EXAMINERS AND ACCOUNTANTS; AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR REVIEWS OF REGULATED ENTITIES; OMBUDSMAN.

SEC. 1105. EXAMINERS AND ACCOUNTANTS; AUTHORITY TO CONTRACT FOR REVIEWS OF REGULATED ENTITIES; OMBUDSMAN.(a) In General.—Section 1317 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4517) is amended—(1) in subsection (a), by striking “enterprise” each place that term appears and inserting “regulated entity”;(2) in subsection (b)—(A) by inserting “of a regulated entity” after “under this section”; and122 STAT. 2668(B) by striking “to determine the condition of an enterprise for the purpose of ensuring its financial safety and soundness” and inserting “or appropriate”;(3) in subsection (c), in the second sentence, by inserting before the period “to conduct examinations under this section”;(4) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as subsections (e) through (g), respectively; and(5) by inserting after subsection (c) the following:“(d) Inspector General.—There shall be within the Agency an Inspector General, who shall be appointed in accordance with section 3(a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978.”.(b) Direct Hire Authority To Hire Accountants, Economists, and Examiners.—Section 1317 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4517) is amended by adding at the end the following:“(h) Appointment of Accountants, Economists, and Examiners.—“(1) Applicability.—This section shall apply with respect to any position of examiner, accountant, economist, and specialist in financial markets and in technology at the Agency, with respect to supervision and regulation of the regulated entities, that is in the competitive service.“(2) Appointment authority.—The Director may appoint candidates to any position described in paragraph (1)—“(A) in accordance with the statutes, rules, and regulations governing appointments in the excepted service; and“(B) notwithstanding any statutes, rules, and regulations governing appointments in the competitive service.”.(c) Amendments to Inspector General Act.—Section 11 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended—(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting “; the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency” after “Social Security Administration”; and(2) in paragraph (2), by inserting “, the Federal Housing Finance Agency” after “Social Security Administration”.(d) Authority To Contract for Reviews of Regulated Entities.—Section 1319 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4519) is amended—(1) in the section heading, by striking “enterprises by rating organization” and inserting “regulated entities”; and(2) by striking “enterprises” and inserting “regulated entities”.(e) Office of the Ombudsman.—Section 1317 of the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act of 1992 (12 U.S.C. 4517) is amended by adding at the end the following:“(i) Ombudsman.—The Director shall establish, by regulation, an Office of the Ombudsman within the Agency, which shall be responsible for considering complaints and appeals, from any regulated entity and any person that has a business relationship with a regulated entity, regarding any matter relating to the regulation and supervision of such regulated entity by the Agency. The regulation issued by the Director under this subsection shall specify the authority and duties of the Office of the Ombudsman.”.122 STAT. 2669