[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 6 (Monday, January 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1918-1920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00234]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

Rural Housing Service

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket No. RBS-20-BUSINESS-0040]


Notice of Solicitation of Applications (NOSA) for the Strategic 
Economic and Community Development Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Housing Service, and 
Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Agriculture Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) re-authorized the 
Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) priority with some 
modifications. Section 6401 of the 2018 Farm Bill enables the Secretary 
of Agriculture to prioritize projects that support multi-jurisdictional 
and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans, recently 
included in the existing regulation In Fiscal Year (FY) 2021, the 
Agency implements SECD through reserving funds from covered program's 
appropriations. The purpose of this notice is to provide requirements 
to applicants submitting applications for the covered programs' 
reserved funds and to establish the above mentioned priority.

DATES: To apply for SECD priority points and funding in FY 2021, 
applicants must submit Form RD 1980-88, ``Strategic Economic and 
Community Development (Section 6401),'' to the appropriate covered 
program by the deadline established for receipt of applications within 
individual covered programs as established on the Agency website or in 
the program's Federal Register Notice. All applicants are responsible 
for any additional expenses incurred in preparing and submitting 
applications.

ADDRESSES: Submit applications to the USDA Rural Development Office 
servicing the area where the project is located. A list of the USDA 
Rural Development Offices can be found listed by state at: http://www.rd.usda.gov/contact-us/state-offices. If you have been assigned a 
OneRD Loan Guarantee Initiative Customer Relationship Manager (CRM), 
please submit applications to them.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For more information, please contact 
your respective Rural Development State Office listed here: http://www.rd.usda.gov/browse-state.
    Or if you have been assigned a OneRD Loan Guarantee Initiative CRM, 
please contact them.
    For all other inquiries, contact: Greg Batson, Rural Development 
Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 0793, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-0783, Telephone: (573) 
239-2945. Email: [email protected].
    A checklist of all required application information for regional 
planning priority can be found at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/strategic-economic-and-community-development.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agriculture Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) 
re-authorized the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) 
priority with some modifications. Section 6401 of the 2018 Farm Bill 
enables the Secretary of Agriculture to prioritize projects that 
support multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community 
investment plans. These changes were implemented in a recent amendment 
to 7 CFR 1980 subpart K, which was published in the Federal Register on 
September 22, 2020. In FY 2021, the Agency implements SECD through 
reserving funds from covered programs' appropriations. This notice 
provides requirements to applicants submitting applications for the 
covered programs' reserved funds and establishes the above-mentioned 
priority effective upon the publication of this notice.

Priority Language for Funding Opportunities

    The Agency encourages applications that will help improve life in 
rural America. See information on the Interagency Task Force on 
Agriculture and Rural Prosperity found at: www.usda.gov/ruralprosperity. Applicants are encouraged to consider projects that 
provide measurable results in helping rural communities build robust 
and sustainable economies through strategic investments.
    Key strategies include:

 Achieving e-Connectivity for Rural America
 Developing the Rural Economy
 Harnessing Technological Innovation
 Supporting a Rural Workforce
 Improving Quality of Life

    To leverage investments in rural property, the Agency also 
encourages projects located in rural Opportunity Zones where projects 
should provide measurable results in helping communities build robust 
and sustainable economies. An Opportunity Zone is an economically-
distressed community where new investments, under certain conditions, 
may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Localities qualify as 
Opportunity Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by 
the State and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of 
the U.S. Treasury via his delegation of authority to the Internal 
Revenue Service.
    To combat a key threat to economic prosperity, rural workforce, and 
quality of life, the Agency encourages applications that will support 
the Administration's goal to reduce the morbidity and mortality 
associated with Substance Use Disorder (including opioid misuse) in 
high-risk rural communities by strengthening the capacity to address 
prevention, treatment, and/or recovery at the community, county, State, 
and/or regional levels. See https://www.cdc.gov/pwid/vulnerable-counties-data.html.
    Key strategies include:

 Prevention: Reducing the occurrence of Substance Use Disorder 
(including opioid misuse) and fatal substance-related overdoses through 
community and provider education and harm reduction measures such as 
the strategic placement of overdose reversing devices, such as 
naloxone;

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 Treatment: Implementing or expanding access to evidence-based 
treatment practices for Substance Use Disorder (including opioid 
misuse) such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT); and
 Recovery: Expanding peer recovery and treatment options that 
help people start and stay in recovery.
    To focus investments to areas for the largest opportunity for 
growth in prosperity, the Agency encourages applications that serve the 
smallest communities with the lowest incomes, with an emphasis on areas 
where at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty, 
according to the American Community Survey data by census tracts.
    This action has been reviewed and determined not to be a rule or 
regulation as defined in Executive Order 12866, as amended by Executive 
Order 13258.

I. Background

    Section 6401 of the 2018 Farm Bill re-authorized Section 6025 of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (2014 Farm Bill) with some modifications. 
The provision provides priority to projects that support multi-
jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans 
when applying for program funds under the rural development mission 
area. These changes were implemented in a recent amendment to 7 CFR 
1980 subpart K, which was published in the Federal Register on 
September 22, 2020. In FY 2021, the Agency will reserve funds from the 
covered programs, using SECD regulation 7 CFR part 1980, subpart K. 
This notice provides applicants with eligible projects the opportunity 
to apply for reserve funding in FY 2021.

A. Statutory Authority

    This priority is authorized under Section 6401 of the 2018 Farm 
Bill.

B. Programs

    Section 6401 of the 2018 Farm Bill authorizes any program under the 
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 2008v), as 
determined by the Secretary, to give priority to applications that 
support the implementation of multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral 
strategic community investment plans. In FY 2021, the Agency implements 
SECD through reserving funds from the covered programs, using SECD 
regulation 7 CFR part 1980, subpart K.
    Accordingly, the Agency is giving priority to projects implementing 
strategic community investment plans through the following Rural 
Development programs:
     Community Facility Loans; see 7 CFR part 1942, subpart A.
     Community Facilities Grants; see 7 CFR part 3570, subpart 
B.
     Community Programs Guaranteed Loans; see 7 CFR part 3575.
     Water and Waste Disposal Programs Guaranteed Loans; see 7 
CFR part 1779.
     Water and Waste Loans and Grants; see 7 CFR part 1780.
     Business and Industry Guaranteed Loans; see 7 CFR part 
4279, subparts A and B; 7 CFR part 4287, subpart B.
     Rural Business Development Grants; see 7 CFR part 4280, 
subpart E.
     Community Connect Grant; see 7 CFR part 1739.

II. Award Information

    Type of Awards: Guaranteed loans, direct loans and grants.
    Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2021 appropriated funds.
    Available Funds: The amount of funds available will depend on the 
amount of funds the covered programs have available during the fiscal 
year.

Regional Planning Priority

    For FY 2021 applications, the following table specifies the 
percentage of funds being reserved:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                              Percentage
                                                               of funds
                          Program                              reserved
                                                               for SECD
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Community Facility Loans...................................           10
Community Facilities Grant Program.........................           10
Community Programs Guaranteed Loans........................           10
Water and Waste Disposal Programs Guaranteed Loans.........           10
Water and Waste Loans......................................            5
Water and Waste Grants.....................................            3
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan......................            5
Rural Business Development Grants..........................            5
Community Connect..........................................           10
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Award Amounts: Guaranteed loans, direct loans and grants will be 
awarded in amounts consistent with each applicable covered program.
    Award Dates: Awards for SECD applications submitted in FY 2021 to 
the Business and Industry (B&I) Guaranteed Loan Program, Community 
Connect Grant Program, Community Facilities (CF) Program and Water and 
Environmental Program (WEP) will be obligated on or before June 30, 
2021. For SECD applications submitted to the Rural Business Development 
Grant (RBDG) Program, awards will be obligated on or before July 31, 
2021. The agency will return any reserved funds that are not obligated 
by the covered program's obligation deadlines to the covered program's 
regular funding account for obligation of all eligible projects in that 
program.

III. Eligibility Information

A. Eligible Requirements

    To be considered for SECD reserved funds, both the applicant and 
project must meet the eligibility requirements of the covered program. 
These requirements vary among the covered programs and applicants 
should refer to the regulations for those programs, which are 
referenced in I. A. of this notice.
    The agency supports community and regional planning through the 
SECD regulation without making any changes to the applicant eligibility 
requirements of the covered programs. The SECD regulation includes 
three criteria that a project must meet in order to be considered for 
the SECD reserve funding (see 7 CFR 1980.1010):
    The first criterion, as noted above, is that the project meets the 
applicable eligibility requirements of the covered program for which 
the applicant is applying.
    The second criterion is that the project is ``carried out in a 
rural area'' as defined in 7 CFR 1980.1005. As defined, this means 
either the entire project is physically located in a rural area or all 
the beneficiaries of the service(s) provided through the project must 
either reside in or be located in a rural area. Note that the 
definition of ``rural'' varies among the covered programs and the 
Section 6401 regulation does not change those definitions, therefore, 
the applicable program regulations as outlined in I.A. should be 
reviewed as necessary.
    The third criterion is that the project supports the implementation 
of a strategic community investment plan on a multi-jurisdictional and 
multi-sectoral basis as defined in 7 CFR 1980.1005.
    In order to be considered for the reserved funds from covered 
programs in FY 2021, applicants must (1) meet all requirements of the 
covered program; (2) meet all requirements in accordance with 7 CFR 
part 1980, subpart K (see7 CFR 1980.1010); and (3) submit Form RD 1980-
88 and supporting documentation. Form RD 1980-88 requests such 
information as (see 7 CFR 1980.1015):
     Identification of the applicant; i.e., a State, county, 
municipal, or tribal government or non-profit entity, council of 
government, school district or special district;
     Identification by name of the plan being supported by the 
project, the date the plan became effective and is to remain in effect, 
and a detailed description of how the project directly supports one or 
more of the plan's objectives;

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     Sufficient information to show that the project will be 
carried out in a rural area; and
     Identification of any current or previous applications the 
applicant has submitted for funds from the covered programs.

B. Cost Sharing or Matching

    Any and all cost sharing, matching, and cost participation 
requirements of the applicable covered program apply to projects 
seeking SECD reserved funds. The Section 6401 regulation does not 
change such requirements.

C. Other Eligibility Requirements

    Any and all other eligibility requirements (beyond those identified 
in III.A of this notice) found in the covered programs applying to 
applicants, their projects, and the beneficiaries of those projects are 
unchanged by either this notice or the Section 6401 regulation.

IV. Application Evaluation and Selection for Covered Programs Funds

A. Scoring of Applications

    All FY 2021 applications for covered programs will be reviewed, 
evaluated, and scored based on the covered program's scoring criteria. 
This notice does not affect that process. This notice only affects the 
scoring of SECD applications competing for a covered program's SECD 
reserve funds.
    For applicants wishing to be considered for the reserved funds in 
FY 2021, the Agency will review, evaluate, and score each Form RD 1980-
88, based on the criteria specified in 7 CFR 1980.1020, to award the 
SECD reserved funds.

B. Selection Process

    The Agency will prioritize applications competing for a covered 
program's reserved funds based on the covered program's awarded points 
plus the SECD earned points to determine which projects receive 
reserved funds.

VI. Award Administration Information

A. Award Notices

    The Agency will notify SECD applicants who receive funding in a 
manner consistent with award notifications for the covered program.

B. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

    Any and all additional requirements of the applicable covered 
programs apply to projects receiving funding in response to this 
notice. Please see the regulations for the applicable covered 
underlying program.

C. Reporting Requirements

    Any and all post-award reporting requirements contained in the 
covered program apply to all projects receiving funding in response to 
this notice.

VII. Additional Information

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the 
information collection requirements contained in 7 CFR part 1980, 
subpart K, have been approved by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
under OMB Control Number 0570-0068.

National Environmental Policy Act

    This document has been reviewed in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, 
subpart A, ``Environmental Policies.'' It is the determination of the 
Agency that this action does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, and, in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, Public 
Law 91-190, neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental 
Impact Statement is required.

Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act

    All applicants, in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must have a DUNS 
number, which can be obtained at no cost via a toll-free request line 
at 1-866-705-5711 or online at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. 
Similarly, all grant applicants must be registered in the System for 
Award Management (SAM) prior to submitting an application. Applicants 
may register for the SAM at http://www.sam.gov/SAM. All recipients of 
Federal financial grant assistance are required to report information 
about first-tier sub-awards and executive total compensation in 
accordance with 2 CFR part 170. Applicants must ensure they complete 
the Financial Assistance General Certifications and Representations in 
SAM.

Nondiscrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or 
contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 
Additionally, program information may be made available in languages 
other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA 
Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or 
write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the 
information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint 
form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA 
by:
    (1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20250-9410;, Fax: (202) 690-7442; or, Email: [email protected].

Bette Brand,
Deputy Under Secretary, Rural Development.
[FR Doc. 2021-00234 Filed 1-8-21; 8:45 am]
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