[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 148 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 39850-39852]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19401]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service

Farm Service Agency

7 CFR Parts 1940, 1944 and 1965


Repeal of Certain Lobbyist Disclosure Provisions

AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, 
Rural Utilities Service, and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) (formerly Rural Housing and 
Community Development Service (RHCDS)) is removing its regulations on 
``Accountability Requirements of Persons Paid to Influence the Making 
of an RHCDS Housing Loan and/or Grant,'' due to the repeal of the 
statutory reporting and registration requirements (Sec. 24 of Pub. L. 
104-65). The intended outcome is to remove imposed registration and 
reporting requirements on any person engaged for pay or for any 
consideration for the purpose of attempting to influence the making of 
a RHS loan or grant, and removes the limitation of fees a person may 
charge for this service.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 31, 1996.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Cynthia L. Reese-Foxworth, Loan 
Specialist, Rural Rental Housing Branch, Multi-Family Housing 
Processing Division, Rural Housing Service, U.S. Department of 
Agriculture, AgBox 0781, Washington, DC 20250-0700; telephone (202) 
720-1604 (this is not a toll free number).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Classification

    This action is not subject to the provisions of Executive Order 
12866 since it only involves internal agency management. Since this 
rule relates only to Public Law (Pub. L.) 104-65, which repeals the 
reporting and registration requirements of 7 CFR part 1940, subpart S, 
this action is not published for proposed rulemaking. Therefore, 
publication for advance notice and comment is unnecessary and contrary 
to the public interest.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The information collection requirements contained in this 
regulation have been previously approved by the Office of Management 
and Budget (OMB) under the provisions of 44 U.S.C. chapter 35 and has 
been assigned OMB control number 0575-0139 in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3507).

Environmental Impact Statement

    This document has been reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1940, 
subpart G, ``Environmental Program.'' It is the determination of RHS 
that this action does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, and in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Pub. L. 
91-190, an Environmental Impact Statement is not required.

National Performance Review

    This regulatory action is being taken as part of the National 
Performance Review program to eliminate unnecessary regulations and 
improve those that remain in force.

Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995

    Title II of the Unfunded Mandate Reform Act of 1995 (UMRA), Pub. L. 
104-4, establishes requirements for Federal agencies to assess the 
effects of their regulatory actions on State, local, and tribal 
governments and the private sector. Under section 202 of the UMRA, RHS 
generally must prepare a written statement, including a cost-benefit 
analysis, for proposed and final rules, with ``Federal mandates'' that 
may result in expenditures to State, local, or tribal governments, in 
the aggregate, or to the private sector, of $100 million or more in any 
one year. When such a statement is needed for a rule, section 205 of 
the UMRA generally requires RHS to identify and consider a reasonable 
number of regulatory alternatives and adopt the least costly, more 
cost-effective or least burdensome alternative that achieves the 
objectives of the rule.
    This rule contains no Federal mandates (under the regulatory 
provisions of Title II of the UMRA) for State, local, and tribal 
governments or the private sector. Thus today's rule is not subject to 
the requirements of section 202 and 205 of the UMRA.

Intergovernmental Consultation

    This activity is not subject to Executive Order (EO) 12372 which 
requires intergovernmental consultation with State and local officials 
and is not listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, 
however, affected programs 10.415, 10.420, and 10.433 are subject to 
the provisions of EO 12372.

Program Affected

    These programs or activities are listed in the Catalog of Federal 
Domestic Assistance under the following numbers:

10.405  Farm Labor Housing Loans and Grants
10.410  Very Low to Moderate Income Housing Loans
10.415  Rural Rental Housing Loans
10.417  Very Low-Income Housing Repair Loans and Grants
10.420  Rural Self-Help Housing Technical Assistance
10.433  Rural Housing Preservation Grants
10.442  Housing Application Packaging Grants

Discussion of Final Rule

    7 CFR part 1940, subpart S implemented Sec. 401(A) of the Housing 
and Urban Development Reform Act of 1989, Pub. L. 101-235, (December 
15, 1989) (``HUD Reform Act''), which added Sec. 536(d) to the Housing 
Act of 1949. Pursuant to Sec. 24 of Pub. L. 104-65 (December 19, 1995), 
Sec. 536(d) of the Housing Act of 1949 was repealed effective January 
1, 1996. Therefore, 7 CFR part 1940, subpart S, ``Accountability 
Requirements of Persons Paid to Influence the Making of an RHCDS 
Housing Loan and/or Grant'', is being removed. However, all 
requirements found in FmHA Instruction 1940-Q, ``Restrictions on 
Lobbying,'' will still apply even though subpart S is deleted because 
FmHA Instruction 1940-Q contains the Department's lobbying regulations 
published in 7 CFR part 3018. Copies of FmHA Instruction 1940-Q are 
available in all Rural Development offices. Some

[[Page 39851]]

outdated references are also being revised.

List of Subjects

7 CFR Part 1940

    Accountability, Low and moderate income housing--Rental, Reporting 
requirements.

7 CFR Part 1944

    Administrative practice and procedure, Aged, Farm labor housing, 
Grant programs--Housing and community development, Handicapped, Home 
improvement, Loan programs--Housing and community development, Low and 
moderate income housing--Rental, Migrant labor, Mobile homes, 
Mortgages, Nonprofit organizations, Public housing, Rent subsidies, 
Reporting requirements, Rural housing, subsidies.

7 CFR Part 1965

    Administrative practice and procedure, Low and moderate income 
housing--Rental, Mortgages.

    Therefore, chapter XVIII, title 7, Code of Federal Regulations is 
amended as follows:

PART 1940--GENERAL

    1. The authority citation for part 1940 is amended to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 7 U.S.C. 1989 and 42 U.S.C. 1480.


Secs. 1940.901 through 1940.950  (Subpart S)--[Removed and Reserved]

    2. Subpart S, consisting of Secs. 1940.901 through 1940.950 is 
removed and reserved.

PART 1944--HOUSING

    3. The authority citation for part 1944 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 7 U.S.C. 1989, and 42 U.S.C. 1480.

Subpart A--Section 502 Rural Housing Loans Policies, Procedures, 
and Authorizations


Sec. 1944.27  [Amended]

    4. Section 1944.27 is amended by removing paragraph (i).


Sec. 1944.31  [Amended]

    5. Section 1944.31, paragraphs (a) and (e), is amended by revising 
the references to ``RHCDS'' to read ``RHS.''

Subpart B--Housing Application Packaging Grants


Sec. 1944.62  [Amended]

    6. Section 1944.62 is amended by revising the reference to ``FmHA'' 
to read ``RHS.''


Sec. 1944.66  [Amended]

    7. Section 1944.66 is amended by removing paragraph (b); by 
redesignating paragraphs (c) through (g) as (b) through (f) 
respectively; by amending newly redesignated paragraphs (b) and (c) to 
revise the phrase ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-
354 Office'' to read ``Agency Office,'' and by amending newly 
redesignated paragraph (d) to revise the reference to ``FmHA or its 
successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``RHS.''


Sec. 1944.67  [Amended]

    8. Section 1944.67 is amended to revise the references to ``FmHA or 
its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``Agency.''


Sec. 1944.69  [Amended]

    9. Section 1944.69 is amended to revise the references to ``FmHA or 
its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``Agency.''


Sec. 1944.70  [Amended]

    10. Section 1944.70(b) is amended to revise the reference to ``FmHA 
or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``Agency.''


Sec. 1944.72  [Amended]

    11. Section 1944.72 is amended to revise the references to ``FmHA 
or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``Agency.''

Subpart D--Farm Labor Housing Loan and Grant Policies, Procedures 
and Authorizations


Sec. 1944.170  [Amended]

    12. Section 1944.170 is amended by removing paragraph (d) and 
revising the reference ``(c)(3)(ii)(B)'' in paragraph (c)(5)(ii)(C) to 
read ``(c)(5)(ii)(A).''

Subpart E--Rural Rental and Rural Cooperative Housing Loan 
Policies, Procedures, and Authorizations


Sec. 1944.215  [Amended]

    13. Section 1944.215 is amended by removing paragraph (x) and by 
revising the references ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 
103-354'' to read ``RHS in paragraphs (v) and (w).''

Subpart I--Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants


Sec. 1944.408  [Removed and Reserved]

    14. Section 1944.408 is removed and reserved.


Sec. 1944.409  [Amended]

    15. Section 1944.409 is amended to revise the first two references 
to ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read 
``Agency'' and to remove the last reference to ``FmHA or its successor 
agency under Public Law 103-354.''


Sec. 1944.410  [Amended]

    16. Section 1944.410 is amended to revise the reference to ``FmHA 
or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' in the second 
sentence of the introductory text of paragraph (a) to read ``RHS.''

Subpart J--Section 504 Rural Housing Loans and Grants


Sec. 1944.463  [Amended]

    17. Section 1944.463(c) introductory text is amended to revise the 
reference to ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' 
to read ``RHS.''


Sec. 1944.464  [Amended]

    18. Section 1944.464 is amended to revise the references to ``FmHA 
or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' in the introductory 
paragraph to read ``RHS.''


Sec. 1944.466  [Removed and Reserved]

    19. Section 1944.466 is removed and reserved.

Subpart N--Housing Preservation Grants


Sec. 1944.654  [Amended]

    20. Section 1944.654 is amended to revise the phrase ``any FmHA or 
its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 Office'' to read ``any 
Agency office'' in paragraphs (a) and (b); to revise in the first 
sentence of paragraph (a) the phrase ``all FmHA or its successor agency 
under Public law 103-354 applicants'' to read ``all Rural Development 
applicants;'' and to revise in the second sentence of paragraph (b) the 
reference to ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' 
to read ``Rural Development.''


Sec. 1944.655  [Removed and Reserved]

    21. Section 1944.655 is removed and reserved.


Sec. 1944.656  [Amended]

    22. Section 1944.656 is amended to revise the references to ``FmHA 
or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' in the introductory 
paragraph to read ``Rural Development,'' and in the definitions of 
``Grant agreement'' and ``Housing preservation'' to revise the 
references to ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354'' 
to read ``Agency.''

[[Page 39852]]

PART 1965--REAL PROPERTY

    23. The authority citation for part 1965 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 7 U.S.C. 1989, and 42 U.S.C. 1480.

Subpart E--Prepayment and Displacement Prevention of Multi-Family 
Housing Loans


Sec. 1965.217  [Amended]

    24. Section 1965.217 is amended by revising the reference in 
paragraph (d)(2)(i)(B) to ``FmHA or its successor agency under Public 
Law 103-354'' to read ``The Agency''; by removing paragraph 
(d)(2)(ii)(A), by redesignating paragraphs (d)(2)(ii) (B) through (D) 
as (d)(2)(ii) (A) through (C) respectively; by revising the reference 
in newly designated paragraph (d)(2)(ii)(B) to ``FmHA or its successor 
agency under Public Law 103-354'' to read ``Agency;'' by revising the 
reference in newly designated paragraph (d)(2)(C)(1) to ``7 CFR parts 
3015 and 3016'' to read ``7 CFR parts 3015, 3016 and 3019;'' and by 
removing the reference in paragraph (d)(2)(iii)(A) to ``FmHA or its 
successor agency under Public Law 103-354.''

    Dated: June 13, 1996.
Inga Smulkstys,
Deputy Under Secretary, Operations and Management.
[FR Doc. 96-19401 Filed 7-30-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-07-U