[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 245 (Wednesday, December 20, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 79801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32331]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 245 / Wednesday, December 20, 2000 / 
Notices  

[[Page 79801]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service

Farm Service Agency


Notice of Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to 
OMB for Review

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

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments requested.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice announces Rural Development's intention to seek Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval of new information collection 
requirements in support of new electronic loan collection methods.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by February 20, 2001 to 
be assured consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Huntley, Accountant, Office of 
the Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Policy and Internal Review 
Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 33, P.O. Box 200011, St. 
Louis, MO 63120, telephone: (314) 539-6063.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title(s): Form RD 1951-65, Customer Initiated Payments (CIP); Form 
RD 1951-66, FedWire Worksheet; and Form RD 3550-28, Authorization 
Agreement for Preauthorized Payments.
    Type of Request: New Information Collection.
    Purpose: Rural Development is currently using new electronic loan 
collection methods (Preauthorized Debits [PAD], FedWire, and Customer 
Initiated Payments [CIP]). These electronic collection methods provide 
a means for Rural Development borrowers to electronically transmit loan 
payments from their financial institution (FI) accounts to Rural 
Development's Treasury Account and receive credit for their payment. 
Accordingly, Rural Development is revising its internal management loan 
collection procedures to incorporate PAD, FedWire, and CIP electronic 
collection methods. These internal regulations are to ensure Rural 
Development field offices have current guidance on the payment and 
collection methods available and how to use them.
    To administer these electronic loan collection methods, Rural 
Development must collect the borrower's FI routing information (routing 
information includes the FI routing number and the borrower's account 
number). Rural Development is proposing to use Agency approved forms 
for collecting bank routing information for PAD, FedWire, and CIP 
methods.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .5 hour per response. Each Rural 
Development borrower who elects to participate in electronic loan 
payments will only prepare one response for the life of their loan 
unless they change financial institutions or accounts.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Not-for-profit 
institutions; and State, Local, or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 600.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 600.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 300 manhours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Barbara 
Williams, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, Support Services 
Division, Rural Development, telephone (202) 692-0045.
    Comments: Comments are invited on: (a) whether the proposed 
collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of 
the function of the Agencies, including whether the information will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agencies' estimate of 
the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) ways to enhance 
the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; 
and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments should be submitted to Barbara Williams, Regulations and 
Paperwork Management Branch, Support Services Division, Rural 
Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 0742, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0742. All responses to 
this notice will be summarized, included in the request for OMB 
approval, and will become a matter of public record. A comment to OMB 
is best assured of having its full effect if OMB receives it within 30 
days of publication of this rule.

    Dated: November 14, 2000.
James C. Kearney,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
    Dated: December 3, 2000.
Wilbur Peer,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business Cooperative Service.
    Dated: December 7, 2000.
Christopher A. McLean,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 00-32331 Filed 12-19-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XT-P