Office of Inspector General assessment

(a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the Comptroller General of the United States, shall conduct an assessment of each of the following: (1) During the three-year period preceding the date on which the assessment is commenced, the extent to which servicers of loans guaranteed under chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, processed applications for assumptions of loans guaranteed under chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, within the 45-calendar-day timeline required by section 3710A of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 3. (2) The average processing time for applications for assumption of loans guaranteed under such chapter that are submitted to servicers of such loans and regional loan centers of the Department, disaggregated by servicer and by region. (3) The frequency and nature of communications by servicers of such loans to individuals who are potential assumers of such loans regarding processing timelines, including instances in which servicers suggested or implied that processing would take longer than 45 calendar days. (4) The denial rates for applications to assume such loans, compared to the rates of approval and withdrawal of such applications, including an assessment of whether extended timelines may be discouraging applicants. (5) The comparative denial rates between applications to assume such loans and applications for new loans guaranteed under such chapter, including an assessment of whether assumptions are being subjected to higher or more stringent approval standards than new loans. (6) Any evidence of discrimination or disparate treatment of individuals who submit applications to assume such loans compared to individuals who submit applications for new loans, including differences in underwriting standards, required documentation, creditworthiness thresholds, or timelines based on borrower characteristics. (7) Any barriers within the operations, staffing, or systems of servicers of such loans that prevent timely processing of applications to assume such loans. (8) The adequacy of Department oversight of the compliance of servicers of such loans with assumption processing requirements. (b) Report to Congress Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report containing— (1) the findings of the assessment required by subsection (a); (2) an identification of any servicers of loans guaranteed under chapter 37 of title 38, United States Code, that fail to meet the 45-calendar-day requirement under section 3710A of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 3, on a consistent basis; (3) an analysis of denial rates for applications to assume such loans compared to denial rates for applications for new loans guaranteed under such chapter, including an identification of any disparities; (4) an analysis of whether assumptions of such loans are subject to higher or more stringent underwriting standards, creditworthiness thresholds, or documentation requirements than new loans; (5) findings regarding potential discrimination or disparate treatment of individuals who submit applications to assume such loans; (6) recommendations for enforcement mechanisms to ensure the compliance of servicers of such loans with applicable requirements; and (7) an identification of any additional legislative or regulatory changes needed to improve the processing of applications to assume such loans and ensure equitable treatment compared to applications for new loans. (c) Public data The Inspector General shall make publicly accessible the anonymized data collected for purposes of conducting the assessment required under subsection (a).