[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 141 (Friday, July 22, 2016)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 47689]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17303]



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  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 141 / Friday, July 22, 2016 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 47689]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

7 CFR Part 1780


Procurement Methods; Correction

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, Agriculture.

ACTION: Correcting amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency of the United 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is correcting its portion of 
USDA's uniform federal assistance final rule, that was published in the 
Federal Register on February 16, 2016 (81 FR 7695) by revising the 
procurement methods section.

DATES: Effective Date: July 22, 2016.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ben Shuman, Water and Environmental 
Programs, Rural Utilities Service, United States Department of 
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9011, 
Telephone: 202-720-1784, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 26, 2013, OMB published Uniform 
Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements 
for Federal Awards final guidance (78 FR 78589) giving all federal 
award making agencies one year to implement conforming changes to all 
regulations as needed to address changes in requirements associated 
with this new Uniform Guidance. On December 19, 2014, OMB published a 
joint interim final rule and conforming changes in the Federal Register 
(79 FR 75871), making the conforming changes for award making agencies 
across the Federal government. Included in this joint interim final 
rule were conforming changes to regulations regarding procurement 
methods under Federal awards for the Rural Utilities Service Water and 
Waste Disposal program to ensure consistency with the Uniform Guidance.

Need for Correction

    The United States Department of Agriculture finalized its portion 
of the conforming changes in the Federal Register on Tuesday, February 
16, 2016 (81 FR 7695), that inadvertently stated instructions in Sec.  
1780.72, as published, which contains errors that may prove to be 
misleading and need to be clarified.

List of Subjects in 7 CFR Part 1780

    Business and industry, Community development, Community facilities, 
Grant programs--housing and community development, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Rural areas, Waste treatment and disposal, 
Water supply, Watersheds.

    Accordingly, 7 CFR part 1780 is corrected by making the following 
correcting amendment:

PART 1780--WATER AND WASTE LOANS AND GRANTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 1780 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301; 7 U.S.C. 1989; 16 U.S.C. 1005.

Subpart C--Planning, Designing, Bidding, Contracting, Constructing 
and Inspections

0
2. Revise Sec.  1780.72 to read as follows:


Sec.  1780.72  Procurement methods.

    Procurement shall be made by one of the following methods and in 
accordance with requirements of 2 CFR 200.320: Micro-purchases, 
procurement by small purchase procedures, procurement by sealed bids 
(formal advertising), procurement by competitive proposals, or 
procurement by noncompetitive proposals. The sealed bid method is the 
preferred method for procuring construction.

    Dated: July 13, 2016.
Brandon McBride,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-17303 Filed 7-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE P