[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6484-6485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-01072]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection Request; Guaranteed Farm Loan Program

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested 
individuals and organizations on an extension with a revision of a 
currently approved information collection associated with the 
Guaranteed Farm Loan Program. The collected information is needed to 
make and service loans guaranteed by FSA to eligible farmers and 
ranchers by commercial lenders and nontraditional lenders. FSA is also 
requesting approval to merge the information collection for the EZ 
Guarantee Program and the Micro Lender Program (MLP) (0560-0288) into 
the Guaranteed Farm Loan Program.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by March 20, 2017.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comments, include date, volume, and page number of this issue of the 
Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to: www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
     Mail: Trent Rogers, Senior Loan Specialist, USDA, FSA, 
Stop 0522, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agriculture, 
Office of

[[Page 6485]]

Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 
Washington, DC 20503. Copies of the information collection may be 
requested by contacting Trent Rogers at the above addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Trent Rogers, Senior Loan Specialist, 
(202) 720-3889.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Description of Information Collection

    Title: Guaranteed Farm Loans.
    OMB Number: 0560-0155.
    Expiration Date of Approval: 05/31/2017.
    Type of Request: Extension with a revision.
    Abstract: This information collection is needed to effectively 
administer the FSA guaranteed farm loan programs. The information is 
collected by the FSA loan official in consultation with participating 
lenders. The basic objective of the guaranteed loan program is to 
provide credit to applicants who are unable to obtain credit from 
lending institutions without a guarantee. The reporting requirements 
imposed on the public by the regulations at 7 CFR part 762 and 763 are 
necessary to administer the guaranteed loan program in accordance with 
statutory requirements of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development 
Act and are consistent with commonly performed lending practices. 
Collection of information after loans are made is necessary to protect 
the Government's financial interest.
    The estimated total annual burden hours are amended due to the EZ 
Guarantee Program and the Micro Lender Program (MLP), which reduced the 
information collection requirements. Therefore, the burden hours are 
being provided currently in this request for OMB approval. The annual 
responses have been reduced by 23,764 while the burden hours reduced by 
33,340 hours in the request.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hours is the estimated 
average time per responses multiplied by the estimated total annual of 
responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
collecting information under this notice is estimated to average 0.9989 
minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, 
searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data 
needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The 
average travel time, which is included in the total annual burden, is 
estimated to be 1 hour per respondent.
    Type of Respondents: Businesses or other for-profits and Farms.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 14,585.
    Estimated Average Number of Responses Per Respondent: 15.308.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 220,213.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.9989.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 220,213 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate 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;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden of the 
collection of information including the validity of the methodology and 
assumptions used;
    (3) Evaluate the quality, utility and clarity of the information 
technology; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the information collection on those who 
respond through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology.
    All comments received in response to this notice, including names 
and addresses where provided, will be made a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the request for OMB 
approval.

Val Dolcini,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2017-01072 Filed 1-18-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P