For purposes of this section, the term “insured mortgage covering a tax credit project” means a mortgage insured under any provision of this subchapter that is executed in connection with the construction, rehabilitation, purchase, or refinancing of a multifamily housing project for which equity [1] provided through any low-income housing tax credit pursuant to section 42 of title 26.

In the case of an insured mortgage covering a tax credit project, the Secretary may not require the escrowing of equity provided by the sale of any low-income housing tax credits for the project pursuant to section 42 of title 26, or any other form of security, such as a letter of credit.

In the case of an insured mortgage covering a tax credit project for which project the applicable tax credit allocating agency is causing to be performed periodic inspections in compliance with the requirements of section 42 of title 26, such project shall be exempt from requirements imposed by the Secretary regarding periodic inspections of the property by the mortgagee. To the extent that other compliance monitoring is being performed with respect to such a project by such an allocating agency pursuant to such section 42, the Secretary shall, to the extent that the Secretary determines such monitoring is sufficient to ensure compliance with any requirements established by the Secretary, accept such agency’s evidence of compliance for purposes of determining compliance with the Secretary’s requirements.

Such pilot program shall provide for—

(1) In general The Secretary shall establish a pilot program to demonstrate the effectiveness of streamlining the review process, which shall include all applications for mortgage insurance under any provision of this subchapter for mortgages executed in connection with the construction, rehabilitation, purchase, or refinancing of a multifamily housing project for which equity 1 provided through any low-income housing tax credit pursuant to section 42 of title 26. The Secretary shall issue instructions for implementing the pilot program under this subsection not later than the expiration of the 180-day period beginning upon July 30, 2008.

Such pilot program shall provide for—

(A) the Secretary to appoint designated underwriters, who shall be responsible for reviewing such mortgage insurance applications and making determinations regarding the eligibility of such applications for such mortgage insurance in lieu of the processing functions regarding such applications that are otherwise performed by other employees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development;

(B) submission of applications for such mortgage insurance by mortgagees who have previously been expressly approved by the Secretary; and

(C) determinations regarding the eligibility of such applications for such mortgage insurance to be made by the chief underwriter pursuant to requirements prescribed by the Secretary, which shall include requiring submission of reports regarding applications of proposed mortgagees by third-party entities expressly approved by the chief underwriter.

(June 27, 1934, ch. 847, title II, § 228, as added Pub. L. 110–289, div. B, title VIII, § 2834(c), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2870.)