---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 3541"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "3541"
heading: "Paperwork reduction"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/3541"
units:
  - "Chapter 44 — Department of Housing and Urban Development"
---

# §3541. Paperwork reduction

- (a) **Declaration of policy—** The Congress finds and declares—
  - (1) that various departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the Federal Government with responsibilities involving [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) finance [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), require, approve, use or otherwise employ a variety of different forms as residential mortgages (or deeds of [trust](/usc/42/12854.md?p=6) or similar security instruments) as notes secured by those mortgages, and for applications, appraisals and other purposes, and that such duplication of forms constitutes a paperwork burden that adds to the costs imposed on the Nation’s homeowners and home buyers;
  - (2) that unnecessary paperwork impairs the effectiveness of Federal [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) finance [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4);
  - (3) that both [single](/usc/42/2304.md?p=m)-[family](/usc/42/290ff–4.md?p=d-2) and multi-[family](/usc/42/290ff–4.md?p=d-2) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) are affected; and
  - (4) that simplification of paperwork imposed by Federal [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) finance [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) would contribute to achieving the Nation’s [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) goals by reducing [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) costs.
- (b) **Uniform legal and other forms for use by agencies in housing programs—**
  - (1) Not later than October 1, 1980, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of [Housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and Urban Development, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Agriculture, and the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Veterans Affairs shall, consistent with provisions of law governing the conduct of [housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), employ in their respective [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4)—
    - (A) uniform [single](/usc/42/2304.md?p=m)-[family](/usc/42/290ff–4.md?p=d-2) and multi-[family](/usc/42/290ff–4.md?p=d-2) note and mortgage forms;
    - (B) a uniform application form for mortgage approval and commitment for mortgage insurance;
    - (C) a uniform form for computation of the monthly net effective [income](/usc/42/292s.md?p=c-4) of applicants;
    - (D) a uniform property appraisal form;
    - (E) a uniform settlement statement which shall satisfy the requirements of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 [[12 U.S.C. 2601](/usc/12/2601.md) et seq.]; and
    - (F) such other consolidated or simplified forms, particularly those which solicit identical or nearly identical information from the same [persons](/usc/42/1320a–7k.md?p=d-4-C-i) in the conduct of two or more such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), the consolidation or simplification of which the [Secretaries](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of [Housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and Urban Development and Agriculture and the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Veterans Affairs mutually agree would contribute to a reduction in the paperwork and regulatory burden of such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4).
  - (2) The [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of [Housing](/usc/42/1490p–2.md?p=r-3) and Urban Development, the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Agriculture, and the [Secretary](/usc/42/242q–4.md?p=2) of Veterans Affairs shall, consistent with provisions of law governing their respective [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), provide by regulation for the elimination of forms which solicit information which is already available from other available sources through indexing or other means of identifying such forms.
  - (3) Each agency referred to in [subsection (b)](#b) may employ riders, addenda, or similar forms of [modification](/usc/42/7501.md?p=4) [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) to adapt such uniform forms to its respective [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and policies, consistent with the goals of minimizing the use and extent of such [modification](/usc/42/7501.md?p=4) [agreements](/usc/42/1320b–8.md?p=a-3-A) and maximizing the suitability of such forms for the use of all participants, public and private.
- (c) **Coordination and reports by Director of Office of Management and Budget—** The [Director](/usc/42/5061.md?p=1) of the [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1) of Management and Budget shall coordinate and monitor the development and implementation by Federal departments and agencies of the efforts required by [subsection (b)](#b) and shall report to the Congress on such development and implementation and with respect to any provisions of law which unnecessarily prevent such departments and agencies from carrying out the provisions of this section as part of each report required under Public Law 93–556. Such report shall include an estimate of the reduction of the level of paperwork burden hours of the affected agencies as allocated by the [Office](/usc/42/3058f.md?p=1) of Management and Budget.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–557, title IX, § 905, Oct. 31, 1978, 92 Stat. 2126; Pub. L. 96–153, title III, § 328, Dec. 21, 1979, 93 Stat. 1121; Pub. L. 98–479, title II, § 204(n)(4), Oct. 17, 1984, 98 Stat. 2234; Pub. L. 102–54, § 13(q)(10), June 13, 1991, 105 Stat. 281.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(E), is Pub. L. 93–533, Dec. 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 1724, which is classified principally to chapter 27 (§ 2601 et seq.) of Title 12, Banks and Banking. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 2601 of Title 12 and Tables.

Public Law 93–556, referred to in subsec. (c), is Pub. L. 93–556, Dec. 27, 1974, 88 Stat. 1789, which is set out as a note under section 3501 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents.

### Codification

Section was not enacted as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act which comprises this chapter.

### Amendments

1991—Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 102–54 substituted “Secretary of Veterans Affairs” for “Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs” wherever appearing.

1984—Subsec. (b)(1)(E). Pub. L. 98–479 inserted “of 1974” after “Act”.

1979—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 96–153 reenacted subsec. (a) without change.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 96–153 substituted, in provision preceding par. (1)(A), “Not later than October 1, 1980, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs shall, consistent with provisions of law governing the conduct of housing programs,” for “Insofar as it is practicable and to the extent that such action would result in a reduction in paperwork and regulatory burden, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Veterans’ Administration shall”, inserted reference to Secretary of Agriculture in par. (1)(F), added par. (2), redesignated former par. (2) as (3), and struck out former par. (3), which authorized the President to require the Farmers Home Administration and Administrator of the Farmers Home Administration to comply with the requirements of this section if such compliance would contribute to a reduction in the paperwork and regulatory burden of housing and housing finance programs administered by that agency.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 96–153 inserted provision requiring the reports to include an estimate of the reduction of the level of paperwork burden hours of the affected agencies as allocated by the Office of Management and Budget.