[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 80 (Friday, April 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 20370]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10220]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends 
to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 24, 2003.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F. Lamont Heppe, Jr., Director, 
Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, 
1400 Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1522, Room 4036 South Building, 
Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 720-9550. FAX: (202) 720-
4120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR part 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members 
of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on 
information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 
1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that RUS 
is submitting to OMB for reinstatement.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the Agency, including whether the information will have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's 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 may be sent to: F. 
Lamont Heppe, Jr., Director, Program Development and Regulatory 
Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 
1522, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1522. FAX: 
(202) 720-4120.
    Title: 7 CFR 1717, Subpart Y, Settlement of Debt Owed by Electric 
Borrowers.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0116.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) makes mortgage loans 
and loan guarantees to electric systems to provide and improve electric 
service in rural areas pursuant to the Rural Electrification Act of 
1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) (RE Act). This information 
collection requirement stems from passage of Pub. L. 104-127, on April 
4, 1996, which amended section 331(b) of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921 et seq.) to extend to RUS the 
Secretary of Agriculture's authority to settle debts with respect to 
loans made or guaranteed by RUS. Only those electric borrowers that are 
unable to fully repay their debts to the government and who apply to 
RUS for relief will be affected by this information collection.
    The collection will require only that information which is 
essential for determining: the need for debt settlement; the amount of 
relief that is needed; the amount of debt that can be repaid; the 
scheduling of debt repayment; and, the range of opportunities for 
enhancing the amount of debt that can be recovered. The information to 
be collected will be similar to that which any prudent lender would 
require to determine whether debt settlement is required and the amount 
of relief that is needed. Since the need for relief is expected to vary 
substantially from case to case, so will the required information 
collection.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection is 
estimated to average 3,000 hours per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business or other for-
profit institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 3,000 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Michele 
Brooks, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, at (202) 690-1078. 
FAX: (202) 720-4120
    All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the 
request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: April 18, 2003.
Hilda Gay Legg,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 03-10220 Filed 4-24-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P