All the powers and duties of the Government National Mortgage Association shall be vested in the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the Association shall be administered under the direction of the Secretary. Within the limitations of law, the Secretary shall determine the general policies which shall govern the operations of the Association, and shall have power to adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws governing the performance of the powers and duties granted to or imposed upon it by law. There is hereby established in the Department of Housing and Urban Development the position of President, Government National Mortgage Association, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary shall select and effect the appointment of qualified persons to fill the offices of vice president, and such other offices as may be provided for in the bylaws. Persons appointed under the preceding sentence shall perform such executive functions, powers, and duties as may be prescribed by the bylaws or by the Secretary, and such persons shall be executive officers of the Association and shall discharge all such executive functions, powers, and duties.

The Federal National Mortgage Association shall have a board of directors, which shall consist of 13 persons, or such other number that the Director determines appropriate, who shall be elected annually by the common stockholders. Except to the extent that action under section 4636a of this title temporarily results in a lesser number, the board shall at all times have as members at least one person from the homebuilding industry, at least one person from the mortgage lending industry, at least one person from the real estate industry, and at least one person from an organization that has represented consumer or community interests for not less than 2 years or one person who has demonstrated a career commitment to the provision of housing for low-income households. Each member of the board of directors shall be elected for a term ending on the date of the next annual meeting of the stockholders. Any seat on the board which becomes vacant after the annual election of the directors shall be filled by the board, but only for the unexpired portion of the term. Within the limitations of law and regulation, the board shall determine the general policies which shall govern the operations of the corporation, and shall have power to adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws governing the performance of the powers and duties granted to or imposed upon it by law. The board of directors shall select and effect the appointment of qualified persons to fill the offices of president and vice president, and such other offices as may be provided for in the bylaws. Any member of the board who is a full-time officer or employee of the Federal Government shall not, as such member, receive compensation for his services.

(June 27, 1934, ch. 847, title III, § 308, as added Aug. 2, 1954, ch. 649, title II, § 201, 68 Stat. 620; amended Pub. L. 89–174, § 5(b), Sept. 9, 1965, 79 Stat. 669; Pub. L. 89–754, title X, § 1020(d), Nov. 3, 1966, 80 Stat. 1296; Pub. L. 90–19, § 1(l), (m), May 25, 1967, 81 Stat. 18, 19; Pub. L. 90–448, title VIII, § 802(y), Aug. 1, 1968, 82 Stat. 539; Pub. L. 94–375, § 17(a), Aug. 3, 1976, 90 Stat. 1076; Pub. L. 98–440, title II, § 207, Oct. 3, 1984, 98 Stat. 1696; Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, § 1381(h)(1), (i), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3996; Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, §§ 1153(b)(2), 1162(a)(1), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2775, 2781.)