[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 30, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 69583]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26368]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service


Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved 
Information Collection

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 request an extension 
for a currently approved information collection in support of loan 
programs administered by the Rural Housing Service, the Rural Business-
Cooperative Service, and the Rural Utilities Service.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by January 31, 2005, to 
be assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margo Dean, 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) 457-4301.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Form RD 1951-65, Customer Initiated Payments (CIP) 
Enrollment Form; Form RD 1951-66, FedWire Worksheet; and Form RD 3550-
28, Authorization Agreement for Preauthorized Payments.
    OMB Number: 0575-0184.
    Expiration Date of Approval: April 30, 2005.
    Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Rural Development uses electronic methods (Customer 
Initiated Payments [CIP], FedWire, and Preauthorized Debits [PAD]) for 
receiving and processing loan payments and collections. These 
electronic collection methods provide a means for Rural Development 
borrowers to transmit loan payments from their financial institution 
(FI) accounts to Rural Development's Treasury Account and receive 
credit for their payments.
    To administer these electronic loan collection methods, Rural 
Development collects the borrower's FI routing information (routing 
information includes the FI routing number and the borrower's account 
number). Rural Development uses Agency approved forms for collecting 
bank routing information for CIP, FedWire, and PAD.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average .5 hours 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: 22,263.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 11,132 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Renita 
Bolden, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, at (202) 692-0035.
    Comments are invited on: (1) The need for the information including 
whether the information has practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the 
reporting burden estimate; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) ways to 
minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents.
    Comments should be submitted to Renita Bolden, 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 Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) approval, and will become a matter of 
public record.

    Dated: November 23, 2004.
Gilbert Gonzalez,
Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development.
[FR Doc. 04-26368 Filed 11-29-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XT-P