This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

61785

Vol. 69, No. 203

Thursday, October 21, 2004

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 

Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and 

Humanitarian Assistance, Office of 

Private Voluntary Cooperation/

American Schools and Hospitals 

Abroad; Announcement of Draft 

Changes to Criterion #8 American 

Schools and Hospitals Abroad 

Program 

The U.S. Agency for International 

Development is announcing draft 

changes to Criterion #8 in the American 

Schools and Hospitals Abroad program, 

pursuant to section 214 of the Foreign 

Assistance Act of 1961, as amended. 

The program criteria serve as 

administrative guidance for considering 

the acceptability and relative merits of 

applicants.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

George Like (703) 712–1766, ASHA 

Agency for International Development, 

Washington, DC 20523.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On 

November 26, 1979, the U.S. Agency for 

International Development published 11 

Program Criteria for the American 

Schools and Hospitals Abroad program. 

Criterion #8 states ‘‘The institution must 

be open to all persons regardless of race, 

religion, sex, color or national origin. 

(The above shall not be construed to 

require enrollment of students of both 

sexes at an educational institution 

enrolling males or females only.) 

Assistance may not be used to train 

persons for religious pursuits or to 

construct buildings or other facilities 

intended for worship or religious 

instruction.’’ 

On December 12, 2002, Executive 

Order 13279 ‘‘Equal Protection of the 

Laws for Faith-Based and Community 

Organizations’’ was signed. 

Accordingly, the U.S. Agency for 

International Development proposes to 

change Criterion #8 of the American 

Schools and Hospitals Abroad program 

to ‘‘The institution must be open to all 

persons regardless of race, religion, sex, 

color or national origin. (The above 

shall not be construed to require 

enrollment of students of both sexes at 

an educational institution enrolling 

males or females only.) Assistance may 

not be used to support any inherently 

religious activities, such as worship, 

religious instruction or proselytization.’’ 

The sixty-day comment period will 

begin on the date that this 

announcement is published in the 

Federal Register.

G. Garrett Grigsby, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for 

Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian 

Assistance.

[FR Doc. 04–23552 Filed 10–20–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6116–01–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

Rural Utilities Service 

Farm Service Agency 

Notice of Request for Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection

AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service, Rural 

Business-Cooperative Service, Rural 

Utilities Service, and Farm Service 

Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; comments 

requested. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 

notice announces the Rural Housing 

Service (RHS), the Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBS), Rural 

Utilities Service (RUS), and the Farm 

Service Agency’s (FSA) intention to 

request an extension for a currently 

approved information collection in 

support of compliance with Civil Rights 

laws.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be 

received by December 20, 2004, to be 

assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Jacqueline Micheli, Equal Opportunity 

Specialist, Rural Development, Civil 

Rights Staff, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, STOP 0703, 1400 

Independence Ave., SW., Washington, 

DC 20250–0703, telephone (202) 692–

0099 (voice) or 692–0107 (TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 7 

CFR 1901–E, Civil Rights Compliance 

Requirements. 

OMB Number: 0575–0018. 

Expiration Date: April 30, 2005. 

Type of Request: Extension of a 

Currently Approved Information 

Collection. 

Abstract: The information collection 

under OMB Number 0575–0018 enables 

the RHS, RBS, RUS, and FSA to 

effectively monitor a recipient’s 

compliance with the civil rights laws, 

and to determine whether or not service 

and benefits are being provided to 

beneficiaries on an equal opportunity 

basis. 

The RBS, RHS, RUS, and FSA, 

formerly the Farmers Home 

Administration, are required to provide 

Federal financial assistance through its 

farmer, housing, and community and 

business programs on an equal 

opportunity basis. The laws 

implemented in 7 CFR part 1901, 

subpart E (‘‘1901–E’’), require the 

recipients of RBS, RHS, RUS, and FSA’s 

Federal financial assistance to collect 

various types of information, including 

information on participants in certain of 

these agencies’ programs, by race, color, 

and national origin. While these 

agencies realize that the provisions of 

1901–E are outdated as the result of 

statutory amendment and other 

processes of law, the information 

needed to be collected under this 

implementing regulation is not affected 

by the obsolete nature of the regulation. 

The RBS, RHS, RUS, and FSA use the 

information to monitor a recipient’s 

compliance with the civil rights laws, 

and to determine whether or not service 

and benefits are being provided to 

beneficiaries on an equal opportunity 

basis. The agencies are in the process of 

revising 1901–E, and expect to publish 

for comment a Federal Register

document proposing these revisions in 

2005. The following laws are 

implemented in 7 CFR 1901–E: 

a. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 (‘‘Title VI’’). The implementing 

regulations for this Act, issued by the 

U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

requires recipients of RBS’’, RHS’’ RUS’’ 

and FSA’s program assistance to collect 

information on the race/national origin