[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 242 (Tuesday, December 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 87735]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27845]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 242 / Tuesday, December 19, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 87735]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to Office of Management and 
Budget (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; 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 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments regarding this information collection received by January 
22, 2024 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 Utilities Service

    Title: Rural eConnectivity (ReConnect) Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0152.
    Summary of Collection: On March 23, 2018, Congress passed the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act 2018 (the Fiscal Year 2018 
Appropriations (Pub. L.115-141)) which established the broadband loan 
and grant Reconnect program, the Rural eConnectivity (ReConnect) 
Program. One of the essential goals of the ReConnect Program is to 
expand broadband service to rural areas without sufficient access to 
broadband, defined as 100 megabits per second (Mbps) downstream and 20 
Mbps upstream. For this purpose, Congress provided the Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS) with $600 million and expanded its existing authority to 
make loans and grants. Loans and grants are limited to the costs of the 
construction, improvement, and acquisition of facilities and equipment 
for broadband service in eligible communities. The Fiscal Year 2018 
Appropriations also authorized technical assistance to assist the 
agency in expanding needed service to the most rural communities. For 
fiscal year (FY) 2019, Congress funded an additional $550 million for 
the pilot. For FY 2022, the ReConnect program received $800 million. 
There was a second application round in FY 22 and the budget was 
further expanded to $1.15 billion.
    In facilitating the expansion of broadband services and 
infrastructure, the program will fuel long-term rural economic 
development and opportunities in rural America. One of those 
opportunities is precision agriculture (PA). PA is a new concept 
adopted in rural America used to increase production, reduce labor 
time, and ensure the effective management of fertilizers and irrigation 
processes. PA is the science of improving crop yields and assisting 
management decisions using high technology sensor and analysis tools. 
The use of this technology requires a robust broadband connection. The 
awards made under this program will bring high speed broadband to farms 
which will ultimately increase productivity.
    Need and Use of the Information: Pursuant to the Reconnect Program 
authorization in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Pub. L. 
115-141, 779 (2018)), RUS is to conduct a Reconnect broadband program 
under the RE Act. On February 21, 2021, the ReConnect Regulation, 7 CFR 
1740, was established. 7 CFR 1740.49 of the regulation states that 
applicants are required to submit an application for loans and loan 
guarantees containing the information that RUS shall require, and that 
the project meet the minimum level of broadband in the service area. 7 
CFR 1740.80 sets out the reporting requirements.
    In the broadband regulations implementing the RE Act broadband 
statute, 7 CFR 1740.60 contains the elements of the application intake 
that are required in the Reconnect program. Moreover, pursuant to 7 CFR 
1740.44 adequate financial, investment, operational, reporting, and 
managerial controls are also required in the loan documents. Lastly, 
all the certifications asked for are required by 7 CFR 1740.46, most of 
which are already required by federal law.
    The Agency is required to analyze the potential environmental 
impacts, as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 
for Applicant projects or proposals seeking funding. Applicants are 
encouraged to refer to 7 CFR part 1970 for all Rural Development's 
environmental policies. All Applicants must follow the requirements in 
7 CFR part 1970 and are required to complete an Environmental 
Questionnaire, to provide a description of program activities, and to 
submit all other required environmental documentation as requested in 
the application system or by the Agency after the application is 
submitted. It is the Applicant's responsibility to obtain all necessary 
federal, tribal, state, and local governmental permits and approvals 
necessary for the proposed work to be conducted.
    Description of Respondents: Businesses or other for-profits; Not-
for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 480.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On Occassion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1,468,032.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2023-27845 Filed 12-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P