[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 156 (Tuesday, August 13, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65841-65842]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-18007]



[[Page 65841]]

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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 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 
September 12, 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: Accounting Requirements for RUS Electric and 
Telecommunications Borrowers.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0003.
    Summary of Collection: The RUS Administrator, acting on behalf of 
the United States and the Secretary of Agriculture, is authorized and 
empowered by section 2a of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (RE 
Act), as amended to ``make loans in the several States and Territories 
of the United States for rural electrification and for the purpose of 
furnishing and improving electric and telephone service in rural areas, 
as provided in this chapter, and for the purpose of assisting electric 
borrowers to implement demand side management, energy conservation 
programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems.'' In 
accordance with section 2b of the RE Act, the Administrator may ``make, 
or cause to be made, studies, investigations, and reports regarding 
matters, including financial, technological, and regulatory matters, 
affecting the condition and programs of electric, telecommunications, 
and economic development in rural areas, and publish and disseminate 
information with respect to the matters.''
    The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency) is a credit agency 
of the United States Department of Agriculture which makes loans 
(direct and guaranteed) to finance electric and telecommunications 
facilities in rural areas. The RUS Electric Program is a leader in 
lending to upgrade, expand, maintain, and replace the vast rural 
American electric infrastructure. Electric loans are fully amortized 
over a period approximately equal to the useful life of the facilities 
financed by the loan, not to exceed 35 years. Borrowers typically draw 
down on approved loan funds over a 3-to-4-year period. There are 
approximately 614 active electric borrowers. The RUS Telecommunications 
Program makes loans to furnish and improve telecommunications services 
and other telecommunications purposes in rural areas. The Agency lends 
directly to rural telecommunications companies and guarantees loans 
made by other lenders, such as the Federal Finance Bank (FFB). Loans 
are amortized over the useful life of the facilities financed by the 
loan, not to exceed 35 years. Borrowers typically draw down on approved 
loan funds over a 3-to-4-year period. There are approximately 638 
active telecommunications borrowers.
    RUS provides financing through long-term loans to rural electric 
and telecommunications utilities. These loans are secured by a mortgage 
agreement pledging as collateral for all the borrowers' assets, 
including its real and personal property as well as its income and 
revenues. The Agency also guarantees loans to facilitate the obtaining 
of financing for electric and telecommunications facilities from non-
RUS sources. Guaranteed loans may be obtained from any legally 
organized lending agency qualified to make, hold, and service the loan. 
All policies and procedures of the Agency are applicable to a 
guaranteed loan.
    Need and Use of the Information: This collection is primarily a 
recordkeeping requirement. 7 CFR parts 1767 and 1770 do not impose 
information collection requirements for reporting to a Federal agency. 
Rather, they establish basic accounting requirements for the recording 
of financial information that must be available to the management, 
investors, and lenders of any business enterprise. There are many 
important financial considerations for the 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. 7 CFR parts 1767 and 1770 
prescribe accounting requirements that are unique to RUS borrowers. The 
Agency is requiring borrowers to establish an index of records, which 
any prudent business should be maintaining. The hours of burden to 
maintain this index are directly related to those portions of the 
accounting system that are unique to the Agency.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 1,252.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On Occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 33,804.

Rural Utility Service

    Title: High Energy Cost Grants Rural Communities.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0136.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency 
delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural 
Development (RD) utilities programs, is authorized by the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936 (RE Act) (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq.) as amended 
in November 2000, to create new grant and loan authority to assist 
rural communities with extremely high energy costs (Pub. L. 106-472). 
The amendment authorized the Secretary of USDA through RD to provide 
competitive grants for energy generation, transmission, or distribution 
facilities serving communities in which the average residential 
expenditure for home energy is at least 275 percent of the national 
average residential expenditure for home energy. The program is 
implemented under 7 CFR part 1709 and USDA grant regulations. 
Competitive grant applications are solicited through publication of a 
Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on Grants.gov.
    Need and Use of the Information: Information is collected by RUS 
from

[[Page 65842]]

applicants and grantees who may be one of the following: persons, 
States, political subdivisions of States and other entities organized 
under the laws of States, including for profit and non-profit 
corporations, associations, partnerships, limited liability 
partnerships (LLPs) cooperatives, trusts, sole proprietorships, State 
and local governments (including independent state agencies or units of 
State or local governments), Indian tribes, other Tribal entities and 
Alaska Native Corporations.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Businesses 
or other for-profits.
    Number of Respondents: 40.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 826.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: 7 CFR part 1738 Rural Broadband Loans, Loan/Grant 
Combinations, and Loan Guarantees.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0154.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is 
authorized by Title VI, Rural Broadband Access, of the Rural 
Electrification Act of 1936, as amended (RE Act), to provide loans, 
loan/grant combinations, and loan guarantees to fund the cost of 
construction, improvement, or acquisition of facilities and equipment 
for the provision of broadband service in eligible rural areas in the 
States and Territories of the United States. The regulation for this 
program, 7 CFR part 1738, prescribes the types of loans available, 
facilities financed, and eligible applicants, as well as minimum equity 
requirements to be considered for a loan. In addition, 7 CFR part 1738 
outlines the process through which RUS will consider applicants under 
the priority consideration required in Title VI.
    The term of the loan or loan/grant combination is based on the 
expected composite economic life based on the depreciation rates of the 
facilities financed. The term of the loan or loan/grant combination can 
be as high as 35 years. These loans are secured by a first lien on the 
borrower's broadband system. In the interest of protecting loan 
security and accomplishing the statutory objective of a sound program 
of rural broadband service access, Title VI of the RE Act further 
requires that RUS make or guarantee a loan only if there is reasonable 
assurance that the loan, together with all outstanding loans and 
obligations of the borrower, will be repaid in full within the time 
agreed; the information gathered in this collection will help RUS 
determine that reasonable assurance.
    Need and Use of the Information: Lending entities who wish to 
participate in this program must submit an application and/or certain 
information to Rural Development (RD). This information will be used to 
determine an applicant's eligibility to borrow under the terms of the 
RE Act and that the applicant complies with statutory, regulatory, and 
administrative eligibility requirements for loan assistance. This 
information is also used by RUS to determine that the Government's 
security for loans is reasonably adequate and that the loans will be 
repaid within the time agreed.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or Households.
    Number of Respondents: 90.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 829.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: Technical Assistance and Training and Training for 
Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions (TAT/RWTS) Pilot 
Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0157.
    Summary of Collection: Technical Assistance and Construction for 
Innovative Regional Wastewater Treatment Solutions (TAC-RWTS) grant 
program is a competitive grant program which the Rural Utilities 
Service (RUS) administers. The program is authorized pursuant to 5 
U.S.C. 301; 7 U.S.C. 1989; 16 U.S.C. 1005; Division B, Title VII 
General Provisions, Section 783 of the Further Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2020 (Pub. L. 116-94); and Division BA, Title VII 
General Provisions, Section 771 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
2021 (Pub. L. 116-260). The program is implemented through 7 CFR part 
1775, Technical Assistance Grants, and the provisions of this NOFO. 
Other Federal statutes and regulations are listed at 7 CFR 1775.8, 
Other Federal statutes.
    Need and Use of the Information: The RUS National Office staff will 
use the information collected to determine applicant eligibility, 
project feasibility, and the applicant's ability to meet the grant and 
regulatory requirements. Based on funding availability for each Fiscal 
Year and the dollar amount requested by applicants, it may not be 
possible to fund all applications for the amount requested. If a 
particular application/project cannot be funded for the full amount, 
the applicant will be requested to submit revised documents to reflect 
the revision in the scope of the project based on the amount that can 
be awarded. Failure to collect proper information could result in 
improper determinations of eligibility, improper use of funds, or 
hindrances in making grants authorized by the TAC-RWTS program.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 9.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 423.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2024-18007 Filed 8-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P