[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 101 (Friday, May 24, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24075-24076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10861]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service


Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; comment requested.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
Rural Housing Service (RHS) invites comments on this information 
collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) will be requested. The intention is to request a revision for a 
currently approved information collection in support of the program, 
Real Estate Title Clearance and Loan Closing.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by July 23, 2019.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas P. Dickson, Rural Development 
Innovation Center--Regulatory Team 2, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW, STOP 1522, Room 4233, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. 
Telephone: (202) 690-4492. Email [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR 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 RHS 
is submitting to OMB for extension.
    Comments are invited on: (a) 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; (b) the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed 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 those who are 
to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection

[[Page 24076]]

techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments may be sent by any of the following methods:
     Mail: Thomas P. Dickson, Rural Development Innovation 
Center, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., STOP 1522, Room 4233, South 
Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 690-4492. Email: 
[email protected].
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    Title: Real Estate Title Clearance and Loan Closing.
    OMB Number: 0575-0147.
    Expiration Date: December 31, 2019.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Abstract: Section 501 of Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, as 
amended, authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to extend financial 
assistance to construct, improve, alter, repair, replace or 
rehabilitate dwellings, farm buildings, and/or related facilities to 
provide decent, safe, and sanitary living conditions and adequate farm 
buildings and other structures in rural areas. Title clearance is 
required to assure the Agency(s) that the loan is legally secured and 
has the required lien priority.
    RHS will be collecting information to assure that those 
participating in this program remain eligible to proceed with loan 
closing and to ensure that loans are made with Federal funds are 
legally secured. The respondents are individuals or households, 
businesses and non-profit institutions. The information required is 
used by the USDA personnel to verify that the required lien position 
has been obtained. The information is collected at the field office 
responsible for processing a loan application through loan closing. The 
information is also used to ensure the program is administered in 
manner consistent with legislative and administrative requirements. If 
not collected, the Agency would be unable to determine if the loan is 
adequately and legally secure. RHS continually strives to ensure that 
information collection burden is kept to a minimum.
    Estimate of Burden: Public burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 0.25 hours per response.
    Respondents: Individuals or Households, Businesses, Closing agents/
Attorneys and the field office staff.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 22,214.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimate Number of Responses: 22,214.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,957 hours.
    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.

Richard A. Davis,
Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-10861 Filed 5-23-19; 8:45 am]
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