[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58473-58474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-20893]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding: whether the collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and ways to 
minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are 
to respond, including through the use of

[[Page 58474]]

appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by October 
27, 2022 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations for 
the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days 
of the publication of this notice on the following website 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1924-F, Complaints and Compensation Defects.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0082.
    Summary of Collection: Section 509 of Title V of the Housing Act of 
1949, as amended, authorizes the Rural Housing Service (RHS) to pay the 
costs for correcting defects or compensate borrowers of Section 502 
Direct loan funds for expenses arising out of defects with respect to 
newly constructed dwellings and new manufactured housing units with 
funds authorized under this title. This is a reactionary-type procedure 
implemented to fulfill a need to inform field offices on how to deal 
with complaints generated by the public. The objective of this 
procedure is to be responsive to the public served by the Agency; and 
to minimize claims and civil actions against the Government by 
instituting a procedure for the resolution of complaints.
    All Rural Housing Service personnel are to implement a procedure to 
accept and process complaints from the borrowers/owners against 
builders and dealers/contractors to resolve the complaint. When the 
complaint involves structural defects which cannot be resolved by the 
cooperation of the builders or dealers/contractors, the program 
authorizes expenditure to resolve the defects with grant funds, such 
resolution could involve expenditure for (1) repairing defects; (2) 
reimbursing for emergency repairs; (3) pay temporary living expenses or 
(4) convey dwelling to RHS with release of liability for the RHS loan.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information is collected from 
agency borrowers and the local agency office serving the county in 
which the dwelling is located. This information is used by Rural 
Housing Staff to evaluate the request and assist the borrower in 
identifying possible causes and corrective actions. The information is 
collected on a case-by-case basis when initiated by the borrower. 
Without this information, RHS would be unable to assure that eligible 
borrowers would receive compensation to repair defects to their newly 
constructed dwellings.
    Description of Respondents: Business or for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 40.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1944-N--Housing Preservation Grants.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0115.
    Summary of Collection: Section 533 of Title V of the Housing Act of 
1949, as amended, authorizes the Rural Housing Service (RHS) to make 
grants to eligible applicants to conduct housing preservation programs 
benefiting very low- and low-income rural residents. Program funds can 
cover part of the grantee's cost in providing loans, grants, interest 
reduction payments or other assistance to eligible homeowners, owners 
of single or multiple unit rental properties or for the benefit of 
owners (as occupants) of consumer cooperative housing projects. Such 
assistance will be used to reduce the cost of repair and 
rehabilitation, to remove or correct health or safety hazards, to 
comply with applicable development standards or codes, or to make 
needed repairs to improve the general living conditions of the 
resident(s), including improved accessibility by handicapped persons. 
Individual housing that is owner occupied may qualify for replacement 
housing when it is determined by the grantee that the housing is not 
economically feasible for repair or rehabilitation. These grants were 
established by the Rural Housing Amendments of 1983 which amended the 
Housing Act of 1949 by adding Section 533 (12 U.S.C. 1490m). The 
program is implemented at 7 CFR part 1944, subpart N.
    Section 533(d) is prescriptive to the information applicants are to 
submit to RHS as part of their application as well as in the 
assessments and criteria RHS will use in selecting grantees. An 
applicant submits a ``statement of activity'' describing its proposed 
program, including a detailed description of specific activities, and 
production schedule. RHS is required to evaluate the proposals on a set 
of prescribed criteria, for which the applicant will also have to 
provide information, such as: (1) very low- and low-income persons 
proposed to be served by the repair and rehabilitation activities; (2) 
participation by other public and private organizations to leverage 
funds and lower the cost to the HPG program; (3) the area to be served 
in terms of population and need: (4) cost data to assure greatest 
degree of assistance at lowest cost; (5) administrative capacity of the 
applicant to carry out the program. The information collected will be 
the minimum required by law and needed by RHS to assure that it funds 
responsible grantees proposing feasible projects in areas of greatest 
need. Most data is taken from a localized area; although some data are 
derived from census reports of city, county and Federal governments 
showing population and housing characteristics.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information is compiled initially 
by the applicant for consideration by RHS to determine eligibility for 
a grant and to justify selection of the applicant for funding. After 
funding, grantees collect information to report program accomplishments 
and to support expenditure of grant funds. RHS uses the information to 
determine if the grantee is complying with the grant agreement and to 
make decisions regarding continuing, modifying, or terminating grant 
assistance. If the information were not collected and presented to RHS, 
the Agency could not monitor the program or justify disbursement of 
grant funds. The information has been used to provide data to Congress.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 2,083.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion; 
Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 10,997.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022-20893 Filed 9-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P