prompt_front: You are given two reports by the government agency.



Question: Write a one-page summary of the report 1.



Report 2: T he Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed or permanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty  The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty  Both programs are administered by the PSOB Office of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)  Congress appropriates funds for these programs in the annual Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act  For FY2019, the one-time lump-sum PSOB benefit is $359,316 and the monthly full-time attendance PSOEA assistance is $1,224  The PSOB and PSOEA benefit amounts are indexed to reflect changes in the cost of living  Table 1 shows PSOB and PSOEA claims and approvals as reported by DOJ  To be eligible for PSOB benefits for death or disability, a person must have served in one of the following categories of public safety officers: law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain in a public agency; FEMA employee or a state, local, or tribal emergency management agency employee; or emergency medical services member  There is no minimum amount of time a person must have served to be eligible for benefits  To be eligible for PSOB benefits as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain, a person must have served in a "public agency" in an official capacity, with or without compensation  For the purposes of PSOB eligibility, a public agency is defined as the federal government and any department, agency, or instrumentality of the federal government; and any state government, the District of Columbia government, and any U S  territory or possession; and any local government, department, agency, or instrumentality of a state, the District of Columbia, or any U S  territory or possession  For the purposes of PSOB eligibility, a law enforcement officer is defined as "an individual involved in crime and juvenile delinquency control or reduction, or enforcement of the criminal laws (including juvenile delinquency), including, but not limited to, police, corrections, probation, parole, and judicial officers " For the purposes of PSOB eligibility, the definition of firefighter includes both professional firefighters and persons serving as an "officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized volunteer fire department " A chaplain is eligible for PSOB benefits (1) if he or she is either an "officially recognized or designated member of a legally organized volunteer fire department or legally organized police department" or public employee of a police or fire department and (2) only if he or she was performing the duties of a chaplain in an official capacity while responding to a police, fire, or rescue emergency  Employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state, local, or tribal emergency management agencies may be eligible for PSOB benefits under certain conditions provided in statute  A FEMA employee or an employee of a state, local, or tribal emergency management agency working with FEMA is eligible for PSOB benefits if he or she is performing official duties that are related to a major disaster or an emergency declared under the Robert T  Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) and that are considered hazardous by the FEMA Administrator or the head of the state, local, or tribal agency  A member, including a volunteer member, of a rescue squad or "ambulance crew" who is authorized or licensed by law and the applicable agency and is engaging in rescue services or providing emergency medical services may be eligible for PSOB benefits  The rescue squad or ambulance service may provide ground or air ambulance services and may be either a public agency or a nonprofit entity authorized to provide rescue or emergency medical services  By PSOB regulation, eligible emergency medical services workers include rescue workers, ambulance drivers, paramedics, health care responders, emergency medical technicians, or others who are trained in rescue activity or emergency medical services and have the legal authority and responsibility to provide such services  The PSOB program pays benefits if a public safety officer becomes permanently and totally disabled or dies "as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury sustained in the line of duty " To qualify for coverage under the PSOB program, a public safety officer's disability or death must have been the result of a personal injury  The PSOB regulation defines an injury for the purposes of benefit eligibility as a traumatic physical wound (or a traumatized physical condition of the body) directly and proximately caused by external force (such as bullets, explosives, sharp instruments, blunt objects, or physical blows), chemicals, electricity, climatic conditions, infectious disease, radiation, virii, or bacteria     The regulation also provides that the definition of an injury does not include an occupational disease or a condition of the body caused by stress or strain, including psychological conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder  However, the PSOB statute specifically provides for deaths caused by certain cardiovascular conditions  The death of a public safety officer due to a heart attack, stroke, or vascular rupture shall be presumed to be a death from a personal injury for the purposes of PSOB eligibility if the officer engaged in nonroutine stressful or strenuous physical activity as part of an emergency response or training exercise; and if the condition began during the physical activity, while the officer remained on duty after the physical activity, or within 24 hours of the physical activity  The PSOB program covers a public safety officer's death or disability if it occurred as the result of an injury incurred in the line of duty  The PSOB regulations provide that an injury occurs in the line of duty if it (1) is the result of the public safety officer's authorized activities while on duty, (2) occurs while responding to an emergency or request for assistance, or (3) occurs while commuting to or from duty in an authorized department or personal vehicle  In addition, if there is convincing evidence that the injury was the result of the individual's status as a public safety officer, that injury is covered by the PSOB program  The lump-sum PSOB death and disability benefit for FY2019 is $359,316  The benefit amount is adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living using the annual percentage change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the one-year period ending in the previous June  If a public safety officer receives a disability benefit and later dies from the same injury, the officer's survivors may not receive a PSOB death benefit  The payable benefit amount is based on the date of the public safety officer's death or the date of the injury that caused the disability, rather than on the date of application for benefits or disability determination  Thus, if a benefit increase occurs while an application is pending, the benefit is payable at the previous, lower, benefit level  Death and disability benefits are not subject to the federal income tax  In general, PSOB death and disability benefits are paid in addition to any other workers' compensation, life insurance, or other benefits paid for the death of a public safety officer  However, the PSOB death benefit is offset by the following benefits: benefits under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act (FECA) payable to state and local law enforcement officers injured or killed while enforcing federal law; benefits under the D C  Retirement and Disability Act of 1916 for certain police officers and firefighters in the District of Columbia; and payments from the September 11 th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF)  PSOB death benefits are payable to the eligible spouse and children of a public safety officer  A spouse is the person to whom the officer is legally married, even if physically separated, under the marriage laws of the jurisdiction where the marriage took place  Pursuant to regulations issued after the Supreme Court struck down the federal Defense of Marriage Act in United States v  Windsor , the legally married spouse of a public safety office may be of the same sex as the officer  A child is defined as any "natural, illegitimate, adopted, or posthumous child or stepchild" of the public safety officer who, at the time of the public safety officer's fatal or catastrophic injury, is 18 years of age or under; between 18 and 23 years of age and a full-time student in high school or undergraduate higher education; or over 18 years of age and incapable of self-support because of physical or mental disability  PSOB death benefits are paid to eligible survivors in the following order: 1
Report 2:  Our analysis of information provided by DOD about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain tactical and nontactical radios illustrates the limited amount of information DOD has on ANDSF conventional forces’ tactical abilities  Specifically, DOD officials could not say how well ANDSF personnel on the front lines operate radios in the field and had only limited information on the ANDSF’s ability to maintain radios  For example, the officials noted that the ANA conventional forces can perform some unit-level radio repairs but that complex ANA radio maintenance and all ANP radio maintenance is conducted by contractors  DOD officials at Resolute Support headquarters told us that they provide ministerial- level advising on how to manage ANDSF radio systems and do not provide tactical advising or inventory control for radios  See appendix III for more information on the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain radios  Our analysis of information provided by DOD about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV) highlights the limited amount of information DOD has on ANDSF conventional forces’ tactical abilities compared with specialized forces  DOD officials were able to provide operation and maintenance information for MSFVs that had transferred to the specialized forces as of January 2018 but were unable to provide operation and maintenance information for any other MSFVs  The ANDSF began transferring one of the ANDSF’s two MSFV brigades from the conventional to specialized forces in August 2017, according to DOD officials  As part of this transfer, NSOCC-A advisors—who provide tactical-level advising for the Afghan Special Security Forces—assumed oversight for the first brigade from Resolute Support headquarters advisors  DOD officials stated that the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain MSFVs in this brigade prior to the transfer was unknown, as neither Resolute Support headquarters nor the ANA had assessed this  The operation and maintenance abilities of the second brigade, which is still in the conventional forces, remains unknown  DOD officials at NSOCC-A were able to provide information such as inventory and mission capability rates for the MSFVs that had transferred, but only for the short period of time the vehicles had been under the control of the specialized forces  DOD officials told us that NSOCC-A plans to collect more information on the specialized forces’ ability to operate and maintain MSFVs as they are transferred  See appendix IV for more information on the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain MSFVs  In the absence of embedded advisors at the tactical level, DOD has not implemented alternative approaches to collect reliable information about the conventional forces’ ability to operate and maintain equipment  Federal internal control standards state that U S  agencies should obtain and process reliable information to evaluate performance in achieving key objectives and assessing risks  DOD officials acknowledged that some of the plans described above that DOD and the ANDSF have begun implementing to address capability gaps may provide opportunities for DOD to collect more reliable information on the conventional forces’ ability to operate and maintain U S -purchased equipment  For example, the National Maintenance Strategy Ground Vehicle Support contract requires that contractors regularly report the total work orders received, work in progress, and completed maintenance work performed by ANDSF personnel as well as vehicle availability rates, which may be more reliable than the ANDSF’s monthly report on vehicle availability  In addition, the Security Force Assistance Brigade may be able to collect and report on the tactical abilities of units they advise and accompany on missions since they are being deployed at or below the corps and zone levels  However, as of June 2018, DOD officials had not decided which, if any, of these options to pursue  Without reliable information on the equipment operation and maintenance abilities of ANDSF conventional forces, which represent nearly 75 percent of the ANDSF, DOD may be unable to fully evaluate the success of its train, advise, assist, and equip efforts in Afghanistan  The United States invested nearly $84 billion in Afghan security in the 17- year period spanning fiscal years 2002 through 2018, but DOD continues to face challenges to developing a self-sustaining ANDSF  While DOD has reported the ANDSF have improved in several capability areas, they continue to face critical capability gaps, impeding their ability to maintain security and stability in Afghanistan independent of U S  and coalition forces  Moreover, DOD lacks reliable information about the degree to which conventional forces—which make up about three-quarters of the ANDSF—are able to operate and maintain U S -purchased equipment  This limits DOD’s ability to fully evaluate the success of its train, advise, assist, and equip efforts in Afghanistan  The Secretary of Defense should develop and, as appropriate, implement options for collecting reliable information on the ANDSF conventional forces’ ability to operate and maintain U S -purchased equipment  (Recommendation 1) We provided a draft of this report to DOD and State for comment  DOD declined to provide written comments specifically on this public version of the report, but DOD’s comments on the sensitive version of this report are reprinted in appendix V  The sensitive version of this report included two recommendations, which DOD cited in its comments on the draft of the sensitive report  One of those recommendations related to information that DOD deemed to be sensitive and that must be protected from public disclosure  Therefore, we have omitted that recommendation from DOD’s comment letter in appendix V  This omission did not have a material effect on the substance of DOD’s comments  In its comments, DOD concurred with the recommendation we made in this version of the report and stated it will take steps to implement it  DOD also provided technical comments, which we incorporated as appropriate  The Department of State had no comments  We are sending copies of this report to the appropriate congressional committees, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of State  In addition, the report is available at no charge on the GAO website at http://www gao gov  If you or your staff has any questions about this report please contact me at (202) 512-7114 or farbj@gao gov  Contact points for our Offices of Congressional Relations and Public Affairs may be found on the last page of this report  GAO staff who made key contributions to this report are listed in appendix VI  House Report 114-537 associated with the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 included a provision for us to review the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces’ (ANDSF) capability and capacity to operate and sustain U S -purchased weapon systems and equipment  This report is a public version of a sensitive report that we issued on September 20, 2018  Our September report included three objectives, including one on the extent to which DOD considers ANDSF input and meets their needs when identifying equipment requirements  DOD deemed the information related to that objective to be sensitive, which must be protected from public disclosure  Consequently, we removed that objective and a related recommendation from this public report  This version includes information on the other two objectives: (1) what has been reported about ANDSF capabilities and capability gaps and (2) the extent to which DOD has information about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain U S -purchased equipment  Although the information provided in this report is more limited, the report uses the same methodology for the two objectives as the sensitive report  To identify what has been reported about ANDSF capabilities and capability gaps, we reviewed North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and DOD documents and reports, such as DOD’s semiannual Section 1225 reports to Congress, produced after the start of the NATO-led Resolute Support mission on January 1, 2015  To determine what steps DOD and NATO have taken to try to address gaps, we reviewed reports the Center for Naval Analyses produced for DOD, as well as DOD and NATO documents and reports produced after January 1, 2015, and reports from GAO, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), and the DOD Inspector General  We also interviewed Center for Naval Analyses representatives and DOD officials in the United States and Afghanistan, including DOD officials at the Combined Security Transition Command–Afghanistan (CSTC-A) and in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (OSD-P) who helped create the DOD reporting we reviewed  To determine the extent to which DOD has information about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain U S -purchased equipment, we reviewed DOD documents and reports and interviewed DOD officials in the United States and Afghanistan, including DOD officials who advise the ANDSF  We also reviewed federal internal control standards to determine what responsibilities agencies have specifically related to information collection  To provide illustrative examples of information DOD has about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain U S - purchased equipment and what that information indicates about the ANDSF’s abilities and challenges, we interviewed and analyzed written responses from DOD officials, including DOD officials who provide procurement and lifecycle management for some ANDSF aircraft and vehicles, about three equipment types—MD-530 helicopters, Mobile Strike Force Vehicles (MSFV), and radios  We selected these three equipment types from a list that we developed, for an August 2017 report, of key ANDSF equipment the United States purchased from fiscal years 2003 through 2016  We made our selections after reviewing DOD documentation and interviewing DOD officials regarding a number of considerations, such as (1) how critical the equipment is to the ANDSF’s ability to achieve its mission; (2) which ANDSF component uses the equipment (i e , Afghan National Police, Afghan National Army, or both); (3) whether DOD intends to continue procuring the equipment for the ANDSF; and (4) whether the equipment had been in use at least 5 years  We collected detailed information about the ANDSF’s ability to operate and maintain MD-530 helicopters, MSFVs, and radios, as well as other key statistics DOD provided about the equipment, such as inventory, average lifespan, average cost, role, and training  This information was based mainly on DOD responses collected from January 2018 to February 2018 as well as DOD documents and reports produced after January 1, 2015  The total amount of MD-530s and radios authorized for procurement was based on DOD data that we collected for our August 2017 report on key ANDSF equipment the United States purchased in fiscal years 2003 through 2016, which we supplemented with additional data DOD provided on U S -purchased equipment from October 1, 2016, through December, 31, 2017  The performance audit upon which this report is based was conducted from August 2016 to September 2018 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards  Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate, evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives  We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives  We subsequently worked with DOD from September 2018 to October 2018 to prepare this public version of the original sensitive report for public release  This public version was also prepared in accordance with those standards  Manufacturer: MD Helicopters, Inc  U S  Program Management Office: U S  Army, Non-Standard Rotary Wing Aircraft Project Management Office Program Advising: Train Advise Assist Command–Air (TAAC-Air) The United States originally procured 6 unarmed MD-530s for the AAF for rotary wing training in 2011  In 2014, the United States purchased 12 armed MD-530s and began retrofitting the 5 remaining trainer helicopters with armament for operational missions to address a close air attack gap  MD- 530s were chosen to fill the gap over other aircraft, in part because they could be delivered relatively quickly as the AAF awaited A-29 light attack aircraft that were experiencing procurement delays, according to Department of Defense (DOD) officials  The United States procured additional MD-530s in 2015, 2016, and 2017 because of the aircraft’s positive impact on the battlefield, according to DOD officials (see fig  3)  Key Statistics Variants: All can be armed with  50-cal machine gun pods and/or 2 75 inch rocket pods  Total Authorized for Procurement: 60 as of December 31, 2017 Inventory: 25 as of January 2018 (30 are scheduled for delivery; attrition of 5 due to crashes and enemy fire) Average Lifespan: Absent mishaps, and with good maintenance, there is no defined lifespan limit for MD-530s, according to DOD officials  National Army and Afghan National Police, depending on the mission, in all but one region of Afghanistan, which is supported by other aircraft  MD-530s are typically tasked two at a time for missions, according to DOD officials  An MD-530 crew consists of a pilot and co-pilot, according to DOD  Average cost: $6 3 million per aircraft, including all electronic devices, weapons management systems, and weapons (excluding ordnance), according to DOD officials  o Division of labor is based on the individual crew members' capabilities, with one pilot handling navigation and communication while the other identifies targets and operates the weapon systems  Army pilot advisors at Kandahar Air Field, according to DOD officials  o MD-530 pilot training takes about 3 years (see fig  4)  1  The GAO report number cited in DOD’s letter refers to a draft of the sensitive version of this report, which we issued on September 20, 2018  Prior to issuing that version, we changed its report number to GAO-18- 662SU to reflect its sensitive nature  That version of this report included two recommendations  The second recommendation has been omitted from DOD’s letter in this public version because it was related to information that DOD deemed to be sensitive  In addition to the contact named above, Joyee Dasgupta (Assistant Director), Kara Marshall, Katherine Forsyth, and Bridgette Savino made key contributions to this report  The team also benefitted from the expert advice and assistance of David Dayton, Neil Doherty, Justin Fisher, Ashley Alley, Cary Russell, Marie Mak, James Reynolds, Sally Williamson, Ji Byun, and J  Kristopher Keener 

ground_truth: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), an agency of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), was created by the National Housing Act of 1934. FHA insures private lenders against the possibility of borrowers defaulting on mortgages that meet certain criteria, thereby expanding the availability of mortgage credit beyond what may be available otherwise. If the borrower defaults on the mortgage, FHA is to repay the lender the remaining amount owed. A household that obtains an FHA-insured mortgage must meet FHA's eligibility and underwriting standards, including showing that it has sufficient income to repay a mortgage. FHA requires a minimum down payment of 3.5% from most borrowers, which is lower than the down payment required for many other types of mortgages. FHA-insured mortgages cannot exceed a statutory maximum mortgage amount, which varies by area and is based on area median house prices but cannot exceed a specified ceiling in high-cost areas. (The ceiling is set at $726,525 in high-cost areas in calendar year 2019.) Borrowers are charged fees, called mortgage insurance premiums, in exchange for the insurance. In FY2018, FHA insured over 1 million new mortgages (including both home purchase and refinance mortgages) with a combined principal balance of $209 billion. FHA's share of the mortgage market tends to vary with economic conditions and other factors. In the aftermath of the housing market turmoil that began around 2007 and a related contraction of mortgage lending, FHA insured a larger share of mortgages than it had in the preceding years. Its overall share of the mortgage market increased from about 3% in calendar year 2005 to a peak of 21% in 2009. Since that time, FHA's share of the mortgage market has decreased somewhat, though it remains higher than it was in the early 2000s. In calendar year 2017, FHA's overall share of the mortgage market was about 17%. FHA-insured mortgages, like all mortgages, experienced increased default rates during the housing downturn that began around 2007, leading to concerns about the stability of the FHA insurance fund for single-family mortgages, the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund). In response to these concerns, FHA adopted a number of policy changes in an attempt to limit risk to the MMI Fund. These changes have included raising the fees that it charges and making changes to certain eligibility criteria for FHA-insured loans.

prompt_front: You are given two reports by the government agency.



Question: Write a one-page summary of the report 2.

Report 1: The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is an agency of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that insures private mortgage lenders against the possibility of borrowers defaulting on certain mortgage loans  If a mortgage borrower defaults on a mortgage—that is, does not repay the mortgage as promised—and the home goes to foreclosure, FHA is to pay the lender the remaining amount that the borrower owes  FHA insurance protects the lender, rather than the borrower, in the event of borrower default; a borrower who defaults on an FHA-insured mortgage will still experience the consequences of foreclosure  To be eligible for FHA insurance, the mortgage must be originated by a lender that has been approved by FHA, and the mortgage and the borrower must meet certain criteria  FHA is one of three government agencies that provide insurance or guarantees on certain home mortgages made by private lenders, along with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)  Of these federal mortgage insurance programs, FHA is the most broadly targeted  Unlike VA- and USDA-insured mortgages, the availability of FHA-insured mortgages is not limited by factors such as veteran status, income, or whether the property is located in a rural area  However, the availability or attractiveness of FHA-insured mortgages may be limited by other factors, such as the maximum mortgage amount that FHA will insure, the fees that it charges for insurance, and its eligibility standards  This report provides background on FHA's history and market role and an overview of the basic eligibility and underwriting criteria for FHA-insured home loans  It also provides data on the number and dollar volume of mortgages that FHA insures, along with data on FHA's market share in recent years  It does not go into detail on the financial status of the FHA mortgage insurance fund  For information on FHA's financial position, see CRS Report R42875, FHA Single-Family Mortgage Insurance: Financial Status of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund)   The Federal Housing Administration was created by the National Housing Act of 1934, during the Great Depression, to encourage lending for housing and to stimulate the construction industry  Prior to the creation of FHA, few mortgages exceeded 50% of the property's value and most mortgages were written for terms of five years or less  Furthermore, mortgages were typically not structured to be fully repaid by the end of the loan term; rather, at the end of the five-year term, the remaining loan balance had to be paid in a lump sum or the mortgage had to be renegotiated  During the Great Depression, lenders were unable or unwilling to refinance many of the loans that became due  Thus, many borrowers lost their homes through foreclosure, and lenders lost money because property values were falling  Lenders became wary of the mortgage market  FHA institutionalized a new idea: 20-year mortgages on which the loan would be completely repaid at the end of the loan term  If borrowers defaulted, FHA insured that the lender would be fully repaid  By standardizing mortgage instruments and setting certain standards for mortgages, the creation of FHA was meant to instill confidence in the mortgage market and, in turn, help to stimulate investment in housing and the overall economy  Eventually, lenders began to make long-term mortgages without FHA insurance if borrowers made significant down payments  Over time, 15- and 30-year mortgages have become standard mortgage products  When the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was created in 1965, FHA became part of HUD  Today, FHA is intended to facilitate access to affordable mortgages for some households who otherwise might not be well-served by the private market  Furthermore, it facilitates access to mortgages during economic or mortgage market downturns by continuing to insure mortgages when the availability of mortgage credit has otherwise tightened  For this reason, it is said to play a "countercyclical" role in the mortgage market—that is, it tends to insure more mortgages when the mortgage market or overall economy is weak, and fewer mortgages when the economy is strong and other types of mortgages are more readily available  Some prospective homebuyers may have the income to sustain monthly mortgage payments but lack the funds to make a large down payment or otherwise have difficulty obtaining a mortgage  Borrowers with small down payments, weaker credit histories, or other characteristics that increase their credit risk might find it difficult to obtain a mortgage at an affordable interest rate or to qualify for a mortgage at all  This has raised a policy concern that some borrowers with the income to repay a mortgage might be unable to obtain affordable mortgages  FHA mortgage insurance is intended to make lenders more willing to offer affordable mortgages to these borrowers by insuring the lender against the possibility of borrower default  FHA-insured loans have lower down payment requirements than most conventional mortgages  (Conventional mortgages are mortgages that are not insured by FHA or guaranteed by another government agency, such as VA or USDA  ) Because saving for a down payment is often the biggest barrier to homeownership for first-time homebuyers and lower- or moderate-income homebuyers, the smaller down payment requirement for FHA-insured loans may allow some households to obtain a mortgage earlier than they otherwise could  (Borrowers with down payments of less than 20% could also obtain non-FHA mortgages with private mortgage insurance  See the nearby text box on "FHA and Private Mortgage Insurance ") FHA-insured mortgages also have less stringent requirements related to credit history than many conventional loans  This might make FHA-insured mortgages attractive to borrowers without traditional credit histories or with weaker credit histories, who would either find it difficult to take out a mortgage absent FHA insurance or may find it more expensive to do so  FHA-insured mortgages play a particularly large role for first-time homebuyers, low- and moderate-income households, and minorities  For example, 83% of FHA-insured mortgages made to purchase a home (rather than to refinance an existing mortgage) in FY2018 were obtained by first-time homebuyers  Over one-third of all FHA loans (both purchase and refinance loans) were obtained by minority households, and FHA-insured mortgages accounted for about 57% of all forward mortgages made to low- or moderate-income borrowers during the year  Since FHA-insured mortgages are often obtained by borrowers who cannot make large down payments or those with weaker credit histories, some have questioned whether FHA-insured mortgages are similar to subprime mortgages  Like subprime mortgages, FHA-insured mortgages are often obtained by borrowers with lower credit scores, though some borrowers with higher credit scores also obtain FHA-insured mortgages  However, FHA-insured mortgages are prohibited from carrying the full range of features that many subprime mortgages could carry  For example, FHA-insured loans must be fully documented, and they cannot include features such as negative amortization  (FHA mortgages can include adjustable interest rates ) Some of these types of features appear to have contributed to high default and foreclosure rates on subprime mortgages  Nevertheless, some have suggested that FHA-insured mortgages are too risky, and that they can harm borrowers by providing mortgages that often have a higher likelihood of default than other mortgages due to combinations of risk factors such as low down payments and lower credit scores  Traditionally, FHA plays a countercyclical role in the mortgage market, meaning that it tends to insure more mortgages when mortgage credit markets are tight and fewer mortgages when mortgage credit is more widely available  A major reason for this is that FHA continues to insure mortgages that meet its standards even during market downturns or in regions experiencing economic turmoil  When the economy is weak and lenders and private mortgage insurers tighten credit standards and reduce lending activity, FHA-insured mortgages may be the only mortgages available to some borrowers, or may have more favorable terms than mortgages that lenders are willing to make without FHA insurance  When the economy is strong and mortgage credit is more widely available, many borrowers may find it easier to qualify for affordable conventional mortgages  This section briefly describes some of the major features of FHA-insured mortgages for purchasing or refinancing a single-family home  Single-family homes are defined as properties with one to four separate dwelling units  FHA-insured loans are available to borrowers who intend to be owner-occupants and who can demonstrate the ability to repay the loan according to the terms of the contract  FHA-insured loans must be underwritten in accordance with accepted practices of prudent lending institutions and FHA requirements  Lenders must examine factors such as the applicant's credit, financial status, monthly shelter expenses, funds required for closing expenses, effective monthly income, and debts and obligations  In general, individuals who have previously been subject to a mortgage foreclosure are not eligible for FHA-insured loans for at least three years after the foreclosure  As a general rule, the applicant's prospective mortgage payment should not exceed 31% of gross effective monthly income  The applicant's total obligations, including the proposed housing expenses, should not exceed 43% of gross effective monthly income  If these ratios are not met, the borrower may be able to present the presence of certain compensating factors, such as cash reserves, in order to qualify for an FHA-insured loan  Since October 4, 2010, FHA has required a minimum credit score of 500, and has required higher down payments from borrowers with credit scores below 580 than from borrowers with credit scores above that threshold  See the " Down Payment " section for more information on down payment requirements for FHA-insured loans  In general, borrowers must intend to occupy the property as a principal residence  FHA-insured loans may be used to purchase one-family detached homes, townhomes, rowhouses, two- to four-unit buildings, manufactured homes and lots, and condominiums in developments approved by FHA  FHA-insured loans may also be obtained to build a home; to repair, alter, or improve a home; to refinance an existing home loan; to simultaneously purchase and improve a home; or to make certain energy efficiency or weatherization improvements in conjunction with a home purchase or mortgage refinance  FHA-insured mortgages may be obtained with loan terms of up to 30 years  The interest rate on an FHA-insured loan is negotiated between the borrower and lender  The borrower has the option of selecting a loan with an interest rate that is fixed for the life of the loan or one on which the rate may be adjusted annually  FHA requires a lower down payment than many other types of mortgages  Under changes made by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA, P L  110-289 ), borrowers are required to contribute at least 3 5% in cash or its equivalent to the cost of acquiring a property with an FHA-insured mortgage  (Prior law had required borrowers to contribute at least 3% in cash or its equivalent ) Prohibited sources of the required funds include the home seller, any entity that financially benefits from the transaction, and any third party that is directly or indirectly reimbursed by the seller or by anyone that would financially benefit from the transaction  HUD has interpreted the 3 5% cash contribution as a down payment requirement and has specified that contributions toward closing costs cannot be counted toward it  Since October 4, 2010, FHA has required a 10% down payment from borrowers with credit scores between 500 and 579, while borrowers with credit scores of 580 or above are still required to make a down payment of at least 3 5%  FHA no longer insures loans made to borrowers with credit scores below 500  There is no income limit for borrowers seeking FHA-insured loans  However, FHA-insured mortgages cannot exceed a maximum mortgage amount set by law  The maximum mortgage amounts allowed for FHA-insured loans vary by area, based on a percentage of area median home prices  Different limits are in effect for one-unit, two-unit, three-unit, and four-unit properties  The limits are subject to a statutory floor and ceiling; that is, the maximum mortgage amount that FHA will insure in a given area cannot be lower than the floor, nor can it be higher than the ceiling  In 2008, Congress temporarily increased the maximum mortgage amounts in response to turmoil in the housing and mortgage markets, with the intention of allowing more households to qualify for FHA-insured mortgages during a period of tighter credit availability  New permanent maximum mortgage amounts were later established by the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008  The maximum mortgage amounts established by HERA were higher than the previous permanent limits, but in many cases lower than the temporarily increased limits  However, the higher temporary limits were extended for several years, until they expired at the end of calendar year 2013  Since January 1, 2014, the maximum mortgage amounts have been set at the permanent HERA levels  For a one-unit home, HERA established the maximum mortgage amounts at 115% of area median home prices, with a floor set at 65% of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit and a ceiling set at 150% of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit  For calendar year 2019, the floor is $314,827 and the ceiling is $726,525  (That is, FHA will insure mortgages with principal balances up to $314,827 in all areas of the country  In higher-cost areas, it will insure mortgages with principal balances up to 115% of the area median home price, up to a cap of $726,525 in the highest-cost areas ) These maximum mortgage amounts, and the maximum mortgage amounts for 2-4 unit homes, are shown in Table 1   Borrowers of FHA-insured loans pay an up-front mortgage insurance premium (MIP) and annual mortgage insurance premiums in exchange for FHA insurance  These premiums are set as a percentage of the loan amount  The maximum amounts that FHA is allowed to charge for the annual and the upfront premiums are set in statute  However, since these are maximum amounts, HUD has the discretion to set the premiums at lower levels  The maximum up-front premium that FHA may charge is 3% of the mortgage amount, or 2 75% of the mortgage amount for a first-time homebuyer who has received homeownership counseling  Currently, FHA is charging the same up-front premiums to first-time homebuyers who receive homeownership counseling and all other borrowers  Since April 9, 2012, HUD has set the up-front premium at 1 75% of the loan amount, whether or not the borrower is a first-time homebuyer who received homeownership counseling  This premium applies to most single-family mortgages  The amount of the maximum annual premium varies based on the loan's initial loan-to-value ratio  For most loans, (1) if the loan-to-value ratio is above 95%, the maximum annual premium is 1 55% of the loan balance, and (2) if the loan-to-value ratio is 95% or below, the maximum annual premium is 1 5% of the loan balance  FHA increased the actual annual premiums that it charges several times in recent years in order to bring more money into the FHA insurance fund and ensure that it has sufficient funds to pay for defaulted loans  However, in January 2015, FHA announced a decrease in the annual premium for most single-family loans  For most FHA case numbers assigned on or after January 26, 2015, the annual premiums are 0 85% of the outstanding loan balance if the initial loan-to-value ratio is above 95% and 0 80% of the outstanding loan balance if the initial loan-to-value ratio is 95% or below  This is a decrease from 1 35% and 1 30%, respectively, which is what FHA had been charging from April 1, 2013, until January 26, 2015  These premiums apply to most single-family mortgages; FHA charges different annual premiums in certain circumstances, including for loans with shorter loan terms or higher principal balances  Table 2 shows the up-front and annual mortgage insurance premiums that have been in effect for most loans since January 26, 2015  In the past, if borrowers prepaid their loans, they may have been due refunds of part of the up-front insurance premium that was not "earned" by FHA  The refund amount depended on when the mortgage closed and declined as the loan matured  The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2005 ( P L  108-447 ) amended the National Housing Act to provide that, for mortgages insured on or after December 8, 2004, borrowers are not eligible for refunds of up-front mortgage insurance premiums except when borrowers are refinancing existing FHA-insured loans with new FHA-insured loans  After three years, the entire up-front insurance premium paid by borrowers who refinance existing FHA-insured loans with new FHA-insured loans is considered "earned" by FHA, and these borrowers are not eligible for any refunds  The annual mortgage insurance premiums are not refundable  However, beginning with loans closed on or after January 1, 2001, FHA had followed a policy of automatically cancelling the annual mortgage insurance premium when, based on the initial amortization schedule, the loan balance reached 78% of the initial property value  However, for loans with FHA case numbers assigned on or after June 3, 2013, FHA will continue to charge the annual mortgage insurance premium for the life of the loan for most mortgages  This change responded to concerns about the financial status of the FHA insurance fund  FHA has stated that, since it continues to insure the entire remaining mortgage amount for the life of the loan, and since premiums were cancelled on the basis of the loan amortizing to a percentage of the initial property value rather than the current value of the home, FHA has at times had to pay insurance claims on defaulted mortgages where the borrowers were no longer paying annual mortgage insurance premiums  An FHA-insured mortgage is considered delinquent any time a payment is due and not paid  Once the borrower is 30 days late in making a payment, the mortgage is considered to be in default  In general, mortgage servicers may initiate foreclosure on an FHA-insured loan when three monthly installments are due and unpaid, and they must initiate foreclosure when six monthly installments are due and unpaid, except when prohibited by law  A program of loss mitigation strategies was authorized by Congress in 1996 to minimize the number of FHA loans entering foreclosure, and has since been revised and expanded to include additional loss mitigation options  Prior to initiating foreclosure, mortgage servicers must attempt to make contact with borrowers and evaluate whether they qualify for any of these loss mitigation options  The options must be considered in a specific order, and specific eligibility criteria apply to each option  Some loss mitigation options, referred to as home retention options, are intended to help borrowers remain in their homes  Other loss mitigation options, referred to as home disposition options, will result in the borrower losing his or her home, but avoiding some of the costs of foreclosure  The loss mitigation options that servicers are instructed to pursue on FHA-insured loans are summarized in Table 3   Additional loss mitigation options are available for certain populations of borrowers  For example, defaulted borrowers in military service may be eligible to suspend the principal portion of monthly payments and pay only interest for the period of military service, plus three months  On resumption of payment, loan payments are adjusted so that the loan will be paid in full according to the original amortization  Certain loss mitigation options are also available in areas affected by presidentially declared major disasters  FHA's single-family mortgage insurance program is funded through FHA's Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund)  Cash flows into the MMI Fund primarily from insurance premiums and proceeds from the sale of foreclosed homes  Cash flows out of the MMI Fund primarily to pay claims to lenders for mortgages that have defaulted  This section provides a brief overview of (1) how the FHA-insured mortgages insured under the MMI Fund are accounted for in the federal budget and (2) the MMI Fund's compliance with a statutory capital ratio requirement  For more detailed information on the financial status of the MMI Fund, see CRS Report R42875, FHA Single-Family Mortgage Insurance: Financial Status of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund (MMI Fund)   The Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (FCRA) specifies the way in which the costs of federal loan guarantees, including FHA-insured loans, are recorded in the federal budget  The FCRA requires that the estimated lifetime cost of guaranteed loans (in net present value terms) be recorded in the federal budget in the year that the loans are insured  When the present value of the lifetime cash flows associated with the guaranteed loans is expected to result in more money coming into the account than flowing out of it, the program is said to generate negative credit subsidy  When the present value of the lifetime cash flows associated with the guaranteed loans is expected to result in less money coming into the account than flowing out of it, the program is said to generate positive credit subsidy  Programs that generate negative credit subsidy result in offsetting receipts for the federal government, while programs that generate positive credit subsidy require an appropriation to cover the cost of new loan guarantees  The MMI Fund has historically been estimated to generate negative credit subsidy in the year that the loans are insured and therefore has not required appropriations to cover the expected costs of loans to be insured  The MMI Fund does receive appropriations to cover salaries and administrative contract expenses  The amount of money that loans insured in a given year actually earn for or cost the government over the course of their lifetime is likely to be different from the original credit subsidy estimates  Therefore, each year as part of the annual budget process, each prior year's credit subsidy rates are re-estimated based on the actual performance of the loans and other factors, such as updated economic projections  These re-estimates affect the way in which funds are held in the MMI Fund's two primary accounts: the Financing Account and the Capital Reserve Account  The Financing Account holds funds to cover  expected  future costs of FHA-insured loans  The Capital Reserve Account holds additional funds to cover any additional unexpected future costs  Funds are transferred between the two accounts each year on the basis of the re-estimated credit subsidy rates to ensure that enough is held in the Financing Account to cover updated projections of expected costs of insured loans   If FHA ever needs to transfer more funds to the Financing Account than it has in the Capital Reserve Account, it can receive funds from Treasury to make this transfer under existing authority and without any additional congressional action  This occurred for the first time at the end of FY2013, when FHA received $1 7 billion from Treasury to make a required transfer of funds between the accounts  The funds that FHA received from Treasury did not need to be spent immediately, but were to be held in the Financing Account and used to pay insurance claims, if necessary, only after the remaining funds in the Financing Account were spent  The MMI Fund has not needed any additional funds from Treasury to make required transfers of funds between the two accounts since that time  The MMI Fund is also required by statute to maintain a capital ratio of at least 2%, which is intended to ensure that the fund is able to withstand some increases in the costs of loans guaranteed under the insurance fund  The capital ratio measures the amount of funds that the MMI Fund currently has on hand, plus the net present value of the expected future cash flows associated with the mortgages that FHA currently insures (e g , the amounts it expects to earn through premiums and lose through claims paid)  It then expresses this amount as a percentage of the total dollar volume of mortgages that FHA currently insures  In other words, the capital ratio is a measure of the amount of funds that would remain in the MMI Fund after all expected future cash flows on the loans that it currently insures have been realized, assuming that FHA did not insure any more loans going forward  Beginning in FY2009, and for several years thereafter, the capital ratio was estimated to be below this mandated 2% level  The capital ratio again exceeded the 2% threshold in FY2015, when it was estimated to be 2 07%  This represented an improvement from an estimated capital ratio of 0 41% at the end of FY2014, and from negative estimated capital ratios at the ends of FY2013 and FY2012  The capital ratio has remained above 2% since that time, and was estimated to be 2 76% in FY2018  A low or negative capital ratio does not in itself trigger any special assistance from Treasury, but it raises concerns that FHA could need assistance in order to continue to hold enough funds in the Financing Account to cover expected future losses  In the years since the housing market turmoil that began around 2007, FHA has taken a number of steps designed to strengthen the insurance fund  These steps have included increasing the mortgage insurance premiums charged to borrowers; strengthening underwriting requirements, such as by instituting higher down payment requirements for borrowers with the lowest credit scores; and increasing oversight of FHA-approved lenders  The number of new mortgages insured by FHA in a given year depends on a variety of factors  In general, the number of new mortgages insured by FHA increased during the housing market turmoil (and resulting contraction of mortgage credit) that began around 2007, reaching a peak of 1 8 million mortgages in FY2009 before beginning to decrease somewhat  FY2014 was the only year since FY2007 that FHA insured fewer than 1 million new mortgages  As shown in Table 4 , FHA insured just over 1 million new single-family purchase and refinance mortgages in FY2018  Together, these mortgages had an initial loan balance of $209 billion  About 77% (776,284) of the mortgages were for home purchases, while about 23% (238,325) were for refinancing an existing mortgage  The overall number of mortgages insured by FHA in FY2018 represented a decrease from FY2017, when it insured 1 25 million mortgages  Many FHA-insured mortgages are obtained by first-time homebuyers, lower-and moderate-income homebuyers, and minority homebuyers  Of the home purchase mortgages insured by FHA in FY2018, about 83% were made to first-time homebuyers  Over a third of all mortgages (both for home purchases and refinances) insured by FHA in FY2018 were made to minority borrowers  As shown in Table 5 , at the end of FY2018 FHA was insuring a total of over 8 million single-family loans that together had an outstanding balance of nearly $1 2 trillion  Since it was first established in 1934, FHA has insured a total of over 47 5 million home loans  FHA's share of the mortgage market is the amount of mortgages that are insured by FHA compared to the total amount of mortgages originated or outstanding in a given time period  FHA's market share can be measured in a number of different ways  Therefore, when evaluating FHA's market share, it is important to recognize which of several different figures is being reported  First, FHA's share of the mortgage market can be computed as the number of FHA-insured mortgages divided by the total number of mortgages, or as the dollar volume of FHA-insured mortgages divided by the total dollar volume of mortgages  Furthermore, FHA's market share is sometimes reported as a share of all mortgages , and sometimes only as a share of home purchase mortgages (as opposed to both mortgages made to purchase a home and mortgages made to refinance an existing mortgage)  A market share figure can be reported as a share of all mortgages originated within a specific time period , such as a given year, or as a share of all mortgages outstanding at a point in time , regardless of when they were originated  Finally, FHA's market share is sometimes also reported as a share of the total number of mortgages that have some kind of mortgage insurance (including mortgages with private mortgage insurance and mortgages insured by another government agency) rather than as a share of all mortgages regardless of whether or not they have mortgage insurance  FHA's market share tends to fluctuate in response to economic conditions and other factors  Between calendar years 1996 and 2002, FHA's market share averaged about 14% of the home purchase mortgage market and about 11% of the overall mortgage market (both home purchase mortgages and refinance mortgages), as measured by number of mortgages  However, by 2005 FHA's market share had fallen to less than 5% of home-purchase mortgages and about 3% of the overall mortgage market  Subsequently, as economic conditions worsened and mortgage credit tightened in response to housing market turmoil that began around 2007, FHA's market share rose sharply, peaking at over 30% of home-purchase mortgages in 2009 and 2010, and over 20% of all mortgages (including both home purchases and refinances) in 2009  In 2017, FHA insured 19 5% of new home purchase mortgages and about 16 7% of new mortgages overall, a small decrease compared to its market share in 2016  Figure 1 shows FHA's market share as a percentage of the total number of new mortgages originated for each calendar year between 1996 and 2017  As described, FHA's market share can be measured in a number of different ways  The figure shows FHA's share of (1) all newly originated mortgages, (2) just newly originated purchase mortgages, and (3) just newly originated refinance mortgages  FHA's share of home purchase mortgages tends to be the highest, largely because borrowers who refinance are more likely to have built up a greater amount of equity in their homes and, therefore, might be more likely to obtain conventional mortgages  For the number of mortgages insured by FHA in each year calendar since 1996, see the Appendix   The increase in FHA's market share after 2007 was due to a variety of factors related to the housing market turmoil and broader economic instability that was taking place at the time  Housing and economic conditions led many banks to limit their lending activities, including lending for mortgages  Similarly, private mortgage insurance companies, facing steep losses from past mortgages, began tightening the underwriting criteria for mortgages that they would insure  Furthermore, in 2008 Congress increased the maximum mortgage amounts that FHA can insure, which may have made FHA-insured mortgages a more viable option for some borrowers in certain areas  More recently, FHA's market share has decreased somewhat from its peak during the housing market turmoil, although it generally remains somewhat higher than it was in the late 1990s and early 2000s  A number of factors may have contributed to this decrease, including lower loan limits in some high-cost areas, higher mortgage insurance premiums, and greater availability of non-FHA-insured mortgages  While not the focus of this report, the appropriate market share for FHA has been a subject of ongoing debate among policymakers  It is likely to continue to be a topic of debate, both in the context of policies specifically related to FHA as well as part of broader debate about the future of the U S  housing finance system  Table A-1 provides data on the number of mortgages insured by FHA in each calendar year since 1996, along with FHA's overall market share in each calendar year 


Report 2:  if the officer is survived by only a spouse, 100% of the death benefits are payable to the spouse; 2  if the officer is survived by a spouse and children, 50% of the death benefits are payable to the spouse and the remaining 50% is distributed equally among the officer's children; 3  if the officer is survived by only children, the death benefits are equally distributed among the officer's children; 4  if the officer has no surviving spouse or children, the death benefits are paid to the individual or individuals designated by the officer in the most recently executed designation of beneficiary on file at the time of the officer's death; or if the officer does not have a designation of beneficiary on file, the benefits are paid to the individual or individuals designated by the officer in the most recently executed life insurance policy on file at the time of the officer's death; 5  if the officer has no surviving spouse or eligible children, and the officer does not have a life insurance policy, the death benefits are equally distributed between the officer's surviving parents; or 6  if the officer has no surviving spouse, eligible children, or parents, and the officer did not have a designation of beneficiary or a life insurance policy on file at the time of his or her death, the death benefits are payable to surviving adult, nondependent, children of the officer  PSOB disability benefits are paid only in cases of permanent and total disability  There are no benefits payable for partial or short-term disabilities  A disability is considered permanent for the purposes of PSOB eligibility if, given the current state of medicine in the United States, there is a degree of medical certainty that the condition will remain constant or deteriorate over the person's lifetime or that the public safety officer has reached maximum medical improvement  A public safety officer is considered to be totally disabled for the purposes of PSOB eligibility if given the current state of medicine in the United States, there is a degree of medical certainty that the officer is unable to perform any gainful work  PSOB regulation defines gainful work as "full- or part-time activity that is compensated or commonly compensated " Applications for PSOB death and disability benefits are filed with the PSOB office, which determines benefit eligibility and commences benefit payment  Unless extended for good cause, application deadlines must be met  Complete benefit applications must be filed no later than for death benefits: three years after the death; one year after the determination of the officer's employing agency to award or deny death benefits payable by that agency; or one year after certification by the officer's employing agency that the agency is not authorized to pay any death benefits; and for disability benefits: three years after the date of the injury; one year after the determination of the officer's employing agency to award or deny workers' compensation or disability benefits payable by that agency; or one year after certification by the officer's employing agency that the agency is not authorized to pay any workers' compensation or disability benefits  A lump-sum interim payment of up to $3,000 may be made if a PSOB death benefit will "probably be paid " The interim payment amount reduces the final PSOB payment amount  If the ultimate decision is to deny death benefits, the interim payment must be returned to the federal government, unless this repayment is waived because it would create a hardship for the beneficiary  Section 611 of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act; P L  107-56 ) provides for expedited payment of PSOB death and disability benefits if the officer's injury occurred "in connection with prevention, investigation, rescue, or recovery efforts related to a terrorist attack " In such cases, PSOB benefits must be paid within 30 days of certification from the officer's employing agency that the officer's death or disability was related to terrorism  The Public Safety Officers' Education Assistance (PSOEA) program provides financial assistance with costs associated with higher education to the spouse or children of a public safety officer who is eligible for PSOB death or disability benefits  The spouse or child of a public safety officer who is eligible for PSOB death or disability benefits may be eligible for PSOEA benefits  To be eligible for PSOEA benefits, a spouse must have been married to an eligible public safety officer at the time of the officer's death or injury  A child is eligible for PSOEA benefits until the age of 27  This age limit can be extended by the Attorney General in extraordinary circumstances, or, pursuant to Section 3 of the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Improvement Act of 2017 ( P L  115-36 ), if there is a delay of more than one year in approving PSOB or PSOEA benefits  In addition, to be eligible for PSOEA benefits, the spouse or child must be enrolled at an eligible educational institution  For the purposes of PSOEA eligibility, an eligible education institution is one that meets the definition of an "institution of higher education" as provided by Section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and that is eligible for federal student aid  PSOEA benefits are payable to the claimant and may be used only to defray costs associated with higher education attendance, including tuition, room, board, book and supplies, and education-related fees  The monthly PSOEA benefit amount is equal to the monthly benefit amount payable under the GI Bill Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program, which is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for spouses and dependents of veterans with disabilities or who died as a result of service-connected conditions  The PSOEA benefit amounts are adjusted annually to reflect changes in the cost of living in accordance with changes to the GI Bill DEA benefit amounts  For FY2019, the PSOEA monthly benefit for a student attending an educational institution full-time is $1,224  The PSOEA benefit rates are prorated for less than full-time attendance  The maximum duration of PSOEA benefits for any person is 45 months of full-time education or a proportionate duration of part-time education  A person is ineligible for PSOEA if he or she is in default on a federal student loan or is ineligible for federal benefits due to a drug trafficking or drug possession conviction  In addition, the Attorney General may discontinue PSOEA benefits for a student that fails to make satisfactory progress in his or her course of study as defined by Section 484(c) of the Higher Education Act of 1965  A claimant who is dissatisfied with a PSOB disability benefit denial may request a reconsideration  There is no reconsideration offered for denials of PSOB death or PSOEA benefits  A claimant who is dissatisfied with a PSOB or PSOEA benefit denial may request a de novo hearing before a hearing officer assigned by the director of the DOJ PSOB Office  The determination of a hearing officer may be appealed to the PSOB Office director  The director's determination is considered the final agency determination and is not subject to any further agency administrative review or appeal  However, provided all administrative appeals remedies have been exhausted, the PSOB Office director's determination may be appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit  The PSOB statute authorizes the BJA to prescribe the maximum fee that an attorney or other representative may charge a claimant for services rendered in connection with a claim, with attorney fees generally limited to between 3% and 6% of the total benefit paid, depending on the level in the administrative appeals process the claim is approved  Program regulation prohibits stipulated-fee and contingency-fee arrangements for PSOB representation  Congress provides funding for PSOB and PSOE benefits and associated administrative expenses in the annual Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act  Funding for PSOB death benefits and associated administrative expenses is considered mandatory spending and Congress appropriates "such sums as may be necessary" for the payment of these benefits  Funding for PSOB disability and PSOEA benefits is considered discretionary and is subject to specific congressional appropriations  Annual appropriations language grants the Attorney General the authority to transfer from any available appropriations to the DOJ the funds necessary to respond to emergent circumstances that require additional funding for PSOB disability benefits and PSOEA benefits  

ground_truth: The Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program provides cash benefits to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers; firefighters; employees of emergency management agencies; and members of emergency medical services agencies who are killed or permanently and totally disabled as the result of personal injuries sustained in the line of duty. The Public Safety Officers' Educational Assistance (PSOEA) program, a component of the PSOB program, provides higher-education assistance to the children and spouses of public safety officers killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. The PSOB and PSOEA programs are administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). However, claimants dissatisfied with denials of benefits may pursue administrative appeals within DOJ and may seek judicial review before the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Each year, Congress appropriates funding for PSOB death benefits, which is considered mandatory spending, and for PSOB disability benefits and PSOEA benefits, which is subject to annual appropriations. For FY2019, the one-time lump-sum PSOB death and disability benefit is $359,316 and the PSOEA monthly benefit for a student attending an educational institution full-time is $1,224. In FY2017, the DOJ approved 399 claims for PSOB death benefits, 82 claims for PSOB disability benefits, and 601 claims for PSOEA benefits.