[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 29 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 7179-7180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3092]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 29 / Friday, February 13, 2009 / 
Rules and Regulations  

[[Page 7179]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1779

Rural Housing Service

7 CFR Part 3575

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Parts 4279 and 4280

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Housing Service

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 5001

[FR Doc. E9-813]
RIN 0570-AA65


Rural Development Guaranteed Loans

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

ACTION: Delay of effective date; request for public comment on a 
further delay of the effective date.

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SUMMARY: This document seeks public comment on a proposal to delay for 
104 days the effective date of the interim rule, for Rural Development 
Guaranteed Loans, which was published on December 17, 2008. The interim 
rule establishes a unified guaranteed loan platform for the enhanced 
delivery of four existing Rural Development guaranteed loan programs--
Community Facility; Water and Waste Disposal; Business and Industry; 
and Rural Energy for America Program, formerly known as Renewable 
Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvement Projects. The 
Department seeks comments on whether or not it should delay the 
effective date of the interim rule until June 1, 2009, in order to 
provide the Agency sufficient time to implement certain administrative 
aspects associated with the interim rule. For that reason, the 
Department is seeking comments on the merits of extending the effective 
date of the interim rule to June 1, 2009. In order to allow sufficient 
time for public comment on the Agency's proposal to further extend the 
effective date until June 1, 2009, this document extends the current 
effective date from February 17, 2009, to March 9, 2009, pursuant to 
the ``good cause'' clause under the Administrative Procedures Act (5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B)).

DATES: The effective date of the interim rule, which was published on 
December 17, 2008 [73 FR 76698], delayed until February 17, 2009 [74 FR 
2823], is further delayed until March 9, 2009.
    Comments on extending the effective date to June 1, 2009, must be 
received on or before February 20, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments by one of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Submit written comments via the U.S. Postal Service 
to the Branch Chief, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Stop 0742, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20250-0742.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Submit written comments via Federal 
Express Mail or other courier service requiring a street address to the 
Branch Chief, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 300 7th Street, SW., 7th Floor, Washington, 
DC 20024.
    All written comments will be available for public inspection during 
regular work hours at the 300 7th Street, SW., 7th Floor address listed 
above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Michael Foore, Rural Development, 
Business and Cooperative Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Stop 3201, Washington, DC 20250-3201; e-mail: 
[email protected]; telephone (202) 690-4730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 16, 2009, Rural Development 
delayed the original effective date of the interim rule from January 
16, 2009, to February 17, 2009, because there was insufficient time to 
correct a technical error in the interim rule before the interim rule 
became effective on January 16, 2009.
    Since then, Rural Development has identified several administrative 
actions, including providing the best guidance it can to its field 
staff on the interim rule, that it believes are necessary to occur 
prior to the effective date of the interim rule in order to ensure the 
successful implementation of the interim rule. Rural Development 
believes that extending the effective date is needed in order to 
provide Rural Development the necessary time to implement these 
administrative actions.
    Because there is insufficient time between now and February 17, 
2009, to solicit and consider public comment on Rural Development's 
proposed new effective date of June 1, 2009, the Agency is extending 
the effective date to March 9, 2009, without public comment. Rural 
Development is making this change because we believe we have good cause 
to do so, as is provided for under the Administrative Procedures Act (5 
U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B)), because:
    1. The implementation of the interim rule on February 17, 2009, 
would create substantial legal and operational risks to the affected 
programs because the Agency needs more time to make changes to 
accounting and financial control information technology systems 
critical to the delivery of these programs and to prepare field staff. 
These actions cannot be completed by February 17, 2009.
    2. This extension allows the public a reasonable opportunity to 
comment on this proposed extension of the effective date to June 1, 
2009, and for the Agency to consider such comments before making the 
decision to June 1, 2009.
    Lastly, consistent with the January 20, 2009, memo from the 
Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled ``Regulatory 
Review,'' the extension will enable the Agency to finish the 60-day 
review described in this memo during this proposed extension of the 
effective date.


[[Page 7180]]


    Dated: February 9, 2009.
William F. Hagy III,
Acting Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Development.
[FR Doc. E9-3092 Filed 2-12-09; 8:45 am]
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