[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 185 (Thursday, September 24, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57568-57569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-24225]


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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 United States Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on 
this information collection for which approval from the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by November 23, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas P. Dickson, Acting Director, 
Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, USDA Rural Utilities 
Service, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 1522, Room 5164, South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 690-4492. Fax: 
(202) 720-8435 or email [email protected].

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 extension.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the 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 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 respondents, 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: Thomas P. Dickson, Acting Director, Program 
Development and Regulatory Analysis, USDA Rural Utilities Service, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., STOP 1522, Washington, DC 20250-1522. 
Telephone: (202) 690-4492. FAX: (202)720-8435 or email: 
[email protected].
    Title: 7 CFR part 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 package.
    Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service 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

[[Page 57569]]

information collection requirement stems from passage of Public Law 
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 for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 1,000 hours per response.
    Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions and other businesses.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,000 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Rebecca 
Hunt, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis at (202) 205-3660. 
FAX: (202) 720-8435.
    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: September 18, 2015.
Brandon McBride,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-24225 Filed 9-23-15; 8:45 am]
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