§ 3608. Administration

§ 3608. Administration

(a) Authority and responsibility The authority and responsibility for administering this Act shall be in the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

(b) Assistant Secretary The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall be provided an additional Assistant Secretary.

(c) Delegation of authority; appointment of administrative law judges; location of conciliation meetings; administrative review The Secretary may delegate any of his functions, duties, and powers to employees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or to boards of such employees, including functions, duties, and powers with respect to investigating, conciliating, hearing, determining, ordering, certifying, reporting, or otherwise acting as to any work, business, or matter under this subchapter. The person to whom such delegations are made with respect to hearing functions, duties, and powers shall be appointed and shall serve in the Department of Housing and Urban Development in compliance with sections 3105, 3344, 5372, and 7521 of title 5. Insofar as possible, conciliation meetings shall be held in the cities or other localities where the discriminatory housing practices allegedly occurred. The Secretary shall by rule prescribe such rights of appeal from the decisions of his administrative law judges to other administrative law judges or to other officers in the Department, to boards of officers or to himself, as shall be appropriate and in accordance with law.

(d) Cooperation of Secretary and executive departments and agencies in administration of housing and urban development programs and activities to further fair housing purposes All executive departments and agencies shall administer their programs and activities relating to housing and urban development (including any Federal agency having regulatory or supervisory authority over financial institutions) in a manner affirmatively to further the purposes of this subchapter and shall cooperate with the Secretary to further such purposes.

(e) Functions of Secretary The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall—

(1) make studies with respect to the nature and extent of discriminatory housing practices in representative communities, urban, suburban, and rural, throughout the United States;

(2) publish and disseminate reports, recommendations, and information derived from such studies, including an annual report to the Congress—

(A) specifying the nature and extent of progress made nationally in eliminating discriminatory housing practices and furthering the purposes of this subchapter, obstacles remaining to achieving equal housing opportunity, and recommendations for further legislative or executive action; and

(B) containing tabulations of the number of instances (and the reasons therefor) in the preceding year in which—

(i) investigations are not completed as required by section 3610(a)(1)(B) of this title;

(ii) determinations are not made within the time specified in section 3610(g) of this title; and

(iii) hearings are not commenced or findings and conclusions are not made as required by section 3612(g) of this title;

(3) cooperate with and render technical assistance to Federal, State, local, and other public or private agencies, organizations, and institutions which are formulating or carrying on programs to prevent or eliminate discriminatory housing practices;

(4) cooperate with and render such technical and other assistance to the Community Relations Service as may be appropriate to further its activities in preventing or eliminating discriminatory housing practices;

(5) administer the programs and activities relating to housing and urban development in a manner affirmatively to further the policies of this subchapter; and

(6) annually report to the Congress, and make available to the public, data on the race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, and family characteristics of persons and households who are applicants for, participants in, or beneficiaries or potential beneficiaries of, programs administered by the Department to the extent such characteristics are within the coverage of the provisions of law and Executive orders referred to in subsection (f) which apply to such programs (and in order to develop the data to be included and made available to the public under this subsection, the Secretary shall, without regard to any other provision of law, collect such information relating to those characteristics as the Secretary determines to be necessary or appropriate).

(f) Provisions of law applicable to Department programs The provisions of law and Executive orders to which subsection (e)(6) applies are—

(1) title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.];

(2) this subchapter;

(3) section 794 of title 29;

(4) the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 [42 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.];

(5) the Equal Credit Opportunity Act [15 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.];

(6) section 1982 of this title;

(7) section 637(a) of title 15;

(8) section 1735f–5 of title 12;

(9) section 5309 of this title;

(10) section 1701u of title 12;

(11) Executive orders 11063, 11246, 11625, 12250, 12259, and 12432; and

(12) any other provision of law which the Secretary specifies by publication in the Federal Register for the purpose of this subsection.

(Pub. L. 90–284, title VIII, § 808, Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 84; Pub. L. 95–251, § 3, Mar. 27, 1978, 92 Stat. 184; Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, § 801(a)(3)(J), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1222; Pub. L. 100–430, § 7, Sept. 13, 1988, 102 Stat. 1623.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in subsec. (a), means Pub. L. 90–284, Apr. 11, 1968, 82 Stat. 73, known as the Civil Rights Act of 1968. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, referred to in subsec. (f)(1), is Pub. L. 88–352, July 2, 1964, 78 Stat. 241. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is classified generally to subchapter V (§ 2000d et seq.) of chapter 21 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2000a of this title and Tables.

The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, referred to in subsec. (f)(4), is title III of Pub. L. 94–135, Nov. 28, 1975, 78 Stat. 728, which is classified generally to chapter 76 (§ 6101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 6101 of this title and Tables.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act, referred to in subsec. (f)(5), is title VII of Pub. L. 90–321, as added by Pub. L. 93–495, title V, § 503, Oct. 28, 1974, 88 Stat. 1521, which is classified generally to subchapter IV (§ 1691 et seq.) of chapter 41 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1601 of Title 15 and Tables.

The Executive orders referred to in subsec. (f)(11) are set out as notes under sections of the Code as follows:

Ex. Ord. No. 11063: 42 U.S.C. 1982,

Ex. Ord. No. 11246: 42 U.S.C. 2000e,

Ex. Ord. No. 11625: 15 U.S.C. 631,

Ex. Ord. No. 12250: 42 U.S.C. 2000d–1, and

Ex. Ord. No. 12432: 15 U.S.C. 631.

Ex. Ord. No. 12259, referred to in subsec. (f)(11), was set out below, prior to revocation by Ex. Ord. No. 12892, Jan. 17, 1994, 59 F.R. 2939, set out below.

Codification

The second sentence of subsec. (b) of this section has been omitted as it amended sections 3533(a) and 3535(c) of this title.

Amendments

1988—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 100–430, § 7(a), inserted “(including any Federal agency having regulatory or supervisory authority over financial institutions)” after “urban development”.

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 100–430, § 7(b)(1)(A), inserted provisions relating to annual report to Congress.

Subsec. (e)(6). Pub. L. 100–430, § 7(b)(1)(B)–(D), added par. (6).

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 100–430, § 7(b)(2), added subsec. (f).

1978—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–251 substituted “administrative law judges” for “hearing examiners”.

Pub. L. 95–454 substituted “5372” for “5362”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 100–430 effective on 180th day beginning after Sept. 13, 1988, see section 13(a) of Pub. L. 100–430, set out as a note under section 3601 of this title.

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective on first day of first applicable pay period beginning on or after 90th day after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 801(a)(4)(A) of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as an Effective Date note under section 5361 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Treatment of Occupancy Standards

Pub. L. 105–276, title V, § 589, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2651, provided that: “(a) Establishment of Policy.—Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998], the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall publish a notice in the Federal Register for effect that takes effect upon publication and provides that the specific and unmodified standards provided in the March 20, 1991, Memorandum from the General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to all Regional Counsel shall be the policy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development with respect to complaints of discrimination under the Fair Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) on the basis of familial status which involve an occupancy standard established by a housing provider. “(b) Prohibition of National Standard.—The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall not directly or indirectly establish a national occupancy standard.”

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 12259

Ex. Ord. No. 12259, Dec. 31, 1980, 46 F.R. 1253, which related to leadership and coordination by Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of fair housing programs and activities in Federal programs, was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12892, § 6–607, Jan. 17, 1994, 59 F.R. 2939, set out below.

Ex. Ord. No. 12892. Leadership and Coordination of Fair Housing in Federal Programs: Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing

Ex. Ord. No. 12892, Jan. 17, 1994, 59 F.R. 2939, provided:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in accordance with the Fair Housing Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 3601 et seq.) (“Act”), in order to affirmatively further fair housing in all Federal programs and activities relating to housing and urban development throughout the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Administration of Programs and Activities Relating to Housing and Urban Development.

1–101. Section 808(d) of the Act, as amended [42 U.S.C. 3608(d)], provides that all executive departments and agencies shall administer their programs and activities relating to housing and urban development (including any Federal agency having regulatory or supervisory authority over financial institutions) in a manner affirmatively to further the purposes of the Act and shall cooperate with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to further such purposes.

1–102. As used in this order, the phrase “programs and activities” shall include programs and activities operated, administered, or undertaken by the Federal Government; grants; loans; contracts; insurance; guarantees; and Federal supervision or exercise of regulatory responsibility (including regulatory or supervisory authority over financial institutions).

Sec. 2. Responsibilities of Executive Agencies.

2–201. The primary authority and responsibility for administering the programs and activities relating to housing and urban development affirmatively to further fair housing is vested in the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

2–202. The head of each executive agency is responsible for ensuring that its programs and activities relating to housing and urban development are administered in a manner affirmatively to further the goal of fair housing as required by section 808 of the Act [42 U.S.C. 3608] and for cooperating with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, who shall be responsible for exercising leadership in furthering the purposes of the Act.

2–203. In carrying out the responsibilities in this order, the head of each executive agency shall take appropriate steps to require that all persons or other entities who are applicants for, or participants in, or who are supervised or regulated under, agency programs and activities relating to housing and urban development shall comply with this order.

2–204. Upon receipt of a complaint alleging facts that may constitute a violation of the Act or upon receipt of information from a consumer compliance examination or other information suggesting a violation of the Act, each executive agency shall forward such facts or information to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for processing under the Act. Where such facts or information indicate a possible pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of the Act, they also shall be forwarded to the Attorney General. The authority of the Federal depository institution regulatory agencies to take appropriate action under their statutory authority remains unaffected.

Sec. 3. President’s Fair Housing Council.

3–301. There is hereby established an advisory council entitled the “President’s Fair Housing Council” (“Council”). The Council shall be chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and shall consist of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Secretary of the Interior, the Chair of the Federal Reserve, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision, the Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and such other officials of executive departments and agencies as the President may, from time to time, designate.

3–302. The President’s Fair Housing Council shall review the design and delivery of Federal programs and activities to ensure that they support a coordinated strategy to affirmatively further fair housing. The Council shall propose revisions to existing programs or activities, develop pilot programs and activities, and propose new programs and activities to achieve its goals.

3–303. In support of cooperative efforts among all executive agencies, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall:

(a) cooperate with, and render assistance to, the heads of all executive agencies in the formulation of policies and procedures to implement this order and to provide information and guidance on the affirmative administration of programs and activities relating to housing and urban development and the protection of the rights accorded by the Act; and

(b) develop memoranda of understanding and any necessary implementing procedures among executive agencies designed to provide for consultation and the coordination of Federal efforts to further fair housing through the affirmative administration of programs and activities relating to housing and urban development, including coordination of the investigation of complaints or other information referred to the Secretary as required by section 2–204 of this order that would constitute a violation of the Act or, where relevant, other Federal laws. Existing memoranda of understanding shall remain in effect until superseded.

3–304. In connection with carrying out functions under this order, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is authorized to request from any executive agency such information and assistance as the Secretary deems necessary. Each agency shall furnish such information to the extent permitted by law and, to the extent practicable, provide assistance to the Secretary.

Sec. 4. Specific Responsibilities.

4–401. In implementing the responsibilities under sections 2–201, 2–202, 2–203, and section 3 of this order, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall, to the extent permitted by law: