(a) Authority. The Banks are authorized to approve or deny all applications for certification as a housing associate, subject to the requirements of the Bank Act and this part. A Bank may delegate the authority to approve applications for certification as a housing associate only to a committee of the Bank's board of directors, the Bank president, or a senior officer who reports directly to the Bank president other than an officer with responsibility for business development.

(b) Application requirements. An applicant for certification as a housing associate shall submit an application that satisfies the requirements of the Bank Act and this part to the Bank of the district in which the applicant's principal place of business, as determined in accordance with part 925 of this title, is located.

(c) Bank decision process—(1) Action on applications. A Bank shall approve or deny an application for certification as a housing associate within 60 calendar days of the date the Bank deems the application to be complete. A Bank shall deem an application complete, and so notify the applicant in writing, when it has obtained all of the information required by this part and any other information it deems necessary to process the application. If a Bank determines during the review process that additional information is necessary to process the application, the Bank may deem the application incomplete and stop the 60-day time period by providing written notice to the applicant. When the Bank receives the additional information, it shall again deem the application complete, so notify the applicant in writing, and resume the 60-day time period where it stopped.

(2) Decision on applications. The Bank or a duly delegated committee of the Bank's board of directors, the Bank president, or a senior officer who reports directly to the Bank president other than an officer with responsibility for business development shall approve, or the board of directors of a Bank shall deny, each application for certification as a housing associate by a written decision resolution stating the grounds for the decision. Within three business days of a Bank's decision on an application, the Bank shall provide the applicant and the FHFA with a copy of the Bank's decision resolution.

(3) File. The Bank shall maintain a certification file for each applicant for at least three years after the date the Bank decides whether to approve or deny certification or the date the FHFA resolves any appeal, whichever is later. At a minimum, the certification file shall include all documents submitted by the applicant or otherwise obtained or generated by the Bank concerning the applicant, all documents the Bank relied upon in making its determination regarding certification, including copies of statutes and regulations, and the decision resolution.