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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2729 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2729

To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to provide for information 
    comparisons for USDA Housing Assistance programs, and for other 
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 18, 2013

  Mr. Aderholt (for himself, Mr. Farr, Mr. Reichert, and Mr. Doggett) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, 
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case 
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
                        the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To amend title IV of the Social Security Act to provide for information 
    comparisons for USDA Housing Assistance programs, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Housing Assistance Eligibility 
Verification Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. INFORMATION COMPARISONS FOR USDA HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 453(j) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 653(j)) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(12) Information comparisons for usda housing assistance 
        programs.--
                    ``(A) Furnishing of information by secretary of 
                agriculture.--Subject to the provisions of this 
                paragraph, the Secretary of Agriculture shall furnish 
                to the Secretary, on such periodic basis as determined 
                by the Secretary of Agriculture in consultation with 
                the Secretary, information in the custody of the 
                Secretary of Agriculture for comparison with 
                information in the National Directory of New Hires, in 
                order to obtain information in such Directory with 
                respect to individuals (including tenants) who are 
                applying for or participating in any housing program 
                under title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 
                1471 et seq.), including the single family and 
                multifamily housing programs.
                    ``(B) Requirement to seek minimum information.--The 
                Secretary of Agriculture shall seek information 
                pursuant to this paragraph only to the extent necessary 
                to verify the employment and income of individuals 
                described in subparagraph (A).
                    ``(C) Duties of the secretary.--
                            ``(i) Information disclosure.--The 
                        Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
                        of Agriculture, shall compare information in 
                        the National Directory of New Hires with 
                        information provided by the Secretary of 
                        Agriculture with respect to individuals 
                        described in subparagraph (A), and shall 
                        disclose information in such Directory 
                        regarding such individuals to the Secretary of 
                        Agriculture, in accordance with this paragraph, 
                        for the purposes specified in this paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Condition on disclosure.--The 
                        Secretary shall make disclosures in accordance 
                        with clause (i) only to the extent that the 
                        Secretary determines that such disclosures do 
                        not interfere with the effective operation of 
                        the program under this part.
                    ``(D) Use of information by secretary of 
                agriculture.--The Secretary of Agriculture may use 
                information resulting from a data match pursuant to 
                this paragraph only--
                            ``(i) for the purposes specified in 
                        subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(ii) after removal of personal 
                        identifiers, to conduct analyses of the 
                        employment and income reporting of individuals 
                        described in subparagraph (B).
                    ``(E) Disclosure of information by secretary of 
                agriculture.--
                            ``(i) Purpose of disclosure.--The Secretary 
                        of Agriculture may make a disclosure under this 
                        subparagraph only for the purpose of verifying 
                        the employment and income of individuals 
                        described in subparagraph (A).
                            ``(ii) Disclosures permitted.--Subject to 
                        clause (iii), the Secretary of Agriculture may 
                        disclose information resulting from a data 
                        match pursuant to this paragraph only to the 
                        owner of a property, the Inspector General of 
                        the Department of Agriculture, and the Attorney 
                        General in connection with the enforcement of 
                        employment and income requirements for the 
                        programs described in subparagraph (A). 
                        Information obtained by the Secretary of 
                        Agriculture pursuant to this paragraph shall 
                        not be made available under section 552(b)(3) 
                        of title 5, United States Code.
                            ``(iii) Conditions on disclosure.--
                        Disclosures under this paragraph shall be--
                                    ``(I) made in accordance with data 
                                security and control policies 
                                established by the Secretary of 
                                Agriculture and approved by the 
                                Secretary;
                                    ``(II) subject to audit in a manner 
                                satisfactory to the Secretary; and
                                    ``(III) subject to the sanctions 
                                under subsection (l)(2).
                            ``(iv) Additional disclosures.--
                                    ``(I) Determination by 
                                secretaries.--The Secretary of 
                                Agriculture and the Secretary shall 
                                determine whether to permit disclosure 
                                of information under this paragraph to 
                                persons or entities described in 
                                subclause (II), based on an evaluation 
                                made by the Secretary of Agriculture 
                                (in consultation with and approved by 
                                the Secretary), of the costs and 
                                benefits of disclosures made under 
                                clause (ii) and the adequacy of 
                                measures used to safeguard the security 
                                and confidentiality of information so 
                                disclosed.
                                    ``(II) Permitted persons or 
                                entities.--If the Secretary of 
                                Agriculture and the Secretary determine 
                                pursuant to subclause (I) that 
                                disclosures to additional persons or 
                                entities shall be permitted, 
                                information under this paragraph may be 
                                disclosed by the Secretary of 
                                Agriculture to a private owner of a 
                                property and a management agent, in 
                                connection with the administration of a 
                                program described in subparagraph (A), 
                                subject to the conditions in clause 
                                (iii) and such additional conditions as 
                                agreed to by the Secretaries.
                            ``(v) Restrictions on redisclosure.--A 
                        person or entity to which information is 
                        disclosed under this subparagraph may use or 
                        disclose such information only as needed for 
                        verifying the employment and income of 
                        individuals described in subparagraph (A), 
                        subject to the conditions in clause (iii) and 
                        such additional conditions as agreed to by the 
                        Secretaries.
                    ``(F) Reimbursement of hhs costs.--The Secretary of 
                Agriculture shall reimburse the Secretary, in 
                accordance with subsection (k)(3), for the costs 
                incurred by the Secretary in furnishing the information 
                requested under this paragraph.
                    ``(G) Consent.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall 
                not seek, use, or disclose information under this 
                paragraph relating to an individual without the prior 
                written consent of such individual (or of a person 
                legally authorized to consent on behalf of such 
                individual).''.
    (b) Amendment to the Internal Revenue Code.--Section 6103(l)(7)(D) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 6103(l)(7)(D)) is 
amended--
            (1) in clause (viii), by striking the ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in clause (ix), by striking the period at the end and 
        inserting ``, and''; and
            (3) by inserting after clause (ix) the following new 
        clause:
                            ``(x) any housing program under title V of 
                        the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471 et 
                        seq.).''.
                                 <all>
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