112 STAT. 3612 PUBLIC LAW 105-393 —NOV. 13, 1998 Regulations. "(1) adopt, alter, and use a seal, which shall be judicially noticed; "(2) subject to the civil service and classification laws, select, employ, appoint, and fix the compensation of such personnel as are necessary to carry out this Act; "(3) hold such hearings, sit and act at such times and places, and take such testimony, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate; "(4) request directly, from any Federal agency, board, commission, office, or independent establishment, such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out this Act (and each Federal agency, board, commission, office, or independent establishment may provide such information, suggestions, estimates, and statistics directly to the Secretary); "(5) under regulations promulgated by the Secretary— "(A) assign or sell at public or private sale, or otherwise dispose of for cash or credit, in the Secretary's discretion and on such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the Secretary determines to be reasonable, any evidence of debt, contract, claim, personal property, or security assigned to or held by the Secretary in connection with assistance provided under this Act; and "(B) collect or compromise all obligations assigned to or held by the Secretary in connection with that assistance until such time as the obligations are referred to the Attorney General for suit or collection; "(6) deal with, complete, renovate, improve, modernize, insure, rent, or sell for cash or credit, on such terms and conditions and for such consideration as the Secretary determines to be reasonable, any real or personal property conveyed to or otherwise acquired by the Secretary in connection with assistance provided under this Act; "(7) pursue to final collection, by means of compromise or other administrative action, before referral to the Attorney General, all claims against third parties assigned to the Secretary in connection with assistance provided under this Act; "(8) acquire, in any lawful manner, any property (real, personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible), to the extent appropriate in connection with assistance provided under this Act; "(9) in addition to any powers, functions, privileges, and immunities otherwise vested in the Secretary, take any action, including the procurement of the services of attorneys by contract, determined by the Secretary to be necessary or desirable in making, purchasing, servicing, compromising, modifying, liquidating, or otherwise administratively dealing with assets held in connection with financial assistance provided under this Act; "(10)(A) employ experts and consultants or organizations as authorized by section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, except that contracts for such employment may be renewed annually; "(B) compensate individuals so employed, including compensation for travel time; and "(C) allow individuals so employed, while away from their homes or regular places of business, travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by section 5703
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