[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1700-1701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-01071]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Farm Service Agency


Information Collection Request; Direct Loan Making

AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all 
interested individuals and organizations on a revision and an extension 
of a currently approved information collection associated with Direct 
Loan Making Program. The collected information is used in eligibility 
and feasibility determinations on farm loan applications.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by April 8, 2019.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this notice. In your 
comments, please include date, volume, and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. You may submit comments through the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal website (http://www.regulations.gov) by following 
the instructions on that website for submitting comments 
electronically.
    You may also send comments to the Desk Officer for Agricultures, 
Office of the Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management 
and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments will be available for public 
inspection online at http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to the 
collection activities or to obtain a copy of the information collection 
request package, please contact Russ Clanton, (202) 690-0214; 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Title: Farm Loan Programs, Direct Loan Making.
    OMB Control Number: 0560-0237.
    Expiration Date: May 31, 2019.
    Type of Request: Revision and Extension.
    Abstract: FSA's Farm Loan Programs provide loans to family farmers 
to purchase real estate and equipment, and to finance agricultural 
production. Direct Loan Making and Direct Farm Ownership Microloan 
(DFOML) regulations in 7 CFR part 764 provide the requirements and 
process for determining an applicant's eligibility for a direct loan.
    The burden hours decreased by 125,832 hours since the last OMB 
approval. Specifically, the annual number of responses decreased 
slightly by 43, the number of respondents increased by 2,438 in the 
collection due to more borrowers participating in the Direct Loan 
Making Program and a large correction fixed an error in the prior 
calculation.
    Also, the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program, which is exempted 
from PRA as specified in 2014 Farm Bill, is no longer included in the 
collection. The travel times have been removed from the request. The 
respondents go to the county offices to do regular and

[[Page 1701]]

customary business with FSA for loans; this means no travel times is 
required specifically for the information collection and therefore, it 
is no longer included in the burden hour reporting.
    For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the 
formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated 
average time per responses hours multiplied by the estimated total 
annual responses.
    Estimate of Average Time to Respond: Public reporting burden for 
the information collection is estimated to average 0.312 hours per 
response.
    Type of Respondents: Individuals or households, businesses or other 
for-profit farms.
    Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 184,871.
    Estimated Number of Reponses per Respondent: 3.7.
    Estimated Total Annual Responses: 698,394.
    Estimated Average Time per Response: 0.312 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 217,927 hours.
    We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information 
collection to help us to:
    (1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for 
the proper performance of the functions of FSA, including whether the 
information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of FSA's estimate of burden including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to 
be collected;
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including 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 when provided, will be a matter of public record. 
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office 
of Management and Budget approval.

Steven Peterson,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2019-01071 Filed 2-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-05-P