offices are subject to supervision and oversight to the same extent as are the Banks, requiring sharing of information among the Banks, and raising the total asset eligibility cap for community financial institution members that use advances for additional lending activities. Two or more Banks are permitted to merge with approval of the boards of the Banks involved and the Agency. The legislation reforms the method by which each Bank elects its board of directors, requiring that two-fifths be independent directors with at least two being public interest directors.

Other. The legislation includes a variety of additional measures intended to strengthen the new regulator, such as a provision adding the Agency as a liaison member of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC), as well as measures intended to strengthen the operation of the enterprises and Federal Home Loan Banks, such as corporate governance improvements and requirements for the composition, operation, and compensation of the boards of directors of the enterprises.

Mission Oversight

New product review. Under the legislation, the authority to review and approve new products is transferred from HUD to the Agency. New products will be subject to a public notice and comment period before an enterprise can initially offer the product. The Director must approve or deny the product within 30 days after the close of the public comment period; if the Director does not act within 30 days, the enterprise may offer the product. A product may only be approved if it is authorized by law, in the public interest, consistent with safety and soundness of the enterprise and the mortgage finance system, and does not materially impair the efficiency of the mortgage finance system. The legislation also provides for an expedited review process for any new activity, service, undertaking or offering that an enterprise determines is not a product. The Agency must be notified of any such activity, must determine whether the activity, service, undertaking, or offering consists of, relates to, or involves a product and, if so, must notify the enterprise of that determination and treat the new activity, service, undertaking or offering as a product.

The definition of the term `product' explicitly excludes the automated underwriting system of an enterprise in existence on the date of enactment, including any upgrade to the technology, operating system, or software to operate the system. The term `product' also does not include modifications to mortgage terms and conditions or mortgage underwriting criteria relating to the mortgages that are purchased or guaranteed by an enterprise, provided that such modifications do not alter the underlying transaction to include services or financing, other than residential mortgage financing, or create significant new exposure to risk for the enterprise or the holder of the mortgage. The term `product' is not defined in the legislation, other than by the exclusion.

The Committee believes that the legislation provides the Agency with the flexibility to establish a workable system that will provide predictability as to what offerings or changes to existing offerings rise to the level of a new product that will be subject to notice and approval, addressing both the need to provide notice to market participants of new products and the need for the enterprises to respond in a timely manner to market demands. The Committee intends that the Agency will look to similar processes developed by the federal bank regulatory agencies in establishing procedures to minimize unnecessary burden on the enterprises and originating institutions while fulfilling the objectives of the provision.

The provision does not apply to existing products or activities that were commenced or offered prior to the enactment of this legislation, but does not limit the authority of the Agency to review products and activities for safety and soundness and compliance with the enterprises' respective charters.

Conforming loan limits. The bill updates the statutory conforming loan limit dollar amounts to reflect 2007 levels, and requires the Agency to adjust the conforming loan limit according to the annual housing price index maintained by the Agency. An additional high-cost area limit is authorized for areas where the median home sales price with respect to certain properties in that area exceeds the generally conforming loan limit, up to the lower of 150 percent of the conforming loan limit or the median home price for such properties in that area. This is consistent with current statutory authority for loan limits to go up to 150 percent of the nationwide conforming loan limit in Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories. Loans in high-cost areas above the general conforming loan limit must be securitized. The Director will conduct a study of whether the securitization requirement raises the cost of high-cost area loans, and may terminate the requirement if it is found to raise costs.

Affordable Housing Goals. The affordable housing goals are revised to target these numerical goals to better meet the needs of lower income borrowers and communities, and to better align the income categories with the Community Reinvestment Act, in order to augment financial institutions' activities in serving low- and very-low income communities and families. The goals are also revised to create a statutory multifamily loan goal.

Under existing law, the enterprises must meet three annual housing goals established by HUD. These goals measure all single-family and multi-family mortgage purchases (including refinancings), and have been set as a percentage of total mortgage purchases that meet the three statutory goal categories, which are based on area median income (AMI), as follows: (1) `low-income' (less than 100 percent of AMI): (2) `special affordable' (less than 60 percent of AMI plus less than 80 percent of AMI in low-income areas; and (3) `central cities, rural areas and other underserved areas' (families in census tracts below 90 percent of AMI, plus families in minority census tracts below 120 percent of AMI). In addition, HUD has authority to establish subgoals, and currently uses such authority to establish home purchase subgoals and a multi-family subgoal, which is volume-based.

This legislation better targets these goals, by creating 3 single family owner occupied affordable housing goals, measuring mortgages that serve families which are: (1) `low income' (less than 80 percent of AMI), (2) `very low income' (less than 50 percent of AMI), and (3) living in census tracts below 80 percent of AMI plus those families below 100 percent of AMI living in minority census tracts. To reflect the narrowing of the types of loans measured, a statutory subgoal is established for refinancings, and a separate statutory subgoal is established for single family rental housing units.

In addition, the bill creates a statutory multifamily housing goal, to be based on loan volume, measuring units assisting low income families, very low income families, and units assisted by low income housing tax credits. The bill also requires establishment of additional requirements for smaller multifamily housing projects.

In establishing these goals, the legislation also recognizes that a verifiable measurement baseline is necessary to ensure consistency and accuracy over time. The Director is required to establish the single-family goals on Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data by using the prior 3-year market averages for each goal category, with authority to adjust such goals to reflect expected changes in market performance, using factors similar to those in current statute regarding goal establishment, and with a requirement that the enterprises must lead the market in each goal area. In addition, the Director must assign added credit toward achievement of the housing goals for mortgage purchase activities of an enterprise that supports housing that includes a licensed childcare center, or that supports housing that meets energy efficiency or other Federal, State or local environmental standards for the geographic area where the housing is located.

Duty to Serve. The bill also creates a statutory duty for the enterprises to serve underserved markets that lack adequate credit through conventional lending sources. The bill specifies three areas--manufactured housing, affordable housing preservation, and rural housing--and gives the Director authority to establish other underserved markets. Enterprises are required to develop loan products and flexible underwriting guidelines, and are to be evaluated on this basis, as well as the extent of outreach to qualified loan sellers and the volume of loans purchased. However, it is not intended that the Director would create percent-of-business or other numeric goals under this section.

Affordable Housing Fund. The legislation creates an `Affordable Housing Fund,' to be managed by the Director. Funds are derived through contributions to be made by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each year from 2007 through 2012, with the fund sunsetting after this five year period. Contributions are to be made in amounts equal to 1.2 basis points on each enterprise's average total outstanding mortgages (including both those held in portfolio and those securitized) from the prior calendar year. Seventy-five percent of these funds are used for affordable housing fund purposes, and twenty-five percent are allocated to the federal government as payments to REFCORP, in order to keep the bill deficit neutral. The Director can temporarily suspend allocations by an enterprise upon a finding that the allocation would contribute to the financial instability of the enterprise, would cause the enterprise to be undercapitalized or would prevent the enterprise from successfully completing a capital restoration plan.

Seventy-five percent of the affordable housing funds available in the first year will go to Louisiana and twenty-five percent of such funds will go to Mississippi for affordable housing needs arising out of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Thereafter, funds are allocated by formula to the states (including also D.C., federal territories, and federally recognized tribes). This formula is to be developed by HUD, and is to be based on a number of factors, including population, housing affordability, percentage of very and extremely low income families, cost of rehab, and extent of substandard and aging housing. If HUD fails to establish this formula on time, funds are distributed to states based on HOME allocations to states and Participating Jurisdictions.

One-hundred percent of funds must be used for the benefit of very low (below 50 percent of AMI) and extremely low (below 30 percent of AMI) income families. Very- and extremely low-income families are traditionally the hardest groups to provide affordable housing to without the availability of subsidies, and existing programs are often unable to provide the level of subsidies necessary to make rents affordable for such families. Funds may be used for both rental housing and homeownership, with at least ten percent of funds used by each state for home ownership. Home ownership purposes may include down payment assistance, closing costs, and assistance for interest-rate buy-downs for very low and extremely low income households who are first-time homebuyers. Families receiving homeownership assistance must have completed prepurchase counseling prior to buying the home. Funds also may be used for public infrastructure activities in conjunction with housing, but no more than 12.5 percent of funds in any state may be used for this purpose.

Affordable housing grants are to be made to eligible recipients, which can be any organization, agency, or other entity (including a for-profit entity, a nonprofit entity, or a faith-based organization) that has a demonstrated capacity to carry out the proposed fund use. Grantee funds may only be used for affordable housing uses, and not for administrative costs, except that by regulation the Director can limit the amount of any grant amounts a state (or DC, a territory, or tribe) may use for administrative costs of carrying out the program to a percentage of such grant amounts, which may not exceed 10 percent of grant funds used.

Each state allocates funds under its own Allocation Plan, to be based on priority housing needs in each state, and on criteria that include greatest impact, geographic diversity, ability to obligate funds in a timely manner, and the extent to which rental housing projects are affordable, especially for extremely low income families. Funds are redistributed from any state that does not obligate funds within 2 years.

The bill contains a number of provisions to ensure that AHF funds are used for the specified housing purposes and are not misused or used for other purposes, including an explicit prohibition against fund use for political activities, advocacy, lobbying, counseling, travel expenses, or preparation or advice on tax returns. The bill provides that funds allocated for the affordable housing fund, may be transferred at a later date to a national Affordable Housing Trust Fund that may be subsequently enacted into law.

The GAO shall conduct a study and report to Congress within one year of enactment concerning the effect the AHF will have on availability and affordability of credit for homebuyers, and the extent to which the costs to the enterprises of funding the AHF will be passed on to homebuyers.

Transition provisions. The bill ensures that OFHEO, the Finance Board, and the offices in HUD that oversee Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will continue their supervisory roles during the six-month period between the enactment and effective dates. During this time, OFHEO, the Finance Board, and HUD will have continued authority to issue regulations, ensure the safe and sound operation, and monitor the mission functions of the GSEs. On the effective date, all OFHEO, Finance Board, and HUD employees involved in the oversight of the GSEs will be transferred to the new Agency. All of the existing regulations from the former regulatory agencies will remain in force under the new Agency.

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and several of the Federal Home Loan Banks have experienced considerable accounting, financial reporting, and managerial problems in recent years. Significant operational and safety and soundness issues that have appeared since 2001 have highlighted the need to fortify the supervisory structure for all of the regulated entities to ensure that they conduct their business in a safe and sound manner and fulfill their statutory missions.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were chartered by Congress in order to create a secondary market and increase liquidity in the home mortgage markets. Through their charters, the GSEs are granted special privileges not available to other private-sector firms. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized, in his discretion, to purchase up to $2.25 billion of any obligations of the enterprises. The enterprises are exempt from state regulation, state income taxation, and SEC registration.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac buy residential mortgages from lenders and finance the purchases either by issuing debt securities or by packaging mortgages in the form of mortgage backed securities (MBS), on which they guarantee payment for a fee. Purchasers of the debt and MBS include mutual funds, major financial institutions, pension funds, insurance companies, individual investors, central banks, and other institutions in foreign countries. The safety and soundness of the enterprises is regulated by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO). HUD is responsible for mission regulation of the enterprises.

In 1992, Congress established affordable housing goals for the enterprises to ensure a more targeted transfer of GSE benefits to the housing market. Even though the enterprises are required by charter to help facilitate affordable housing, HUD has found that the enterprises lag behind the private sector in their affordable housing performance. Each enterprise must create an affordable housing fund in order for more of the subsidy to pass through to consumers.

The Federal Home Loan Bank System was established by Congress in 1932 to provide liquidity to home mortgage lenders. The Bank System encompasses twelve regional Federal Home Loan Banks (Banks), each of which is cooperatively owned by its commercial bank, savings association, credit union, and insurance company member institutions. The Banks issue debt for which they are jointly and severally liable, and use the proceeds principally to make collateralized advances to their 8,000-plus member institutions. Member institutions primarily secure advances with residential mortgages and other housing-related assets. The Federal Home Loan Banks are supervised by the Federal Housing Finance Board, an independent agency of the executive branch consisting of 5 appointed members. The System fulfills its mission by providing members with access to funding and technical assistance, and through special affordable housing and community and economic development programs.

The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) of the Federal Home Loan Banks is the largest private grant program for housing in the nation. The AHP is funded with 10 percent each of the Federal Home Loan Banks' annual earnings and has been a significant source of funds for financing the production and revitalization of affordable housing for people with low- and moderate-incomes. The AHP is a competitive program that provides grants to finance the purchase, construction, or rehabilitation of owner-occupied or rental housing. Grants can also be used to lower the interest rate on loans or cover down payment and closing costs. AHP grants are flexible and often serve as a `bridge' for housing projects, providing `gap' financing to make thousands of housing projects and home purchases. In 2005, approximately $230 million was made available for regional housing projects, creating almost 40,000 affordable housing units. Since the program's inception in 1991, over $2.54 billion dollars in AHP grants and subsidized advances have been awarded, creating almost 430,000 affordable housing units.

H.R. 1427 creates a similar program for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, establishing a new Affordable Housing Fund, funded through annual contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This new fund is designed to meet the affordable housing needs of our nation's poorest very low income and extremely low income families, which studies have shown have the most severe housing affordability needs. Traditionally, making housing affordable for such families requires deeper levels of housing subsidies than are typically available in most federal housing programs. The new Affordable Housing Fund is designed to target subsidies to these families. Funds are directed in the first year to meet housing needs arising out of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and in later years are distributed nationwide to states by formula.

As of December 31, 2004 (the last annual report filed), Fannie Mae reported total assets of approximately $1 trillion. As of December 31, 2006, Freddie Mac reported total assets of $813 billion, and the twelve Federal Home Loan Banks $1 trillion. As of the same date, Freddie Mac held $753 billion in outstanding debt, and the Federal Home Loan Banks $934 billion in debt. The combined portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have grown from $138 billion in 1990 to $1.4 trillion at year end 2006. The Federal Home Loan Banks held $98 billion at year end 2006.

Freddie Mac announced in January 2003 that it would need to revise its financial statements, resulting in a special review by OFHEO. Following the discovery of accounting irregularities and a reorganization of its management, Freddie Mac announced in November 2003 that it had overstated earnings by $1 billion in 2001. The company said the error in its 2001 earnings--restated to $3.16 billion from $4.15 billion--stemmed from failure to properly account for derivatives activity.

In December 2003, OFHEO released a report on the special examination of Freddie Mac finding that the enterprise disregarded accounting rules, internal controls and disclosure standards. Furthermore, the report found that overall the company had understated its earnings by $5 billion between 2001-2003, and that the Board of Directors had failed to exercise adequate oversight. Freddie Mac entered into a consent order and settlement with OFHEO, under which it was required to undertake remedial actions relating to governance, corporate culture, internal controls, accounting practices, disclosure and oversight. The company also paid a $125 million civil money penalty. On March 23, 2007, Freddie Mac released its 2006 year-end financial reports and expects to resume filing timely quarterly and annual financial statements in the second half of 2007. Once Freddie Mac becomes current in its financial reporting, the company will begin the process of registering its capital stock with the SEC.

Shortly after the announcement of Freddie Mac's financial reporting problems, OFHEO began a special examination of Fannie Mae. In September 2004, the agency issued a report identifying a number of deficiencies within Fannie Mae, including insufficient internal controls, the improper application of accounting standards, and inadequate corporate governance policies. OFHEO concluded that Fannie Mae was `significantly undercapitalized' in the third quarter of 2004, and required that the enterprise's minimum capital requirement be increased by 30% to strengthen its financial position.

In May 2006, Fannie Mae entered into a Consent Order to settle matters related to accounting, internal control and other failures leading to a restatement of earnings by and losses to the enterprise. Under the Consent Order, Fannie Mae paid $400 million in fines and penalties and undertook numerous remedial actions. At the end of 2006, Fannie Mae announced that the restatement of its financial reports would lower its reported earnings by a total of $6.3 billion for the period between 2001 and 2004. In February 2007, Fannie Mae announced its intention to file the company's 2005 annual report by the end of August and the 2006 annual report before the end of 2007.

Like Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae agreed to improve its internal controls and its corporate governance, and temporarily increase its capital levels. Fannie Mae additionally changed its leadership team in the wake of the accounting restatement, and OFHEO is presently pursuing administrative action against several former Fannie Mae executives.

A number of Federal Home Loan Banks also have identified financial reporting and management deficiencies in recent years. For example, during their efforts to register with the SEC six Federal Home Loan Banks (Atlanta, Dallas, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, and Topeka) determined that they had to restate certain financial statements due to misapplications of accounting standards, primarily those rules for derivative instruments and hedging activities. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago also restated its financials and entered into an agreement with the Finance Board to better manage its risks, but this announcement occurred prior to the SEC review.

Additionally, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle entered into a written supervisory agreement with the FHFB in December 2004. The agreement resulted from an excessive exposure to interest-rate risk volatility. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle has since filed and begun to implement a 3-year business and capital management plan to better manage its operations.

In the 109th Congress, the House Financial Services Committee approved H.R. 1461, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act, by a vote of 65 to 5. The legislation subsequently passed the House by a vote of 331 to 90. On October 31, 2005, H.R. 1461 was received in the Senate, read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. While the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs approved a GSE regulatory reform bill (S. 190), the legislation never came up for consideration on the Senate floor. As a result, H.R. 1461 died at the end of the 109th Congress.

HEARINGS

The Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on March 12, 2007, titled `Legislative Proposals on GSE Reform.' The following witnesses testified: Mr. John R. Price, President and Chief Executive Officer, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh; Mr. Thomas M. Stevens, Immediate Past President, National Association of Realtors; Mr. John M. Robbins, CMB, Chairman, Mortgage Bankers Association; Mr. Arthur R. Connelly, Chairman, South Shore Savings Bank; Mr. R. Michael Stewart Menzies, Sr., President/Chief Executive Officer, Easton Bank and Trust Company; Ms. Karen Shaw Petrou, Managing Partner, Federal Financial Analytics, Inc.; and Mr. Scott Stern, Chief Executive Officer, Lenders One, Chairman, National Alliance of Independent Mortgage Bankers.

The Financial Services Committee held a hearing on March 15, 2007, titled `Legislative Proposals on GSE Reform.' The following witnesses testified: The Honorable Robert Steel, Under Secretary for Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury; The Honorable James B. Lockhart III, Director, Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight; The Honorable John Dalton, President, Housing Policy Council, Financial Services Roundtable; Mr. Richard F. Syron, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Freddie Mac; Mr. Daniel H. Mudd, President and Chief Executive Officer, Fannie Mae; Gerald M. Howard, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Home Builders; Ms. Judith A. Kennedy, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Association of Affordable Housing Lenders; Mr. Allen J. Fishbein, Director of Housing and Credit Policy, Consumer Federation of America; Ms. Sheila Crowley, President, National Low Income Housing Coalition; Mr. Thomas Gleason, Board Member, National Council of State Housing Agencies; and Mr. Michael Flynn, Director of Government Affairs, Reason Foundation.

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Committee on Financial Services met in open session on March 28, 2007, and on March 29, 2007, ordered H.R. 1427, Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007, reported, as amended, with a favorable recommendation by a record vote of 45 yeas and 19 nays.

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the record votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. A motion by Mr. Frank to report the bill to the House with a favorable recommendation was agreed to by a record vote of 45 yeas and 19 nays (Record vote FC-37). The names of Members voting for and against follow:

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-37
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank        X                     Mr. Bachus       X         
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters       X                 Ms. Pryce (OH)   X             
Mrs. Maloney     X                     Mr. Castle   X             
Mr. Gutierrez    X                  Mr. King (NY)   X             
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman     X                       Mr. Paul       X         
Ms. Carson       X                    Mr. Gillmor   X             
Mr. Sherman      X                 Mr. LaTourette   X             
Mr. Meeks        X                   Mr. Manzullo       X         
Mr. Moore (KS)   X                      Mr. Jones   X             
Mr. Capuano      X                   Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa     X                      Mr. Shays   X             
Mr. Clay         X                Mr. Miller (CA)   X             
Mrs. McCarthy    X                    Mrs. Capito   X             
Mr. Baca         X                     Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch                          Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)  X               Mr. Garrett (NJ)       X         
Mr. Scott        X                Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green        X               Mr. Barrett (SC)       X         
Mr. Cleaver      X                      Mr. Renzi   X             
Ms. Bean         X                    Mr. Gerlach   X             
Ms. Moore (WI)   X                     Mr. Pearce       X         
Mr. Davis (TN)   X                 Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires        X                 Mr. Price (GA)       X         
Mr. Hodes        X                 Mr. Davis (KY)   X             
Mr. Ellison      X                    Mr. McHenry       X         
Mr. Klein        X                   Mr. Campbell       X         
Mr. Mahoney (FL) X                     Mr. Putnam       X         
Mr. Wilson       X                  Mrs. Bachmann       X         
Mr. Perlmutter   X                     Mr. Roskam       X         
Mr. Murphy       X                   Mr. Marchant       X         
Mr. Donnelly     X                                                
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall     X                                                
Mr. Boren        X                                                
------------------------------------------------------------------

The following amendments were disposed of by record votes. The names of Members voting for and against follow:

An amendment by Mr. Bachus, No. 2, striking section 128 (Affordable Housing Fund), was not agreed to by record vote of 15 yeas and 31 nays (Record vote FC-27):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-27
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)                 
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle                 
Mr. Gutierrez                       Mr. King (NY)   X             
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce   X             
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas   X             
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul                 
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor                 
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones                 
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert   X             
Mr. Hinojosa                            Mr. Shays       X         
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)   X             
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney   X             
Mr. Lynch                          Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott                         Ms. Brown-Waite                 
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver                             Mr. Renzi                 
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)                         Mr. Pearce   X             
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer                 
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)                 
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell                 
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson                          Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam                 
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant                 
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler             X                                          
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Bachus, No. 4, regarding Affordable Housing Fund amounts to FHLB affordable housing program, was not agreed to, as modified, by record vote of 16 yeas and 36 nays (Record vote FC-28):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-28
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker       X         
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle       X         
Mr. Gutierrez                       Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas   X             
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul                 
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor   X             
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette   X             
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones                 
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert   X             
Mr. Hinojosa                            Mr. Shays                 
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney   X             
Mr. Lynch                          Mr. Hensarling   X             
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott                         Ms. Brown-Waite                 
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver                             Mr. Renzi   X             
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)                         Mr. Pearce   X             
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer                 
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)   X             
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell                 
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam                 
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant                 
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler             X                                          
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mrs. Biggert, No. 8, requiring Affordable Housing Fund grants to be administered by HUD, was not agreed to by a record vote of 20 yeas and 35 nays (Record vote FC-29):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-29
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters                         Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle       X         
Mr. Gutierrez                       Mr. King (NY)                 
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas   X             
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul                 
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor   X             
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones                 
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert   X             
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays                 
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)   X             
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito   X             
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling   X             
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi   X             
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach   X             
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce                 
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer   X             
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)   X             
Mr. Ellison                           Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell   X             
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson                          Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam                 
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant   X             
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Hensarling, No. 11, on conforming loan limits, was not agreed to by a record vote of 10 yeas and 51 nays (Record vote FC-30):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-30
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)   X             
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle   X             
Mr. Gutierrez          X            Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce   X             
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul                 
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor       X         
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo       X         
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones       X         
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays                 
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling   X             
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce                 
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry       X         
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell       X         
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam                 
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant       X         
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Ms. Waters, No. 12, directing regulated entities to consider inclusion of minorities and women, was agreed to by a record vote of 34 yeas and 27 nays (Record vote FC-31):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-31
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank        X                     Mr. Bachus       X         
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker       X         
Ms. Waters       X                 Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney     X                     Mr. Castle                 
Mr. Gutierrez    X                  Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman     X                       Mr. Paul       X         
Ms. Carson       X                    Mr. Gillmor       X         
Mr. Sherman      X                 Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks        X                   Mr. Manzullo       X         
Mr. Moore (KS)   X                      Mr. Jones       X         
Mr. Capuano      X                   Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa     X                      Mr. Shays                 
Mr. Clay         X                Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy    X                    Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca         X                     Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch        X                 Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)  X               Mr. Garrett (NJ)       X         
Mr. Scott        X                Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green        X               Mr. Barrett (SC)       X         
Mr. Cleaver      X                      Mr. Renzi   X             
Ms. Bean         X                    Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)   X                     Mr. Pearce                 
Mr. Davis (TN)   X                 Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires        X                 Mr. Price (GA)       X         
Mr. Hodes        X                 Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison      X                    Mr. McHenry       X         
Mr. Klein        X                   Mr. Campbell       X         
Mr. Mahoney (FL) X                     Mr. Putnam       X         
Mr. Wilson       X                  Mrs. Bachmann       X         
Mr. Perlmutter   X                     Mr. Roskam       X         
Mr. Murphy       X                   Mr. Marchant       X         
Mr. Donnelly     X                                                
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall     X                                                
Mr. Boren        X                                                
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Frank, No. 14, reserving authority for Affordable Housing Fund grants, was agreed to, as modified, by a record vote of 35 yeas and 26 nays (Record vote FC-32):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-32
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank        X                     Mr. Bachus       X         
Mr. Kanjorksi                           Mr. Baker                 
Ms. Waters       X                 Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney     X                     Mr. Castle                 
Mr. Gutierrez    X                  Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman     X                       Mr. Paul       X         
Ms. Carson       X                    Mr. Gillmor       X         
Mr. Sherman      X                 Mr. LaTourette   X             
Mr. Meeks        X                   Mr. Manzullo       X         
Mr. Moore (KS)   X                      Mr. Jones       X         
Mr. Capuano      X                   Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa     X                      Mr. Shays                 
Mr. Clay         X                Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy    X                    Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca         X                     Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch        X                 Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)  X               Mr. Garrett (NJ)       X         
Mr. Scott        X                Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green        X               Mr. Barrett (SC)       X         
Mr. Cleaver      X                      Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean         X                    Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)   X                     Mr. Pearce                 
Mr. Davis (TN)   X                 Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires        X                 Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes        X                 Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison      X                    Mr. McHenry       X         
Mr. Klein        X                   Mr. Campbell       X         
Mr. Mahoney (FL) X                     Mr. Putnam       X         
Mr. Wilson       X                  Mrs. Bachmann       X         
Mr. Perlmutter   X                     Mr. Roskam       X         
Mr. Murphy       X                   Mr. Marchant       X         
Mr. Donnelly     X                                                
Mr. Wexler       X                                                
Mr. Marshall     X                                                
Mr. Boren        X                                                
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. McHenry, No. 17, establishing Habitat for Humanity as the recipient of Affordable Housing Fund grant, was not agreed to by a record vote of 13 yeas and 50 nays (Record vote FC-33):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-33
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus                 
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle       X         
Mr. Gutierrez          X            Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce       X         
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul   X             
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor       X         
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones   X             
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays       X         
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney   X             
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce                 
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)                 
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell   X             
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam   X             
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant   X             
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler             X                                          
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Garrett, No. 22, setting portfolio guidelines, was not agreed to by a record vote of 15 yeas and 48 nays (Record vote FC-34):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-34
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus                 
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle       X         
Mr. Gutierrez          X            Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce   X             
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas   X             
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul   X             
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor       X         
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones   X             
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays       X         
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney   X             
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce       X         
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)   X             
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry                 
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell   X             
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam   X             
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant   X             
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Neugebauer, No. 25, setting a cap on the Affordable Housing Fund, was not agreed to by a record vote of 30 yeas and 35 nays (Record vote FC-35):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-35
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)   X             
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle   X             
Mr. Gutierrez          X            Mr. King (NY)   X             
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce   X             
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas   X             
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul   X             
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor   X             
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette   X             
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones   X             
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert   X             
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays       X         
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)   X             
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito   X             
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney   X             
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite   X             
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach   X             
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce   X             
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer   X             
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)   X             
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)   X             
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell   X             
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam   X             
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant   X             
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

An amendment by Mr. Price, No. 27, setting portfolio requirements, was not agreed to by a record vote of 15 yeas and 50 nays (Record vote FC-36):

RECORD VOTE NO. FC-36
------------------------------------------------------------------
Representative   Aye Nay Present   Representative Aye Nay Present 
------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Frank              X               Mr. Bachus   X             
Mr. Kanjorski                           Mr. Baker   X             
Ms. Waters             X           Ms. Pryce (OH)       X         
Mrs. Maloney           X               Mr. Castle       X         
Mr. Gutierrez          X            Mr. King (NY)       X         
Ms. Velazquez                           Mr. Royce   X             
Mr. Watt                                Mr. Lucas       X         
Mr. Ackerman           X                 Mr. Paul   X             
Ms. Carson             X              Mr. Gillmor   X             
Mr. Sherman            X           Mr. LaTourette       X         
Mr. Meeks              X             Mr. Manzullo   X             
Mr. Moore (KS)         X                Mr. Jones       X         
Mr. Capuano            X             Mrs. Biggert       X         
Mr. Hinojosa           X                Mr. Shays       X         
Mr. Clay               X          Mr. Miller (CA)       X         
Mrs. McCarthy          X              Mrs. Capito       X         
Mr. Baca               X               Mr. Feeney       X         
Mr. Lynch              X           Mr. Hensarling                 
Mr. Miller (NC)        X         Mr. Garrett (NJ)   X             
Mr. Scott              X          Ms. Brown-Waite       X         
Mr. Green              X         Mr. Barrett (SC)   X             
Mr. Cleaver            X                Mr. Renzi       X         
Ms. Bean               X              Mr. Gerlach       X         
Ms. Moore (WI)         X               Mr. Pearce   X             
Mr. Davis (TN)         X           Mr. Neugebauer       X         
Mr. Sires              X           Mr. Price (GA)   X             
Mr. Hodes              X           Mr. Davis (KY)       X         
Mr. Ellison            X              Mr. McHenry   X             
Mr. Klein              X             Mr. Campbell   X             
Mr. Mahoney (FL)       X               Mr. Putnam   X             
Mr. Wilson             X            Mrs. Bachmann   X             
Mr. Perlmutter         X               Mr. Roskam       X         
Mr. Murphy             X             Mr. Marchant   X             
Mr. Donnelly           X                                          
Mr. Wexler                                                        
Mr. Marshall           X                                          
Mr. Boren              X                                          
------------------------------------------------------------------

The following other amendments were also considered by the Committee:

An amendment by Mr. Frank, No. 1, manager's amendment, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Sires, No. 3, providing an FHLB directors grandfather clause, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Frank, No. 5, establishing additional factors for portfolio standards, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Shays, No. 6, regarding Enterprise boards of directors, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Hinojosa, No. 7, providing homebuyers pre-purchasing counseling, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Frank, No. 9, requiring periodic review of core/minimum capital, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Baker, No. 10, requiring LHFA use of 2007 Affordable Housing Fund amounts, was offered and withdrawn.

An amendment by Mr. Neugebauer, No. 13, setting guidelines for eligible recipients of Affordable Housing Fund grants, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Gillmor, No. 15, directing each enterprise to include disclosure of income information, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Clay, No. 16, setting single family housing goal targets, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Lynch, No. 18, setting single family rental housing goals, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mrs. Biggert, No. 19, providing a limit on states' administrative costs of the Affordable Housing Fund, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Meeks, No. 20, regarding diversity in the Agency workforce, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Ms. Waters, No. 21, regarding Federal Housing Enterprise Board membership, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Royce, No. 23, striking limited-life entity proceeds, was not agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Perlmutter, No. 24, setting 125 percent credit for energy/environmental standards as housing goals, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mrs. Maloney, No. 26, setting housing goals credit for licensed childcare, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Ms. Waters, No. 28, taking community demographics into consideration in appointing independent directors, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Shays, No. 29, including information security/privacy controls, was agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. Paul, No. 30, eliminating authority for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHLBs to borrow from the Treasury, was not agreed to by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. McHenry (offered by Mr. Bachus), No. 31, setting limitations on Affordable Housing Fund recipients, was not agreed by a voice vote.

An amendment by Mr. McHenry (offered by Mr. Bachus), No. 32, requiring a GAO report on the Affordable Housing Fund, was agreed to, as modified by a voice vote.

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee held hearings and made findings that are reflected in this report.

PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee establishes the following performance related goals and objectives for this legislation:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will oversee the safe and sound operation as well as the mission functions of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank System. The Agency will be equipped with the tools and powers possessed by a world class regulator. The Agency will ensure that the GSEs do not pose a significant risk to the domestic or international financial system.

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues contained in the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act.

COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the following is the cost estimate provided by the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974:

April 23, 2007.

Hon. BARNEY FRANK,
Chairman, Committee on Financial Services,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: As you requested, the Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1427, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contacts are Susanne S. Mehlman (for federal spending), Emily Schlect (for federal revenues), Marjorie Miller (for the state and local impact), and Paige Piper/Bach (for the private-sector impact).

Sincerely,

PETER R. ORSZAG.

Enclosure.

H.R. 1427--Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2007

Summary: H.R. 1427 would establish a single regulator--the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)--for government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) involved in the home mortgage market. GSEs are privately owned, Congressionally chartered financial institutions created to enhance the availability of credit in the economy. The GSEs that would be regulated by FHFA under the bill include the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), and the Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs). These GSEs were created to increase the availability of credit for home mortgages.

FHFA would be an independent agency within the federal government with the authority to oversee the safety, soundness, and mission of the housing GSEs. Under H.R. 1427, FHFA would be authorized to collect fees from the GSEs and to spend such fees to pay for its operating costs. Because the GSEs would be compelled by the government to pay those fees, the amounts collected and spent would be recorded on the federal budget as governmental revenues and outlays, respectively. CBO expects that FHFA would become operational midway through fiscal year 2008, that its operations would cost about $50 million in 2008, and that fees collected by the agency would cover that spending.

The legislation also would require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to contribute amounts equal to 1.2 basis points on their average total mortgage portfolios (that is, 1.2 cents per $100 of the value of their mortgage portfolios) from the previous year to a new affordable housing fund created by the bill. Those contributions would occur over calendar years 2007 through 2011 and would be used for three purposes. First, each year, 25 percent of the funds deposited in the affordable housing fund would be used to pay some of the interest on the Resolution Funding Corporation (REF CORP) bonds that would otherwise be paid by the U.S. Treasury. Second, in the first year of the fund's operation, the remaining 75 percent of the funds would be used to fund the reconstruction of housing in areas of Louisiana and Mississippi affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In subsequent years, that remaining 75 percent would be used to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to support home ownership and rental housing among low-income households and investment in public infrastructure associated with housing activities.

As a result of the fees that would be collected and spent by FHFA and the transactions of the affordable housing fund, CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would increase revenues and direct spending by $2.7 billion over the 2008-2012 period and by $3.3 billion over the 2008-2017 period.

Finally, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1427 would result in net savings of about $22 million in discretionary spending over the next five years, assuming that appropriations are reduced to reflect the changes in regulatory structure that would be established in the legislation. Those savings would result from a reduction in the regulatory responsibilities of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

H.R. 1427 contains several intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), but CBO estimates that the aggregate costs to state, local, and tribal governments would be minimal and would not exceed the threshold established in that act ($66 million in 2007, adjusted annually for inflation). The bill also would authorize formula grants to support affordable housing programs, which would benefit state, local, and tribal governments.

H.R. 1427 would impose several private-sector mandates, as defined in UMRA, on Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the FHLBs. CBO estimates that the aggregate direct cost of those mandates would exceed the annual threshold established by UMRA ($131 million in 2007, adjusted annually for inflation) in fiscal years 2008 through 2011.

Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The bill's estimated budgetary impact over the next five years is summarized in Table 1. The costs of this legislation fall within budget function 370 (commerce and housing credit).

TABLE 1. ESTIMATED BUDGETARY IMPACT OF H.R. 1427
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--                     
                                                                                 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGES IN REVENUES                                                                                       
Estimated Revenues                                                                850  540  590  630  110 
CHANGES IN DIRECT SPENDING                                                                                
Estimated Budget Authority                                                        850  540  590  630  110 
Estimated Outlays                                                                 570  520  560  610  460 
CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION                                                              
Estimated Authorization Level                                                      -1   -3   -6   -6   -6 
Estimated Outlays                                                                  -1   -3   -6   -6   -6 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basis of estimate: The budgetary impact of the bill would stem mostly from the establishment of a new regulator for the GSEs and from the creation of the affordable housing fund. For this estimate, CBO assumes that H.R. 1427 will be enacted by the end of fiscal year 2007, that the affordable housing fund will become effective upon enactment, that the FHFA will become operational midway into fiscal year 2008, and that appropriation actions consistent with this bill will occur.

Background on GSE regulation

Currently, HUD is responsible for setting affordable housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and ensuring that these two GSEs meet such goals. HUD's oversight activities are funded from the agency's annual appropriation. In 2006, HUD spent about $6 million to perform those oversight responsibilities. In addition, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), an independent agency within HUD, currently oversees the financial safety and soundness of these two GSEs. OFHEO is funded through annual assessments collected from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; the collection and spending of those assessments are subject to appropriation actions. In 2007, OFHEO was authorized to collect and spend about $60 million to perform its duties.

The FHLB system, which consists of 12 regionally based banks, is currently regulated by the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB). FHFB is an independent agency that oversees the financial safety and soundness of the FHLBs as well as their mission compliance; it is funded through annual assessments collected on the earnings of the FHLBs. The collection and spending of those annual assessment are not subject to appropriation actions. In 2007, FHFB anticipates that assessments and spending will total about $34 million.

Under this legislation, beginning midway through 2008, FHFA would assume all of the responsibilities associated with oversight of Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's housing mission, which are currently under HUD's jurisdiction. Additionally, enacting H.R. 1427 would abolish OFHEO and FHFB six months following its enactment, and their functions and current staff would be transferred to FHFA. The legislation also would establish an Inspector General within FHFA.

Revenues and direct spending

CBO estimates that the collection and spending of fees by FHFA would increase revenues and direct spending by about $1.1 billion over the next 10 years.

We also estimate that enacting the affordable housing fund provisions of H.R. 1427 would increase revenues and direct spending by about $2.2 billion over the same period. CBO assumes that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would begin making deposits to the new, affordable housing funds in calendar year 2007, and that payments to REFCORP and spending for grants and other types of financial assistance from the funds also would begin in calendar year 2007. The estimated impact of the bill on direct spending and revenues over fiscal years 2008 through 2017 is shown in Table 2.

FHFA Fees and Spending. While many of the regulatory activities currently performed by HUD, OFHEO, and FHFB would continue under H.R. 1427, enacting this legislation also would establish some new authorities, such as the authority to liquidate a troubled or insolvent GSE and the authority to limit the portfolio holdings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (that is, the amount of mortgages that are held instead of repackaged and then sold as mortgage-backed securities) to ensure financial soundness and consistency with the mission of these two GSEs. In addition, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would not be able to undertake any new program without prior approval from the Director of FHFA. Also, section 106 of this legislation would authorize the Director of FHFA to assess fees on the housing-related GSEs each year to obtain funding for reasonable costs and expenses associated with FHFA's responsibilities. Those fees paid by the GSEs would be classified as federal revenues because they would be imposed through the exercise of the government's sovereign power.

TABLE 2- ESTIMATED IMPACT OF H.R. 1427 ON DIRECT SPENDING AND REVENUES
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--                                              
                                                                                               2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FHFA Fees:                                                                                                                                       
Estimated Budget Authority                                                                       50  100  110  110  110  110  120  120  120  120 
Estimated Outlays                                                                                50  100  110  110  110  110  120  120  120  120 
Estimated Revenues                                                                               50  100  110  110  110  110  120  120  120  120 
Affordable Housing Funds:                                                                                                                        
Estimated Budget Authority                                                                    1,070  590  640  690    0    0    0    0    0    0 
Estimated Outlays:                                                                                                                               
Fund Payments of REFCORP Interest                                                               270  150  160  170    0    0    0    0    0    0 
All Other Payments                                                                              520  420  450  500  350    0    0    0    0    0 
Total Outlays                                                                                   790  570  610  670  350    0    0    0    0    0 
Estimated Revenues                                                                              800  440  480  520    0    0    0    0    0    0 
Reduction in Treasury Payments of REFCORP Interest:                                                                                              
Estimated Budget Authority                                                                     -270 -150 -160 -170    0    0    0    0    0    0 
Estimated Outlays                                                                              -270 -150 -160 -170    0    0    0    0    0    0 
Total Impact of H.R. 1427 on Direct Spending and Revenues:                                                                                       
Estimated Budget Authority                                                                      850  540  590  630  110  110  120  120  120  120 
Estimated Outlays                                                                               570  520  560  610  460  110  120  120  120  120 
Estimated Revenues                                                                              850  540  590  630  110  110  120  120  120  120 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Revenue Effects of the Fees Assessed by FHFA. CBO estimates that FHFA would require annual funding of about $50 million in 2008, approximately half the amount that will be spent under current law to oversee the GSEs in 2007. In susbsequent years, we estimate that the new agency would spend $100 million to $120 million a year. Under the bill, the first assessment by FHFA would occur midway into 2008, and CBO estimates that resulting collections would total about $1.1 billion over the 2008-2017 period. We expect that the fees assessed by FHFA would be roughly the same amount currently paid to OFHEO and FHFB. CBO estimates that any increase in costs stemming from the new responsibilities of FHFA would be offset by savings from merging the technical and administrative functions of OFHEO and FHFB.

CBO expects that the new collections under the bill would be treated as revenues in the budget. Because the new fees paid by the GSEs to FHFA would be approximately equal to the amounts they would pay to OFHEO and FHFB under current law, taxable incomes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac or of other entities in the economy would not change significantly under the bill.

Spending Effects of the Fees Assessed by FHFA. CBO expects that such spending would begin in fiscal year 2008 after FHFA is established. We estimate that, in most years, FHFA would spend the total amount of fees it collects from the GSEs. Thus, enacting this provision would increase federal outlays by about $480 million over the 2008-2012 period and by about $1.1 billion over the 2008-2017 period.

Affordable Housing Fund. Section 139 of H.R. 1427 would establish an affordable housing fund managed by the Director of FHFA. To support that fund, both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be required to contribute amounts equal to 1.2 basis points on the previous year's average mortgage portfolio, (including mortgages held and those securitized), provided that the GSE is adequately capitalized and such contributions would not contribute to the GSE's financial instability. Under the legislation, these contributions by the GSEs would occur over calendar years 2007 through 2011 and would be used to pay some of the interest on REFCORP bonds, provide assistance to areas impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and provide grants to states to support home ownership and public infrastructure. No later than June 30, 2011, the Director of FHFA would be required to report to the House Committee on Financial Services and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on whether the affordable housing fund should be extended or modified after the end of calendar year 2011.

REFCORP Bonds. The Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) was created by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA) in the aftermath of the savings and loan crisis of the late 1980s as a means of liquidating insolvent institutions. FIRREA also established REFCORP to finance the operations of the RTC by issuing bonds. REFCORP issued about $30 billion in noncallable long-term bonds that mature between October 2019 and April 2030. The annual interest payable on those bonds through 2019 is $2.6 billion. (Interest payments will decrease from 2020 through 2030 as the bonds mature.)

The bulk of the interest on these bonds is paid by the U.S. Treasury. Under FIRREA, and later under the Gramm-Leach-Biley Act of 2000, the FHLBs are required to pay some of the interest due on these bonds. To the extent that those payments from the FHLBs are not sufficient to pay the interest due on the bonds, the U.S. Treasury is required to pay the remaining amounts due. (In 2006, for example, the Treasury paid about $2 billion of the interest due.) H.R. 1427 would direct that 25 percent of the amounts deposited in the affordable housing fund each year to be used to pay some of the interest on REFCORP Bonds. Thus, CBO estimates that the amount of interest paid by the Treasury would decrease over the 2008-2012 period by about $750 million.

Grants and other Financial Assistance. In fiscal year 2008, the remaining 75 percent of the deposits to the affordable housing fund would be provided to the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency and the Mississippi Development Authority to support reconstruction of affordable housing in areas affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In subsequent years, 75 percent of the deposits to the affordable housing fund would be used to provide grants to states and Indian tribes to support efforts to increase and improve home ownership and rental housing for extremely low- and very low-income families, and investment in public infrastructure associated with housing activities. The funds would be distributed based on a formula developed by HUD. Also under the bill, the fund's resources could not be used to fund activities, such as lobbying or counseling services, or pay for a grantee's administrative expenses.

Budgetary Treatment of the Affordable Housing Fund. The required contributions to the affordable housing fund would be considered revenues because the bill compels their expenditure for governmental purposes. The deposit of specific amounts into the new fund would be compulsory, not voluntary. Likewise, expenditures from the fund would be a form of federal spending because the affordable housing funds could be obligated only for purposes specified in the bill. (FHFA would enforce the requirement for deposits into the affordable housing fund and would oversee spending of those funds to ensure compliance with federal purposes.)

Revenue Impact of Establishing the Affordable Housing Fund. The estimated revenue effect of establishing the fund consists of two broad components. First, the levy on the average total mortgage portfolio (that is, payments equal to 1.2 basis points on the value of the average mortgage portfolio) would be accounted for as a revenue when credited to the affordable housing fund. The combined mortgage portfolio for these GSEs has averaged $3.8 trillion over the last five years. CBO estimates that future portfolios of these entities will grow by CBO's forecast of mortgage debt outstanding (that is, mortgage debt on one to four family residences), which is estimated to be about 5 percent to 7 percent annually . We also estimate that because section 133 of this legislation would permit the GSEs to securitize and sell certain high-dollar loans in high-cost areas, a small expansion in the GSEs' volume of mortgage-backed securities would result.

CBO assumes that H.R. 1427 will be enacted by the end of fiscal year 2007, which would result in two assessments occurring in fiscal year 2008 and one assessment in each of the subsequent three fiscal years. The first assessment for the affordable housing fund would be based on the 2006 value of mortgage portfolios and would occur in calendar year 2007, but paid in fiscal year 2008. CBO estimates that in 2006 the value of the mortgage portfolios for both GSEs totaled about $4.3 trillion, and we estimate that the assessment for 2008 would total $520 million. In addition, an assessment on the 2007 value of mortgage portfolios would be collected in fiscal year 2008 of about $550 million in fiscal year 2008. CBO estimates that over the 2008-2011 period, assessments would total about $3.0 billion. (Under H.R. 1427, collections would stop in 2011; continuation of the fund would require additional legislative action.)

Second, spending of amounts from the affordable housing fund for both payments to the REFCORP and financial assistance to affordable housing programs would generate deductions against taxable corporate profits for the two GSEs. If the GSEs' taxable profits were reduced as a result of the affordable housing program, they would pay lower corporate income taxes. If the GSEs passed through some of the assessments to customers in the form of higher fees, other taxable incomes in the economy would presumably be lower. Therefore, CBO estimates that the payments to the affordable housing fund would reduce total