[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 28 (Friday, February 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9117-9118]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02702]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

[Docket No. RUS-23-ELECTRIC-0026]


60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Accounting 
Requirements for RUS Electric and Telecommunications Borrowers; OMB 
Control No.: 0572-0003

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces its' intention to 
request a revision of a currently approved information collection and 
invites comments on this information collection.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by April 9, 2024 to be 
assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at: https://www.regulations.gov. To comment, in the ``Search'' 
box, enter the docket number: ``RUS-23-ELECTRIC-0026.'' You will be 
taken to the ``Search Results'' page and a link to the Notice. To 
submit a comment, click on the ``Comments'' button under the Notice 
document name (this will be under the ``Documents'' tab if not already 
brought there). When you comment, you must complete all the required 
information, and include the Agency name and docket number. When done 
commenting, select the ``Submit Comment'' button at the bottom of the 
page. Information on commenting is available in the ``Commenter's 
Checklist'' located at the top of the comment page or by viewing the 
FAQ tab. All comments submitted, from all sources, will be posted, 
without change to https://www.regulations.gov. Comments containing 
profanity, vulgarity, threats, or other inappropriate language or 
content will not be considered. The Agency requests that no business 
proprietary information, copyrighted information, or personally 
identifiable information be submitted in response to this Notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Crystal Pemberton, Management Analyst, 
Branch 1, Rural Development Innovation Center--Regulations Management 
Division, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 
260-8621, Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) 
regulation (5 CFR part 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 the following information collection 
that RUS is submitting to OMB as a revision to an existing collection 
with Agency adjustment.
    Title: Accounting Requirements for Electric and Telecommunications 
Borrowers.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0003.
    Expiration Date of Approval: August 31, 2024.
    Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information 
collection.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 2 hours per response. The 
recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to 
average 25 hours per response.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit, Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,252.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 2,504 hours.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden on Recordkeepers: 31,300 hours.
    Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a credit agency of 
the USDA which makes direct and guaranteed loans to finance electric 
and telecommunications facilities in rural areas. Accounting 
requirements that are unique to RUS borrowers are contained in 7 CFR 
parts 1767 and 1770 which

[[Page 9118]]

establish basic accounting requirements for the recording of financial 
information that must be available to the management, investors, and 
lenders of any business enterprise. This collection is primarily a 
record keeping requirement, although the Agency is requiring borrowers 
to establish an index of records. The hours of burden to maintain this 
index are directly related to the portions of the accounting system 
that are unique to the Agency. There are many important financial 
considerations for retention and preservation of accounting records. 
One of the most important considerations to RUS is that documentation 
be available so that the borrower's records may be audited for proper 
disbursements of funds.
    Comments are invited on:
    (a) 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;
    (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
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 
respondents, including the use of appropriate automated, electronic, 
mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms 
of information technology. All responses to this notice will be 
summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments 
will become a matter of public record.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Crystal 
Pemberton, Management Analyst, Rural Development Innovation Center--
Regulations Management Division, at (202) 260-8621. Email: 
[email protected].
    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.

Andrew Berke,
Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2024-02702 Filed 2-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P