[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40613-40614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-19135]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4527-N-01]
Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request Forms
for Large-Scale Computer Matching Income Verification
AGENCY: The Real Estate Assessment Center, HUD.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The proposed information collection requirement described
below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department
is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.
DATES: Comments Due Date: September 27, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding
this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB
Control Number and should be sent to Wanda Funk, U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development, Real Estate Assessment Center, 1280
Maryland Avenue, SW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20224-2135; telephone
Customer Service Center at 1-888-245-4860 (this is a toll-free number).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information can be obtained
from David Decker, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Real Estate Assessment Center, 451 Seventh Street, SW, Room 5156,
Washington, DC 20410-5000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department will submit the proposed
information collection to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended). The Notice is
soliciting comments from members of the public and affecting agencies
concerning the proposed collection of information to: (1) evaluate
whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the
proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether
the information will have practical utility; (2) evaluate the accuracy
of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information; (3) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (4) minimize the burden of the
collection of information on those who are to respond.
This notice also lists the following information:
Title of Proposal: Forms for Large-Scale Computer Matching Income
Verification.
OMB Control Number, if applicable: Not Available.
Description of the need for information and proposed use: A notice,
published December 9, 1998 (63 FR 68129), describes the computer
matching program applicable to this information collection requirement.
HUD has recently transferred the responsibility for the computer
matching income verification program described in that notice to its
Real Estate Assessment Center.
REAC has developed the Tenant Assessment Subsystem (TASS) to
identify potential sources of income discrepancies between income
reported by tenants and submitted by Public Housing Agencies and owners
and agents (POAs) with Federal tax data provided by the Internal
Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration. The process of
comparing these two sources of income information is referred to as
computer matching income verification (CMIV). TASS will be used to
identify potential income discrepancies for tenants receiving
assistance under HUD's Public Housing (Low Rent), Section 8 Tenant-
Based, and Section 8 Project-Based programs. Through the use of CMIV,
TASS will:
Identify potential income discrepancies;
Generate letters to be sent to tenants identifying
possible income discrepancies;
Prepare notifications of possible tenant income
discrepancies for POA processing and resolution; and
Track POA discrepancy resolution and recovery of excessive
rental assistance provided to tenants due to underreported income.
POAs will be required to resolve potential discrepancies through
the identification of both positive and false positive discrepancies,
and to adjust or terminate tenant rental assistance for verified
discrepancies. Recovery involves a prudent attempt by POAs to obtain
full repayment of excess tenant rental assistance through repayment
agreements or prospective adjustments to future rental assistance.
The REAC has developed three forms to help capture and summarize
data concerning POA income discrepancy resolution and recovery of
excessive
[[Page 40614]]
rental assistance. The first form is a case tracking form to be used by
POAs to report the status of discrepancy cases. The second form is a
PHA recertification policy form to be used to gather data related to
the PHA's interim recertification policies. The third form is a request
to POAs for tenant source documentation for an annual sample of 1,000
randomly selected households.
These forms will be used by the two primary component processes of
nationwide CMIV: (1) the nationwide large-scale matching of all
tenants, and (2) the estimation of total excessive rental assistance
paid annually through the use of a nationwide sample of tenant
households. This second process is required by HUD's Office of
Inspector General to satisfy financial reporting requirements.
Agency form numbers, if applicable: Not Available.
Members of the affected public: Public Housing Agencies (PHAs).
Owner/Agents (O/As).
Estimation of the total number of hours needed to prepare the
information collection including number of respondents, frequency of
response, and hours of response:
REAC is requesting Paperwork Reduction Act approval on the three
forms discussed above. The following parameters apply to the
calculation of respondent burdens. Nationwide Large-Scale CMIV
Number of PHAs--4,000.
Number of OAs--20,000.
Number of potential discrepancies at the thresholds agreed
on by OMB and HUD--350,000.
Nationwide Sample CMIV:
Sample size--1,000 households.
Estimated number of households identified with potential
income discrepancies for annual 1,000 household sample--300.
Shown below are the estimated burdens imposed on the respondents.
Status Report--Tenant Income Discrepancy Resolution and Funds
Recovery.
Time to complete each form--three minutes.
Average number of tracking cycles before a case is
resolved--three.
Total time to complete the tracking form until case
resolution--nine minutes.
Total number of cases to be resolved annually--350,000.
The total annual nationwide respondent burden imposed will be
3,150,000 minutes or 52,500 hours. On average, the burden imposed per
POA will be approximately 2\1/4\ hours. This will vary significantly
depending on the size of the POA.
PHA Interim Recertification Policies
Number of PHAs--4,000.
Time to complete form is 15 minutes.
The respondent burden imposed will be approximately 60,000 minutes
or 1,000 hours for year one. The form needs to be completed once for
each POA and, as such, the total burden per PHA for year one will be 15
minutes. Beyond year one, the respondent burden per POA will be
directly related to the number of times the POA changes its interim
recertification policy.
Request for POA Tenant Source Documentation
Total number of source documents requested is
approximately 300. There will be several documents for each household.
Time to compile, photocopy, and mail documentation is 15
minutes.
The respondent burden imposed will be approximately 60,000 minutes
or 1,000 hours for year one. The form needs to be completed once for
each POA and, as such, the total burden per PHA for year one will be 15
minutes. Beyond year one, the respondent burden per POA will be
directly related to the number of times the POA changes its interim
recertification policy.
Status of the proposed information collection:
Has not started.
Authority: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended.
Dated: July 19, 1999.
Barbara L. Burkhalter,
Deputy Director, Real Estate Assessment Center.
[FR Doc. 99-19135 Filed 7-26-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-01-P