(a) Inspection standards and scoring methodology. The Secretary will publish in the Federal Register, following notice and the opportunity to comment, a standards notification with a list of deficiencies and the relative severity of these deficiencies to use for inspecting HUD housing. This Federal Register document will also include the factors for determining if an HCV, PBV, or Moderate Rehabilitation unit passes or fails the inspection. The Secretary will also publish in the Federal Register, following notice and opportunity to comment, a scoring notification containing the methodologies to use for scoring and ranking HUD housing. After considering the public comments received on these Federal Register documents, the Secretary will publish documents announcing the new inspections standards and scoring methodologies, and the date on which these notifications become effective.

1. (1) Revisions. The Secretary will issue a notification in the Federal Register published for at least 30 days of public comment making any revisions to the inspection and scoring procedures HUD deems necessary, at least once every three years, or three years after the most recent revision, whichever is later.

2. (2) Emergency revisions. The Secretary may publish a notification without 30 days of public comment in the case of an emergency to protect Federal financial resources or the health or safety of residents of HUD housing, after HUD makes a documented determination that such action is warranted due to:

   1. (i) A Life-Threatening deficiency or Severe deficiency and other significant risks to safety as outlined in § 5.703;
   2. (ii) A new safety concern due to changing construction technology; or
   3. (iii) Other events as determined by the Secretary.