Source: http://law2.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title12-section1723a&num=0&edition=prelim
Timestamp: 2019-04-26 03:53:11+00:00

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Each of the bodies corporate named in section 1717(a)(2) of this title shall have power to adopt, alter, and use a corporate seal, which shall be judicially noticed; to enter into and perform contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions, on such terms as it may deem appropriate, with any agency or instrumentality of the United States, or with any State, Territory, or possession, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or with any political subdivision thereof, or with any person, firm, association, or corporation; to execute, in accordance with its bylaws, all instruments necessary or appropriate in the exercise of any of its powers; in its corporate name, to sue and to be sued, and to complain and to defend, in any court of competent jurisdiction, State or Federal, but no attachment, injunction, or other similar process, mesne or final, shall be issued against the property of the Association or against the Association with respect to its property; to conduct its business without regard to any qualification or similar statute in any State of the United States, including the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territories and possessions of the United States; to lease, purchase, or acquire any property, real, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein, to hold, rent, maintain, modernize, renovate, improve, use, and operate such property, and to sell, for cash or credit, lease, or otherwise dispose of the same, at such time and in such manner as and to the extent that it may deem necessary or appropriate; to prescribe, repeal, and amend or modify, rules, regulations, or requirements governing the manner in which its general business may be conducted; to accept gifts or donations of services, or of property, real, personal, or mixed, tangible, or intangible, in aid of any of its purposes; and to do all things as are necessary or incidental to the proper management of its affairs and the proper conduct of its business.
Except as may be otherwise provided in this subchapter, in chapter 91 of title 31, or in other laws specifically applicable to Government corporations, the Association shall determine the necessity for and the character and amount of its obligations and expenditures and the manner in which they shall be incurred, allowed, paid, and accounted for.
(1) The Association, including its franchise, capital, reserves, surplus, mortgages or other security holdings, and income shall be exempt from all taxation now or hereafter imposed by the United States, by any territory, dependency, or possession thereof, or by any State, county, municipality, or local taxing authority, except that any real property of the Association shall be subject to State, territorial, county, municipal, or local taxation to the same extent according to its value as other real property is taxed.
(2) The corporation, including its franchise, capital, reserves, surplus, mortgages or other security holdings, and income, shall be exempt from all taxation now or hereafter imposed by any State, territory, possession, Commonwealth, or dependency of the United States, or by the District of Columbia, or by any county, municipality, or local taxing authority, except that any real property of the corporation shall be subject to State, territorial, county, municipal, or local taxation to the same extent as other real property is taxed.
(1) Subject to the provisions of section 1723(a) of this title, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall have power to select and appoint or employ such officers, attorneys, employees, and agents of the Association, to vest them with such powers and duties, and to fix and to cause the Association to pay such compensation to them for their services, as he may determine, subject to the civil service and classification laws. With the consent of any Government corporation or Federal Reserve bank, or of any board, commission, independent establishment, or executive department of the Government, the Association may avail itself on a reimbursable basis of the use of information, services, facilities, officers, and employees thereof, including any field service thereof, in carrying out the provisions of the subchapter.
(2) The board of directors of the corporation shall have the power to select and appoint or employ such officers, attorneys, employees, and agents, to vest them with such powers and duties, and to fix and to cause the corporation to pay such compensation to them for their services, as the board of directors determines reasonable and comparable with compensation for employment in other similar businesses (including other publicly held financial institutions or major financial services companies) involving similar duties and responsibilities, except that a significant portion of potential compensation of all executive officers (as such term is defined in paragraph (3)(C)) of the corporation shall be based on the performance of the corporation; and any such action shall be without regard to the Federal civil service and classification laws. Appointments, promotions, and separations so made shall be based on merit and efficiency, and no political tests or qualifications shall be permitted or given consideration. Each officer and employee of the corporation who is employed by the corporation prior to January 31, 1972, and who on the day previous to the beginning of such employment will have been subject to the civil service retirement law (subch. III of ch. 83 of title 5) shall, so long as the employment of such officer or employee by the corporation continues without a break in continuity of service, continue to be subject to such law; and for the purpose of such law the employment of such officer or employee by the corporation without a break in continuity of service shall be deemed to be employment by the Government of the United States. The corporation shall contribute to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund a sum as provided by section 8334(a) of title 5, except that such sum shall be determined by applying to the total basic pay (as defined in section 8331(3) of title 5 and except as hereinafter provided) paid to the employees of the corporation who are covered by the civil service retirement law, the per centum rate determined annually by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to be the excess of the total normal cost per centum rate of the civil service retirement system over the employee deduction rate specified in section 8334(a) of title 5. The corporation shall also pay into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund such portion of the cost of administration of the fund as is determined by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to be attributable to its employees. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, there shall not be considered for the purposes of the civil service retirement law that portion of the basic pay in any one year of any officer or employee of the corporation which exceeds the basic pay provided for positions listed in section 5312 of title 5 on the last day of such year: Provided, That with respect to any person whose employment is made subject to the civil service retirement law by section 806 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, there shall not be considered for the purposes of such law that portion of the basic pay of such person in any one year which exceeds the basic pay provided for positions listed in section 5316 of such title 5 on the last day of such year. Except as provided in this subsection, the corporation shall not be subject to the provisions of title 5.
(3)(A) Not later than June 30, 1993, and annually thereafter, the corporation shall submit a report to the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate on (i) the comparability of the compensation policies of the corporation with the compensation policies of other similar businesses, (ii) in the aggregate, the percentage of total cash compensation and payments under employee benefit plans (which shall be defined in a manner consistent with the corporation's proxy statement for the annual meeting of shareholders for the preceding year) earned by executive officers of the corporation during the preceding year that was based on the corporation's performance, and (iii) the comparability of the corporation's financial performance with the performance of other similar businesses. The report shall include a copy of the corporation's proxy statement for the annual meeting of shareholders for the preceding year.
(B) Notwithstanding the first sentence of paragraph (2), after October 28, 1992, the corporation may not enter into any agreement or contract to provide any payment of money or other thing of current or potential value in connection with the termination of employment of any executive officer of the corporation, unless such agreement or contract is approved in advance by the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The Director may not approve any such agreement or contract unless the Director determines that the benefits provided under the agreement or contract are comparable to benefits under such agreements for officers of other public and private entities involved in financial services and housing interests who have comparable duties and responsibilities. For purposes of this subparagraph, any renegotiation, amendment, or change after October 28, 1992, to any such agreement or contract entered into on or before October 28, 1992, shall be considered entering into an agreement or contract.
(C) For purposes of this paragraph, the term "executive officer" has the meaning given the term in section 1303 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 [12 U.S.C. 4502].
(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the corporation shall not transfer, disburse, or pay compensation to any executive officer, or enter into an agreement with such executive officer, without the approval of the Director, for matters being reviewed under section 1318 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4518).
No individual, association, partnership, or corporation, except the bodies corporate named in section 1717(a)(2) of this title, shall hereafter use the words "Federal National Mortgage Association," "Government National Mortgage Association," or any combination of such words, as the name or a part thereof under which the individual, association, partnership, or corporation shall do business. Violations of the foregoing sentence may be enjoined by any court of general jurisdiction at the suit of the proper body corporate. In any such suit, the plaintiff may recover any actual damages flowing from such violation, and, in addition, shall be entitled to punitive damages (regardless of the existence or nonexistence of actual damages) of not exceeding $100 for each day during which such violation is committed or repeated.
In order that the Association may be supplied with such forms of obligations or certificates as it may need for issuance under this subchapter, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized, upon request of the Association, to prepare such forms as shall be suitable and approved by the Association, to be held in the Treasury subject to delivery, upon order of the Association. The engraved plates, dies, bed pieces, and other material executed in connection therewith shall remain in the custody of the Secretary of the Treasury. The Association shall reimburse the Secretary of the Treasury for any expenses incurred in the preparation, custody, and delivery of such forms.
The Federal Reserve banks are authorized and directed to act as depositaries, custodians, and fiscal agents for each of the bodies corporate named in section 1717(a)(2) of this title, for its own account or as fiduciary, and such banks shall be reimbursed for such services in such manner as may be agreed upon; and each of such bodies corporate may itself act in such capacities, for its own account or as fiduciary, and for the account of others.
(1) The programs, activities, receipts, expenditures, and financial transactions of the corporation shall be subject to audit by the Comptroller General of the United States under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller General. The representatives of the Government Accountability Office shall have access to such books, accounts, financial records, reports, files, and such other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the corporation and necessary to facilitate the audit, and they shall be afforded full facilities for verifying transactions with the balances or securities held by depositories, fiscal agents, and custodians. A report on each such audit shall be made by the Comptroller General to the Congress. The corporation shall reimburse the Government Accountability Office for the full cost of any such audit as billed therefor by the Comptroller General.
(2) To carry out this subsection, the representatives of the Government Accountability Office shall have access, upon request to the corporation or any auditor for an audit of the corporation under subsection (l), to any books, accounts, financial records, reports, files, or other papers, things, or property belonging to or in use by the corporation and used in any such audit and to any papers, records, files, and reports of the auditor used in such an audit.
(1) The corporation shall submit to the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency annual and quarterly reports of the financial condition and operations of the corporation which shall be in such form, contain such information, and be submitted on such dates as the Director shall require.
(ii) the compliance of the corporation with designated safety and soundness laws.
(3) The corporation shall also submit to the Director any other reports required by the Director pursuant to section 1314 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 [12 U.S.C. 4514].
(4) Each report of financial condition shall contain a declaration by the president, vice president, treasurer, or any other officer designated by the board of directors of the corporation to make such declaration, that the report is true and correct to the best of such officer's knowledge and belief.
(1) The corporation shall have an annual independent audit made of its financial statements by an independent public accountant in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards.
(2) In conducting an audit under this subsection, the independent public accountant shall determine and report on whether the financial statements of the corporation (A) are presented fairly in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and (B) to the extent determined necessary by the Director, comply with any disclosure requirements imposed under subsection (k)(2)(B).
(E) any other characteristics that the Secretary considers appropriate, to the extent practicable.
(H) any other information that the Secretary considers appropriate, to the extent practicable.
(3)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), this subsection shall apply only to mortgages purchased by the corporation after December 31, 1992.
(B) This subsection shall apply to any mortgage purchased by the corporation after the date determined under subparagraph (A) if the mortgage was originated before such date, but only to the extent that the data referred in paragraph (1) or (2), as applicable, is available to the corporation.
(1) The corporation shall submit to the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate, and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency a report on its activities under subpart B of part 2 of subtitle A of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 [12 U.S.C. 4561 et seq.].
(L) include any other information that the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency considers appropriate.
(3)(A) The corporation shall make each report under this subsection available to the public at the principal and regional offices of the corporation.
(B) Before making a report under this subsection available to the public, the corporation may exclude from the report information that the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has determined is proprietary information under section 1326 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 [12 U.S.C. 4546].
(1) Not later than 4 months after October 28, 1992, the corporation shall appoint an Affordable Housing Advisory Council to advise the corporation regarding possible methods for promoting affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.
(2) The Affordable Housing Advisory Council shall consist of 15 individuals, who shall include representatives of community-based and other nonprofit and for-profit organizations and State and local government agencies actively engaged in the promotion, development, or financing of housing for low- and moderate-income families.
Section 806 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (d)(2), is section 806 of Pub. L. 93–383, title VIII, Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 727 . Subsection (k) of section 806 amended this subsec. (d)(2) relative to employment subject to the civil service retirement law. For complete classification of section 806 to the Code, see Tables.
The Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992, referred to in subsec. (n)(1), (2)(A), is title XIII of Pub. L. 102–550, Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3941 . Subpart B of part 2 of subtitle A of the Act is classified generally to subpart 2 (§4561 et seq.) of part B of subchapter I of chapter 46 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note under section 4501 of this title and Tables.
Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(2)(C), which directed amendment of par. (3)(B) of this section, was executed to par. (3)(B) of subsec. (n) of this section, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See 2008 Amendment note below.
Prior provisions on the subject of subsecs. (a) and (c) to (e) of this section were contained in sections 1716, 1719, and 1721 of this title.
2008-Subsec. (d)(3)(B). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(1), substituted "Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development".
Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 110–289, §1113(b)(1), added par. (4).
Subsec. (k)(1). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(1), substituted "Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "Director of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development".
Subsec. (m)(1), (2). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(2)(A), substituted "to the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, in a form determined by the Director" for "to the Secretary, in a form determined by the Secretary" in introductory provisions.
Subsec. (n)(1). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(2)(B)(i), substituted "and the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "and the Secretary".
Subsec. (n)(2)(E), (L). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(2)(B)(ii), substituted "Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "Secretary".
Subsec. (n)(3)(B). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(b)(2)(C), substituted "Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "Secretary". See Codification note above.
2004-Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted "Government Accountability Office" for "General Accounting Office" wherever appearing.
1992-Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(s)(3)(A)(ii), which directed the substitution, in last sentence, of "the basic pay of such persons" for "his basic pay", was executed by making the substitution in penultimate sentence to reflect the probable intent of Congress, because the words "his basic pay" do not appear in last sentence.
Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(j)(1), (s)(3)(A)(i), in first sentence, substituted "as the board of directors determines reasonable and comparable with compensation for employment in other similar businesses (including other publicly held financial institutions or major financial services companies) involving similar duties and responsibilities, except that a significant portion of potential compensation of all executive officers (as such term is defined in paragraph (3)(C)) of the corporation shall be based on the performance of the corporation" for "as it may determine" and in third sentence "the employment of such officer or employee" for "his employment" in two places.
Subsec. (d)(3). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(j)(2), added par. (3).
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(s)(3)(B), substituted "the individual, association, partnership, or corporation" for "he or it".
Subsecs. (h), (i). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(k), struck out subsec. (h) which related to regulatory power over Federal National Mortgage Association, approval for issuance of stock and other instruments, relation of mortgage purchases to national goal, audits, and a report to Congress and subsec. (i) which related to requests for approval submitted by Federal National Mortgage Association to Secretary, report to Congress, extension of approval period, and effect of inaction by Secretary.
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(l), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted first sentence and struck out former first sentence which read as follows: "The mortgage transactions of the corporation may be subject to audit by the Comptroller General of the United States in accordance with the principles and procedures applicable to commercial corporation transactions under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Comptroller General.", and added par. (2).
Subsecs. (k) to (o). Pub. L. 102–550, §1381(m)–(q), added subsecs. (k) to (o), respectively.
1989-Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 101–73 added subsec. (j).
1988-Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 100–242 inserted at end of second sentence ", but such 45-day period may not be extended for any other reason or for any period in addition to or other than such 15-day period".
1984-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 98–479 substituted "chapter 91 of title 31" for "the Government Corporation Control Act".
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 98–440, §§208, 213(a), substituted "issued by the corporation before October 1, 1985," for "issued by the Corporation" and substituted "shall, not later than June 30 of each year, report to the Congress on the activities of the corporation under this subchapter" for "shall conduct a review of the financial operations of the corporation and undertake a study of the extent to which the activities of the corporation meet the purposes of this subchapter. Such review and study shall be completed and transmitted to the Congress on or before July 1, 1978."
Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 98–440, §209, added subsec. (i).
1977-Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 95–128 inserted provision for review of the financial operations of the corporation and a study respecting how the activities of the corporation meet the purposes of this subchapter and transmittal of the review and study to the Congress.
1976-Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 94–375 substituted "Subject to the provisions of section 1723(a) of this title, the Secretary" for "The Secretary".
1974-Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 93–383 inserted "positions listed" before "in section 5312" and proviso relating to persons whose employment is subject to the civil service law by section 806 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, and substituted reference to Jan. 31, 1972, for reference to termination of transitional period referred to in section 810(b) of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968.
1972-Subsec. (d)(1). Pub. L. 92–310 struck out provisions which related to bonds of officers, attorneys, employees, and agents of the Association and which permitted the Association to pay the premiums therefor.
1968-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(z), among other changes, expanded scope to include both the Government National Mortgage Association and the Federal National Mortgage Association, substituted "conduct its business without regard to any qualification or similar statute" for "conduct its business", and struck out provisions which empowered the Federal National Mortgage Association, by its board of directors, to adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws.
Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(aa), designated existing provisions as par. (1), and struck out provisions which required the Association, with respect to its secondary market operations under section 1719 of this title, to pay annually to the Secretary of the Treasury an amount equivalent to the amount of Federal income taxes for which it would be subject if it were not exempt from such taxes with respect to such secondary market operations, and added par. (2).
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(bb), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted "Secretary of Housing and Urban Development" for "Chairman of the Board", and "agents of the Association" for "agents", and added par. (2).
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(cc), prohibited the use of the name Government National Mortgage Association, authorized injunctions, and permitted recovery of actual damages and punitive damages, and eliminated provisions which made violations of this subsection a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both, for each day during which the violation is committed or repeated.
Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(dd), authorized and directed the Federal Reserve Banks to act for the Government National Mortgage Association, and empowered each of the bodies corporate to act as depositary, custodian, and fiscal agent, for its own account or as fiduciary, and for the account of others.
Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 90–448, §802(ee), added subsec. (h).
1961-Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 87–70 inserted "or other security holdings" after "mortgages".
Pub. L. 93–383, title VIII, §806(k), Aug. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 728 , provided that the amendment made by that section does not apply with respect to any person receiving an annuity on the date of the enactment of Pub. L. 93–383, which was approved Aug. 22, 1974.
"Director of the Office of Personnel Management" substituted for "United States Civil Service Commission" pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1978, §102, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783, set out under section 1101 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred functions vested by statute in United States Civil Service Commission to Director of Office of Personnel Management (except as otherwise specified), effective Jan. 1, 1979, as provided by section 1–102 of Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, set out under section 1101 of Title 5.
Proposal by Federal National Mortgage Association Respecting Mortgage-Backed Securities Program; Approval, Etc.
Pub. L. 96–399, title III, §330, Oct. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 1652 , provided that: "If the Federal National Mortgage Association submits to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of the Treasury, after the date of enactment of this section [Oct. 8, 1980], a proposal with respect to undertaking a mortgage-backed securities program, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development or the Secretary of the Treasury, as the case may be, shall, within 90 days after submission of such proposal, approve the proposal or transmit to the Congress a report explaining why the proposal has not been approved."

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