Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 5.djvu/803

 PUBLIC LAW 101-625—NOV. 28, 1990 104 STAT. 4125 (C) the capacities of existing agencies of the United States could be used to provide mortgage finance more efficiently for affordable housing through government-sponsored mortgage finance corporations; and (D) the interests of the Federal Government could be protected and any risks of loss could be minimized through requirements for fees, mortgage insurance, risk-sharing, secure collateral, and guarantees by other parties, and through standards relating to minimum capital and prior experience with underwriting, origination and servicing. Subtitle F—General Provisions SEC. 281. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. 42 USC 12831. (a) SOUCITATION OF CONTRACTS. —Each participating jurisdiction Minorities. shall prescribe procedures acceptable to the Secretary to establish Women. and oversee a minority outreach program within each such jurisdiction to ensure the inclusion, to the maximum extent possible, of minorities and women, and entities owned by minorities and women, including, without limitation, real estate firms, construction firms, appraisal firms, management firms, financial institutions, investment banking firms, underwriters, accountants, and providers of legal services, in all contracts, entered into by the participating jurisdiction with such persons or entities, public and private, in order to facilitate the activities of the participating jurisdiction to provide affordable housing authorized under this Act or any other Federal housing law applicable to such jurisdiction. (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS. — Before the end of the 180-day period beginning on the date the first allocation of funds is made under section 217, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report containing a description of the actions taken by each participating jurisdiction pursuant to subsection (a) and such recommendations for administrative and legislative action as the Secretary may determine to be appropriate to carry out the purposes of such subsection. SEC. 282. NONDISCRIMINATION. 42 USC 12832. No person in the United States shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, or sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available under this title. Any prohibition against discrimination on the basis of age under the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 or with respect to an otherwise qualified handicapped individual as provided in section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 shall also apply to any such program or activity. SEC. 283. ANNUAL AUDITS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. 42 USC 12833. (a) INDEPENDENT AUDITS.— The Secretary, except as provided in paragraph O^XD, shall contract annually with an independent accounting firm to provide for a full financial audit of the records of the HOME Investment Partnerships program for each fiscal year. Funds available for departmental administration may be used to provide for such audits. Each audit shall be performed as soon as practicable after the close of the fiscal year and in accordance with generally accepted Government auditing standards approved by the Comptroller General of the United States (hereinafter referred to as

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