(a) An HHA may obtain a surety bond required under § 489.61 only from an authorized Surety.

(b) An authorized Surety is a surety company that—

(1) Has been issued a Certificate of Authority by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 9304 to 9308 and 31 CFR parts 223, 224, and 225 as an acceptable surety on Federal bonds and the Certificate has neither expired nor been revoked; and

(2) Has not been determined by CMS to be an unauthorized Surety for the purpose of an HHA obtaining a surety bond under this section.

(c) CMS determines that a surety company is an unauthorized Surety under this section—

(1) If, upon request by CMS, the surety company fails to furnish timely confirmation of the issuance of, and the validity and accuracy of information appearing on, a surety bond an HHA presents to CMS that shows the surety company as Surety on the bond;

(2) If, upon presentation by CMS to the surety company of a request for payment on a surety bond and of sufficient evidence to establish the surety company's liability on the bond, the surety company fails to timely pay CMS in full the amount requested, up to the face amount of the bond; or

(3) For other good cause.

(d) Any determination CMS makes under paragraph (c) of this section is effective immediately when notice of the determination is published in the Federal Register and remains in effect until a notice of reinstatement is published in the Federal Register.

(e) Any determination CMS makes under paragraph (c) of this section does not affect the Surety's liability under any surety bond issued by a surety company to an HHA before notice of such determination is published in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(f) A determination by CMS that a surety company is an unauthorized Surety under this section is not a debarment, suspension, or exclusion for the purposes of Executive Order No. 12549 (3 CFR, 1986 comp., p. 189).