Emergency Letter

Mr. Joseph Nye

OMB Desk Officer

Office of Management and Budget

New Executive Office Building

Washington, DC 20503

Dear Mr. Nye:

In compliance with 5 CFR 1320.13, HUD seeks emergency review of the Paperwork Reduction Act requirements contained in the “Implementation of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013” final rule. This is a new information collection.

HUD seeks this emergency approval because collection of this information is needed prior to the normal clearance time period and undergoing the normal clearance procedures now would be reasonably likely to prevent timely implementation of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, P.L. 113-4, 127 Stat. 54 (VAWA 2013) through HUD’s Final VAWA Rule at 81 FR 80724. The cross-program nature of the rule required the involvement of multiple program offices. Unfortunately, the individual program offices did not complete the information collection approval process for their programs covered under this rule. HUD’s final VAWA rule was issued on November 16, 2016 for effect on December 16, 2016. Providing for the normal clearance period at this point would delay the implementation of the VAWA statutory requirements, because the information collections described in this request are the primary vehicle for delivering VAWA protections, and compliance with such requirements by covered housing providers. Therefore, HUD cannot reasonably comply with the normal clearance procedures under 5 CFR 1320.13.

Emergency processing is essential to HUD’s mission, insofar as it ensures timely implementation of VAWA 2013, which protects those qualified tenants, participants, applicants, and affiliated individuals in all HUD-covered housing programs, who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Specifically, VAWA 2013 expands the scope of VAWA protections from HUD’s Section 8 and Public Housing programs to many of HUD’s other housing programs and adds additional information collection requirements. In order to fully implement VAWA 2013’s provisions, HUD must provide certain model documents and require that HUD-covered housing providers undertake certain related activities.

The Form 83-I details the collection burdens and the measures already taken by HUD to solicit and respond to public comment in order to minimize such burdens, as prescribed by 5 CFR 1320.5(a)(1)(iv). This letter requests emergency processing by December 15, 2016.

Thank you for your consideration and assistance.

Sincerely,

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