Eff. Aug. 12, 1961, 26 F.R. 7541, 75 Stat. 838

Prepared by the President and transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled, June 12, 1961, pursuant to the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, 63 Stat. 203, as amended [see 5 U.S.C. 901 et seq.].

FEDERAL HOME LOAN BANK BOARD

Section 1. Transfer of Functions

Subject to the provisions of section 2(a) of this reorganization plan, and to the extent not vested in the Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (hereinafter referred to as the Chairman) in the absence of this reorganization plan, the executive and administrative functions of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (hereinafter referred to as the Board), including the following-described functions of the Board, are hereby transferred from the Board to the Chairman:

(1) The appointment and removal of personnel employed under the Board.

(2) The distribution of business among such personnel and among administrative units of the Board.

(3) The direction of personnel who perform, or who supervise the performance of, any function of the Board or of the Chairman or of any agency under the Board.

(4) The communication to personnel employed under the Board of applicable Board policies to be followed by such personnel in the performance of their work and the subsequent enforcement of such policies.

(5) The overall management, functioning, and organization of the Board, including (a) the formulation and implementation of plans and policies designed to increase the effectiveness of the Board in the administration of the laws it is charged with administering and the initiation of ways and means of correcting or preventing avoidable delays in the performance of any work or the disposition of any business before the Board, and (b) the development and improvement of staff support to carry out the functions of the Board.

(6) The preparation, review, and presentation to the Bureau of the Budget of the budget estimates of and other fund authorizations for the Board and the explanation and justification before the appropriate committees of the Congress of the budget estimates for the Board transmitted to the Congress by the President and of other fund authorizations placed before the Congress.

(7) The allocation, use, and expenditure of funds available to the Board for administrative expense purposes.

(8) The calling of the Board into special session whenever any matter or business of the Board so requires, but in any event for the consideration of any matter or business upon request of one or both of the other members of the Board.

Sec. 2. Performance of Transferred Functions

(a)(1) In carrying out any of his functions under the provisions of section 1 hereof the Chairman shall be governed by general policies of the Board and by such regulatory decisions, findings, and determinations as the Board may by law be authorized to make.

(2) The appointment by the Chairman of the heads of major administrative units under the Board shall be subject to the approval of the Board.

(3) Personnel employed regularly and full time in the immediate offices of Board members other than the Chairman shall not be affected by the provisions of this reorganization plan.

(b) The Chairman may from time to time make such provisions as he shall deem appropriate authorizing the performance by any officer, employee, or administrative unit under his jurisdiction of any function transferred to the Chairman by the provisions of section 1 of this reorganization plan or of any function vested in the Chairman in consequence of his status as the chief executive officer of the Board.

Message of the President

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1961, prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended, and providing for reorganizations in the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.

Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1961 relates to my message of April 13, 1961, to the Congress regarding regulatory agencies and, in particular, to that portion of the message advocating the fixing of responsibility for the overall administration of multiheaded agencies in their chairmen. The reorganization plan also is in keeping with actions begun by President Truman, largely through reorganization plans, to strengthen the internal management of multiheaded agencies by making their chairmen, rather than the boards or commissions as a whole, responsible for day-to-day administration.

The first Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government concluded that purely executive duties can be performed far better by a single administrative official and stated: “Administration by a plural executive is universally regarded as inefficient.” Also, as a matter of sound organization, the Congress and the President should be able to hold a single official rather than a group accountable for the effective management of an agency. The reorganization plan will meet both of those needs by placing responsibility and authority for the administration of the activities of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board in the Chairman of the Board. By relieving the Board of day-to-day managerial functions, the reorganization plan will significantly further the ability of the Board to deal more effectively with regulatory and policy matters before it.

Action to strengthen the management of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and to relieve the Board of day-to-day operating responsibility is particularly needed because of the phenomenal growth of the Board’s activities in recent years. By way of example, the number of institutions that are members of the Federal home loan bank system and subject to the Board’s supervision has increased from 3,898 in 1950 to 4,552 at present. In the same period the assets of those institutions have increased almost fivefold from $15.4 billion to $71 billion. In fiscal year 1950 the Board examined 2,450 institutions; in fiscal 1961 about 4,224 examinations will be conducted. The personnel of the Board have more than doubled in number in the last decade to handle the increased workload.

Pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1947, the Chairman of the Home Loan Bank Board was made the chief executive officer of the Board, and there was transferred to him the authority to appoint and direct the personnel necessary to perform the functions of the Board, the Chairman, and the agencies under the Board. The Chairman’s authority with respect to personnel was returned to the whole Federal Home Loan Bank Board by the Housing Amendments of 1955. The reorganization plan herewith transmitted would restore that authority of the Chairman and further increase his management functions.

Specifically, the reorganization plan will transfer to the Chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board the Board’s functions with respect to the overall management, functioning, and organization of the agency; the appointment, removal, and direction of personnel; the distribution of business among, and communication of Board policies to, such personnel; and the enforcement of policies and the general improvement of staff support. There are also transferred to the Chairman functions relating to preparation, review, presentation, and justification of budget estimates and other fund authorizations and those relating to the allocation, use, and expenditure of funds available for administrative expenses.

Nothing in the plan impinges upon the ability of the members of the Board to act independently with respect to substantive matters that come before them for decision, or to participate in the shaping of Board policies. In carrying out his managerial functions, the Chairman will be governed by the policies of the Board and the determinations it is authorized to make. The Board will have the authority to approve the Chairman’s appointments of the heads of major administrative units, and the other members of the Board will retain their present control over the personnel in their immediate offices.

The taking effect of the reorganizations included in the accompanying reorganization plan will provide sound organizational arrangements and will make possible more economical and expeditious administration of the affected functions. It is, however, impractical to itemize at this time the reductions in expenditures which it is probable will be brought about by such taking effect.

After investigation, I have found and hereby declare that each reorganization included in the reorganization plan transmitted herewith is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2(a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949, as amended.

I recommend that the Congress allow the reorganization plan to become effective.

John F. Kennedy.

The White House, June 12, 1961.