Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 125 / Wednesday, June 28, 2000 / Notices 39863

first loan application. The first loan

application means: (1) The first

application for a loan guarantee for a

new loan; or (2) The first application

before ownership of any GRRHP loan is

transferred to that lender. A lender must

be approved before a loan guarantee is

issued or a guaranteed loan is acquired.

An eligible lender must be a licensed

business entity or Housing Finance

Authority (HFA) in good standing in the

state or states where it conducts

business; be approved by the Agency;

and meet at least one of the criteria

contained below. Lenders who are not

eligible may participate in the program

if they maintain a correspondent

relationship with a lender who is

eligible. An eligible lender must:

(a) Meet the qualifications of, and be

approved by, the Secretary of Housing

and Urban Development to make

multifamily housing loans that are to be

insured under the National Housing

Act;

(b) Meet the qualifications and be

approved by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac

to make multifamily housing loans that

are to be sold to such corporations;

(c) Be a state or local HFA, or a

member of the Federal Home Loan Bank

system, with a demonstrated ability to

underwrite, originate, process, close,

service, manage, and dispose of

multifamily housing loans in a prudent

manner;

(d) Be a lender who meets the

requirements for Agency approval

contained in 7 CFR part 3565 subpart B

and has a demonstrated ability to

underwrite, originate, process, close,

service, manage, and dispose of

multifamily housing loans in a prudent

manner; or

(e) Be a lender who meets the

following requirements in addition to

the other requirements of 7 CFR part

3565 subparts B and of subpart I:

(1) Have qualified staff to perform

multifamily housing servicing and asset

management;

(2) Have facilities and systems that

support servicing and asset management

functions; and

(3) Have documented procedures for

carrying out servicing and asset

management responsibilities.

Dated: June 21, 2000.

David J. Villano,

Acting Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 00–16311 Filed 6–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Information Collection Activity;

Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for

comments.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites

comments on this information

collection for which RUS intends to

request approval from the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by August 28, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F.

Lamont Heppe, Jr., Director, Program

Development and Regulatory Analysis,

Rural Utilities Service, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1522,

Room 4036 South Building,

Washington, DC 20250–1522.

Telephone: (202) 720–9550. FAX: (202)

720–4120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office

of Management and Budget’s (OMB)

regulation (5 CFR 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 an information collection that

RUS is submitting to OMB for

reinstatement.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether

the proposed 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 proposed 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 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 may be sent to:

F. Lamont Heppe, Jr., Director, Program

Development and Regulatory Analysis,

Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department

of Agriculture, STOP 1522, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20250–1522. FAX: (202) 720–4120.

Title: Water and Waste Disposal

Programs Guaranteed Loans.

Type of Request: New collection

approval.

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service

is authorized by Section 306 of the

Consolidated Farm and Rural

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926) to

make loans to public agencies, nonprofit

corporations, and Indian tribes for the

development of water and waste

disposal facilities primarily servicing

rural residents. The guaranteed loan

program encourages lender participation

and provides specific guidance in the

processing and servicing of guaranteed

loans. The regulations governing the

Water and Waste Disposal Guaranteed

Loan program are currently codified at

7 CFR 1980, subparts A and I, and the

reporting and recordkeeping

requirements are currently cleared

under OMB Control Numbers 0572–

0119 and 0572–0120. The Agency

issued a proposed rule dated October 7,

1997, at 62 FR 52277, that proposed to

amend 7 CFR 1980, subparts A and I.

The Agency is currently working on the

final rule and when the rule is finalized

the Water and Waste Disposal

Guaranteed Loan program will be

codified at 7 CFR 1779 and covered

under a new OMB Control number,

incorporating all requirements for the

program.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average 7.8 hours per

response.

Respondents: Business or other for

profit; not-for-profit institutions; State,

Local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

15.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 7.3.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 858 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Michele Brooks,

Program Development and Regulatory

Analysis, at (202) 690–1078. FAX: (202)

720–4120.

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.

Dated: June 20, 2000.

Christopher A. McLean,

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 00–16273 Filed 6–27–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P