Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalty Amounts for 2021

AGENCY:

Office of the General Counsel, HUD.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

This rule provides for 2021 inflation adjustments of civil monetary penalty amounts required by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990, as amended by the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015.

DATES:

Effective April 15, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Aaron Santa Anna, Associate General Counsel for Legislation and Regulations, Office of the General Counsel, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 7th Street SW, Room 10276, Washington, DC 20024; telephone number 202-402-5138 (this is not a toll-free number). Hearing- or speech-impaired individuals may access this number via TTY by calling the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 (this is a toll-free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the 2015 Act) (Pub. L. 114-74, Sec. 701), which further amended the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-410), requires agencies to make annual adjustments to civil monetary penalty (CMP) amounts for inflation “notwithstanding section 553 of title 5, United States Code.” Section 553 refers to the Administrative Procedure Act, which provides for advance notice and public comment during the rulemaking process. However, as explained in Section III below, HUD has determined that advance notice and public comment on this final rule is unnecessary.

This annual adjustment is for 2021. The annual adjustment is based on the percent change between the U.S. Department of Labor's Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (“CPI-U”) for the month of October preceding the date of the adjustment, and the CPI-U for October of the prior year (28 U.S.C. 2461 note, section (5)(b)(1)). Based on that formula, the cost-of-living adjustment multiplier for 2021 is 1.01182. Pursuant to the 2015 Act, adjustments are rounded to the nearest dollar.

II. This Final Rule

This final rule makes the required 2021 inflation adjustment of HUD's civil money penalty amounts. Since HUD is not applying these adjustments retroactively, the 2021 increases apply to violations occurring on or after this rule's effective date. HUD provides a table showing how, for each component, the penalties are being adjusted for 2021 pursuant to the 2015 Act. In the first column (“Description”), HUD provides a description of the penalty. In the second column (“Statutory Citation”), HUD provides the United States Code statutory citation providing for the penalty. In the third column (“Regulatory Citation”), HUD provides the Code of Federal Regulations citation under Title 24 for the penalty. In the fourth column (“Previous Amount”), HUD provides the amount of the penalty pursuant to the rule implementing the 2020 adjustment (85 FR 13041, April 06, 2020). In the fifth column (“2021 Adjusted Amount”), HUD lists the penalty after applying the 2021 inflation adjustment.

III. Justification for Final Rulemaking for the 2021 Adjustments

HUD generally publishes regulations for public comment before issuing a rule for effect, in accordance with its own regulations on rulemaking in 24 CFR part 10. However, part 10 provides for exceptions to the general rule if the agency finds good cause to omit advanced notice and public participation. The good cause requirement is satisfied when prior public procedure is “impractical, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest” (see 24 CFR 10.1). As discussed, this final rule makes the required 2021 inflation adjustment, which HUD does not have discretion to change. Moreover, the 2015 Act specifies that a delay in the effective date under the Administrative Procedure Act is not required for annual adjustments under the 2015 Act. HUD has determined, therefore, that it is unnecessary to delay the effectiveness of the 2021 inflation adjustments to solicit public comments.

Section 7(o) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3535(o)) requires that any HUD regulation implementing any provision of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989 that authorizes the imposition of a civil money penalty may not become effective until after the expiration of a public comment period of not less than 60 days. This rule does not authorize the imposition of a civil money penalty—rather, it makes a standard inflation adjustment to penalties that were previously authorized. As noted above, the 2021 inflation adjustments are made in accordance with a statutorily prescribed formula that does not provide for agency discretion. Accordingly, a delay in the effectiveness of the 2021 inflation adjustments in order to provide the public with an opportunity to comment is unnecessary because the 2015 Act exempts the adjustments from the need for delay, the rule does not authorize the imposition of a civil money penalty, and, in any event, HUD would not have the discretion to make changes as a result of any comments.

IV. Findings and Certifications

Regulatory Review—Executive Orders 12866 and 13563

Under Executive Order 12866 (Regulatory Planning and Review) (58 FR 51735), a determination must be made whether a regulatory action is significant and, therefore, subject to review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the requirements of the order. Executive Order 13563 (Improving Regulations and Regulatory Review) (76 FR 3821) directs executive agencies to analyze regulations that are “outmoded, ineffective, insufficient, or excessively burdensome, and to modify, streamline, expand, or repeal them in accordance with what has been learned.” Executive Order 13563 also directs that, where relevant, feasible, and consistent with regulatory objectives, and to the extent permitted by law, agencies are to identify and consider regulatory approaches that reduce burdens and maintain flexibility and freedom of choice for the public. As discussed above in this preamble, this final rule adjusts existing civil monetary penalties for inflation by a statutorily required amount. HUD determined that this rule was not significant under Executive Order 12866 and Executive Order 13563.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

The Regulatory Flexibility Act (RFA) (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) generally requires an agency to conduct a regulatory flexibility analysis of any rule subject to notice and comment rulemaking requirements, unless the agency certifies that the rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Because HUD has determined that good cause exists to issue this rule without prior public comment, this rule is not subject to the requirement to publish an initial or final regulatory flexibility analysis under the RFA as part of such action.

Unfunded Mandates Reform

Section 202 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA) requires that an agency prepare a budgetary impact statement before promulgating a rule that includes a Federal mandate that may result in the expenditure by State, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. If a budgetary impact statement is required, section 205 of UMRA also requires an agency to identify and consider a reasonable number of regulatory alternatives before promulgating a rule. However, the UMRA applies only to rules for which an agency publishes a general notice of proposed rulemaking. As discussed above, HUD has determined, for good cause, that prior notice and public comment is not required on this rule and, therefore, the UMRA does not apply to this final rule.

Executive Order 13132, Federalism

Executive Order 13132 (entitled “Federalism”) (64 FR 43255) prohibits an agency from publishing any rule that has federalism implications if the rule either imposes substantial direct compliance costs on State and local governments and is not required by statute, or the rule preempts State law, unless the agency meets the consultation and funding requirements of section 6 of the Executive Order. This rule will not have federalism implications and would not impose substantial direct compliance costs on State and local governments or preempt State law within the meaning of the Executive order.

Environmental Review

This final rule does not direct, provide for assistance or loan and mortgage insurance for, or otherwise govern, or regulate, real property acquisition, disposition, leasing, rehabilitation, alteration, demolition, or new construction, or establish, revise, or provide for standards for construction or construction materials, manufactured housing, or occupancy. Accordingly, under 24 CFR 50.19(c)(1), this final rule is categorically excluded from environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321).

List of Subjects

24 CFR Part 28

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Claims
• Fraud
• Penalties

24 CFR Part 30

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Grant programs—housing and community development
• Loan programs—housing and community development
• Mortgage insurance
• Penalties

24 CFR Part 87

• Government contracts
• Grant programs
• Loan programs
• Lobbying
• Penalties
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

24 CFR Part 180

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Aged
• Civil rights
• Fair housing
• Persons with disabilities
• Investigations
• Mortgages
• Penalties
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

24 CFR Part 3282

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Consumer protection
• Intergovernmental relations
• Manufactured homes
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

Accordingly, for the reasons described in the preamble, HUD amends 24 CFR parts 28, 30, 87, 180, and 3282 to read as follows:

PART 28—IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES ACT OF 1986

1. The authority citation for part 28 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 31 U.S.C. 3801-3812; 42 U.S.C. 3535(d).

2. In § 28.10, revise paragraphs (a)(1) introductory text and (b)(1) introductory text to read as follows:

PART 30—CIVIL MONEY PENALTIES: CERTAIN PROHIBITED CONDUCT

3. The authority citation for part 30 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 12 U.S.C. 1701q-1, 1703, 1723i, 1735f-14, and 1735f-15; 15 U.S.C. 1717a; 28 U.S.C. 1 note and 2461 note; 42 U.S.C. 1437z-1 and 3535(d).

4. In § 30.20, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:

5. In § 30.25, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:

6. In § 30.35, revise the first sentence in paragraph (c)(1) to read as follows:

7. In § 30.36, revise the first sentence in paragraph (c) to read as follows:

8. In § 30.40, revise the first sentence in paragraph (c) to read as follows:

9. In § 30.45, revise paragraph (g) to read as follows:

10. In § 30.50, revise the first sentence in paragraph (c) to read as follows:

11. In § 30.60, revise paragraph (c) to read as follows:

12. In § 30.65, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:

13. In § 30.68, revise paragraph (c) to read as follows:

PART 87—NEW RESTRICTIONS ON LOBBYING

14. The authority citation for part 87 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 28 U.S.C. 1 note; 31 U.S.C. 1352; 42 U.S.C. 3535(d).

15. In § 87.400, revise paragraphs (a), (b), and (e) to read as follows:

PART 180—CONSOLIDATED HUD HEARING PROCEDURES FOR CIVIL RIGHTS MATTERS

16. The authority citation for part 180 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 28 U.S.C. 1 note; 29 U.S.C. 794; 42 U.S.C. 2000d-1, 3535(d), 3601-3619, 5301-5320, and 6103.

17. In § 180.671, revise paragraphs (a)(1) through (3) to read as follows:

PART 3282—MANUFACTURED HOME PROCEDURAL AND ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS

18. The authority citation for part 3282 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2967; 42 U.S.C. 3535(d), 5403, and 5424.

19. Revise § 3282.10 to read as follows: