Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 4.djvu/290

 102 STAT. 3260

PUBLIC LAW 100-628—NOV. 7, 1988

(1) SECRETARY.—The term "Secretary" means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. (2) APPLICANT; PARTICIPANT.—The terms "applicant" and "participant" shall have such meanings as the Secretary by regulation shall prescribe, except that such terms shall include members of an applicant's or participant's household, and such terms shall not include persons whose involvement is only in their official capacity, such as State or local government officials and officers of lending institutions. (3) PUBLIC HOUSING AGENCY.—The term "public housing agency" means any agency described in section 3(b)(6) of the United States Housing Act of 1937. (b) APPLICANT AND PARTICIPANT CONSENT.—As a condition of initial or continuing eligibility for participation in any program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development involving initial and periodic review of an applicant's or participant's income, and to assure that the level of benefits provided under the program is correct, the Secretary may require that an applicant or participant— (1) sign a consent form approved by the Secretary authorizing the Secretary, the public housing agency, or the owner responsible for determining eligibility for or level of benefits to request current or previous employers to verify salary and wage information pertinent to the applicant's or participant's eligibility or level of benefits; and (2) sign a consent form approved by the Secretary authorizing the Secretary or the public housing agency responsible for determining eligibility or level of benefits to request a State agency charged with the administration of the State unemployment law to release wage information with respect to such applicant or participant or information regarding whether such applicant or participant is receiving, has received, or has made application for, unemployment compensation, and the amount of any such compensation being received (or to be received) by such applicant or participant. This consent form shall not be used to request taxpayer return information protected by section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (c) ACCESS TO STATE EMPLOYMENT RECORDS.— (1) AMENDMENTS TO SOCIAL SECURITY ACT.—(A)

Section 303 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 503) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(i)(1) The State agency charged with the administration of the State law— "(A) shall disclose, upon request and on a reimbursable beisis, only to officers and employees of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and to representatives of a public housing agency, any of the following information contained in the records of such State agency with respect to individuals applying for or participating in any housing assistance program administered by the Department who have signed an appropriate consent form approved by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development— "(i) wage information, and "(ii) whether an individual is receiving, has received, or has made application for, unemployment compensation.

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