(a) General. HUD may initiate a Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act (31 U.S.C. 3801) case against a respondent only upon an investigation by the Inspector General or his or her designee.

(b) Subpoena. Pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 3804(a), the Inspector General or designee may require by subpoena the production of records and other documents. The subpoena shall state the authority under which it is issued, identify the records sought, and name the person designated to receive the records. The recipient of the subpoena shall provide a certification that the documents sought have been produced, that the documents are not available and the reasons they are not available, or that the documents, suitably identified, have been withheld based upon the assertion of an identified privilege.

(c) Investigation report. If the Inspector General or designee concludes that an action under the Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act may be warranted, her or she shall submit a report containing the findings and conclusions of the investigation to the General Counsel or his or her designee.

(d) The Inspector General may refer allegations directly to the Department of Justice for suit under the False Claims Act (31 U.S.C. 3730) or for other civil relief, or may postpone submitting a report to the General Counsel to avoid interference with a criminal investigation or prosecution. The Inspector General shall report violations of criminal law to the Attorney General.