Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 177 / Thursday, September 14, 2023 / Notices 63057 

3. Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in SAM and have a UEI 

number as stated in Section D.3 of this 

notice. 

4. Civil Rights Act. All grants made 

under this notice are subject to title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 

required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, 

subpart A—Nondiscrimination in 

Federally-Assisted Programs of the 

Department of Agriculture—Effectuation 

of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964) and section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, title VIII of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1968, title IX, 

Executive Order 13166 (Limited English 

Proficiency), Executive Order 11246, 

and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 

1974. 

5. Nondiscrimination Statement. In 

accordance with Federal civil rights 

laws and USDA civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Mission 

Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, 

and institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office or the 711 

Relay Service. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/ 

files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any 

USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992, 

or by writing a letter addressed to 

USDA. The letter must contain the 

complainant’s name, address, telephone 

number, and a written description of the 

alleged discriminatory action in 

sufficient detail to inform the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about 

the nature and date of an alleged civil 

rights violation. The completed AD– 

3027 form or letter must be submitted to 

USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Karama Neal, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19928 Filed 9–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

[Docket #: RBS–23–BUSINESS–0010] 

Notice of Solicitation of Applications 

for Inviting Applications for the Rural 

Economic Development Loan and 

Grant Programs for Fiscal Year 2024 

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS or Agency), 

a Rural Development (RD) agency of the 

United States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), invites applications for loans 

and grants under the Rural Economic 

Development Loan and Grant Programs 

(REDLG or Programs) for fiscal year (FY) 

2024, subject to the availability of 

funding. This notice is being issued 

prior to the passage of a FY 24 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

which may or may not provide funding 

for this program, to allow applicants 

sufficient time to leverage financing, 

prepare and submit their applications, 

and give the Agency time to process 

applications within FY 2024. Based on 

FY 2023 appropriated funding, the 

Agency estimates that approximately 

$90,000,000 will be available for FY 

2024. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through appropriations. All 

applicants are responsible for any 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: The deadlines for completed 

applications to be received in the RD 

State Office for quarterly funding 

competitions are no later than 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on: First Quarter, September 

30, 2023; Second Quarter, December 31, 

2023; Third Quarter, March 31, 2024 

and Fourth Quarter, June 30, 2024. The 

Agency will not consider any 

application received after the deadline 

for funding competition in that fiscal 

quarter. 

ADDRESSES: Applications must be 

submitted in paper or electronically to 

the RD State Office for the state where 

the project is located. A list of the RD 

State Office contacts can be found at: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/stateoffices. This notice will also be 

announced at www.grants.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Cindy Mason at cindy.mason@usda.gov, 

Program Management Division, 

Business Programs, Rural BusinessCooperative Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW, Stop 3226, Room 5160-South, 

Washington, DC 20250–3226, or call 

(202) 720–1400. For further information 

on this notice, please contact the RD 

State Office in the state which the 

applicant’s headquarters is located. A 

list of RD State Office contacts is 

provided at the following link: https:// 

www.rd.usda.gov/about-rd/state-offices. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Business-Cooperative Service 

(RBCS). 

Funding Opportunity Type: Rural 

Economic Development Loans and 

Grants (REDLG). 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Application (NOSA). 

Funding Opportunity Number: RD– 

RBCS–24–REDLG. 

Assistance Listing Number: 10.854. 

Dates: The deadlines for complete 

applications to be received in the RD 

State Office for quarterly funding 

competitions are no later than 4:30 p.m. 

(local time) on: First Quarter, September 

30, 2023; Second Quarter, December 31, 

2023; Third Quarter, March 31, 2024, 

and Fourth Quarter, June 30, 2024. 

Rural Development Key Priorities: The 

Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities (more details 

available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points): 

• Assisting rural communities recover 

economically through more and better 

market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure; 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to Rural Development 

(RD) programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects; and 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 


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A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The Rural 

Economic Development Loan (REDL) 

and Grant (REDG) Programs (REDLG or 

Program(s)) provide financing to eligible 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) electric or 

telecommunications borrowers 

(Intermediaries) to promote rural 

economic development and job creation 

projects. Assistance provided to rural 

and Tribal areas, as defined, under this 

program may include business startup 

costs, business expansion, business 

incubators, technical assistance 

feasibility studies, advanced 

telecommunications services and 

computer networks for medical, 

educational, and job training services, 

and Community Facilities, as defined at 

7 CFR 4280.3, projects for economic 

development. 

2. Statutory and Regulatory Authority. 

These Programs are authorized under 7 

U.S.C. 940c–2 and implemented by 7 

CFR part 4280, subpart A. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2023, (Pub. L. 117–328, division A, title 

VII), section 736 designates funding for 

projects in persistent poverty counties. 

Persistent poverty counties as defined in 

section 736 is ‘‘any county that has had 

20 percent or more of its population 

living in poverty over the past 30 years, 

as measured by the 1990 and 2000 

decennial censuses, and 2007–2011 

American Community Survey 5-year 

average, or any territory or possession of 

the United States’’. Another provision in 

SEC. 736 expands the eligible 

population in persistent poverty 

counties to include any county seat of 

such a persistent poverty county that 

has a population that does not exceed 

the authorized population limit by more 

than 10 percent. This provision expands 

the current 50,000 population limit to 

55,000 for only county seats located in 

persistent poverty counties. Therefore, 

assuming the Appropriations Act for 

2024 has similar language, applicants 

and/or beneficiaries located in 

persistent poverty county seats with 

populations up to 55,000 (per the 2010 

Census) are eligible. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this notice are published 

at 7 CFR 4280.3. 

4. Application of Awards. The Agency 

will review, evaluate, and score 

applications received in response to this 

notice based on the provisions found in 

7 CFR part 4280, subpart A, and as 

indicated in this notice. Awards under 

the REDLG programs will be made on a 

competitive basis using specific 

selection criteria contained in 7 CFR 

part 4280, subpart A and as indicated in 

this notice. The applicant bears the full 

burden in preparing and submitting an 

application in response to this notice 

regardless of whether or not funding is 

appropriated for the programs in FY 

2024. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Awards: Loans and Grants. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024. 

Available Funds: Dependent upon FY 

2024 appropriations. Funding is 

anticipated to be approximately 

$90,000,000 based on FY 2023 amounts. 

Award Amounts: The Agency 

anticipates the following maximum 

amounts per award: Loans—$2,000,000; 

Grants—$300,000. 

Anticipated Award Dates: First 

Quarter, November 30, 2023; Second 

Quarter, February 29, 2024; Third 

Quarter, May 31, 2024; and Fourth 

Quarter, August 31, 2024. 

Performance Period: December 1, 

2023, through September 30, 2025. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: 

None. 

Type of Assistance Instrument: Direct 

Loan and Financial Assistance 

Agreement. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. Loans and 

grants may be made to any entity that 

is identified by USDA RD as an eligible 

borrower under the Rural Electrification 

Act of 1936, as amended (Act). In 

accordance with 7 CFR 4280.13, 

applicants that are not delinquent on 

any Federal debt or not otherwise 

disqualified from participation in these 

Programs are eligible to apply. 

Notwithstanding any other provision of 

law, any former RUS borrower that has 

repaid or prepaid an insured, direct, or 

guaranteed loan under the Act, or any 

not-for-profit utility that is eligible to 

receive an insured or direct loan under 

such Act shall be eligible for assistance 

under section 313B(a) of such Act in the 

same manner as a borrower under such 

Act. All other restrictions in this notice 

will apply. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. For 

loans, either the ultimate recipient or 

the intermediary must provide 

supplemental funds for the project equal 

to at least 20 percent of the loan to the 

intermediary. For grants, the 

intermediary must establish a revolving 

loan fund and contribute an amount 

equal to at least 20 percent of the grant. 

The supplemental contribution must 

come from the intermediary’s which 

may not be from other Federal grants, 

unless permitted by law. 

3. Other. 

(a) There are no ‘‘responsiveness’’ or 

‘‘threshold’’ eligibility criteria for these 

loans and grants. There is no limit on 

the number of applications an applicant 

may submit under this announcement. 

(b) None of the funds made available 

by this or any other Act may be used to 

enter into a contract, memorandum of 

understanding, or cooperative 

agreement with, make a grant to, or 

provide a loan or loan guarantee to any 

corporation that: 

(i) Has any unpaid Federal tax 

liability, that has been assessed, for 

which all judicial and administrative 

remedies have been exhausted or have 

lapsed, and that is not being paid in a 

timely manner pursuant to an agreement 

with the authority responsible for 

collecting the tax liability where the 

awarding agency is aware of the unpaid 

tax liability, unless a Federal agency has 

considered suspension or debarment of 

the corporation and has made a 

determination that this further action is 

not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government. 

(ii) Was convicted of a felony criminal 

violation under any Federal law within 

the preceding 24 months, where the 

awarding agency is aware of the 

conviction, unless a Federal agency has 

considered suspension or debarment of 

the corporation and has made a 

determination that this further action is 

not necessary to protect the interests of 

the Government. 

(c) Applications will not be 

considered for funding if they do not 

provide sufficient information to 

determine eligibility or are missing 

required elements. 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. For further information, 

entities wishing to apply for assistance 

should contact the RD State Office 

provided in the ADDRESSES section of 

this notice to obtain copies of the 

application package. If an applicant 

requires alternative means of 

communication for program information 

(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

please contact the 711 Relay Service. 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. An application must 

contain all of the required elements 

outlined in 7 CFR 4280.39 and address 

each selection priority criterion outlined 

in 7 CFR 4280.42(b). Failure to address 

any of the criterion will result in a zeropoint score for that criterion and will 

impact the overall evaluation of the 

application. 

3. System for Award Management and 

Unique Entity Identifier. 

(a) At the time of application, each 

applicant must have an active 

registration in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) before submitting 


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its application in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25. In order to register in SAM, 

entities will be required to obtain a 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). 

Instructions for obtaining the UEI are 

available at https://sam.gov/content/ 

entity-registration. 

(b) Applicants must maintain an 

active SAM registration, with current, 

accurate and complete information, at 

all times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application under 

consideration by a Federal awarding 

agency. 

(c) Applicant must ensure they 

complete the Financial Assistance 

General Certifications and 

Representations in SAM. 

(d) Applicants must provide a valid 

UEI in its application, unless 

determined exempt under 2 CFR 25.110. 

(e) The Agency will not make an 

award until the applicant has complied 

with all SAM requirements including 

providing the UEI. If an applicant has 

not fully complied with the 

requirements by the time the Agency is 

ready to make an award, the Agency 

may determine that the applicant is not 

qualified to receive a Federal award and 

use that determination as a basis for 

making a Federal award to another 

applicant. 

4. Submission Dates and Times. 

(a) Application Technical Assistance 

Deadline Date. Prior to official 

submission of grant applications, 

applicants may request technical 

assistance or other application guidance 

from the Agency, as long as such 

requests are made at least 15 days prior 

to each quarter submission date. 

Technical assistance is not meant to be 

an analysis or assessment of the quality 

of the materials submitted, a substitute 

for agency review of completed 

applications, nor a determination of 

eligibility, if such determination 

requires in-depth analysis. 

(b) Application Deadline Dates. 

Completed applications must be 

received no later than 4:30 p.m. (local 

time) on: First Quarter, September 30, 

2023; Second Quarter, December 31, 

2023; Third Quarter, March 31, 2024; 

and Fourth Quarter, June 30, 2024. 

Applications must be in the RD State 

Office by the dates and times as 

indicated. If the due date falls on a 

Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, 

the application is due the next business 

day. If completed applications are not 

received by the deadline established 

above, the application will neither be 

reviewed nor considered in that quarter 

under any circumstances. 

The Agency will not solicit or 

consider new scoring or eligibility 

information that is submitted after the 

application deadline. The Agency also 

reserves the right to ask applicants for 

clarifying information and additional 

verification of assertations in the 

application. 

5. Intergovernmental Review. 

Executive Order (E.O.) 12372, 

‘‘Intergovernmental Review of Federal 

Programs,’’ applies to this program. This 

E.O. requires that Federal agencies 

provide opportunities for consultation 

on proposed assistance with State and 

local governments. Many states have 

established a Single Point of Contact 

(SPOC) to facilitate this consultation. 

For a list of States that maintain a SPOC, 

please see the White House website: 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/ 

management/office-federal-financialmanagement/. If your State has a SPOC, 

you may submit a copy of the 

application directly for review. Any 

comments obtained through the SPOC 

must be provided to your State Office 

for consideration as part of your 

application. If your state has not 

established a SPOC, you may submit 

your application directly to the Agency. 

Applications from Federally recognized 

Indian Tribes are not subject to this 

requirement. 

6. Funding Restrictions. The grantee 

may utilize a previously approved 

indirect cost rate. Otherwise, the 

applicant may elect to charge the 10 

percent indirect cost permitted under 2 

CFR 200.414(f). An indirect cost rate 

determination may be requested with 

the application; however, due to the 

time required to evaluate indirect cost 

rates, it is likely that all funds will be 

awarded before the indirect cost rate is 

determined. No foreign travel is 

permitted. Pre-Federal award costs will 

only be permitted with prior written 

approval by the Agency. 

7. Other Submission Requirements. 

(a) There are no specific limitations 

on the number of pages, font size and 

type face, margins, paper size, number 

of copies, and the sequence or assembly 

requirements. 

(b) The component pieces of this 

application should contain original 

signatures on the original application. 

Any form that requires an original 

signature but is signed electronically in 

the application submission, must be 

signed in ink by the authorized person 

prior to the disbursement of funds. 

(c) An original copy of the application 

package must be filed with the RD State 

Office for the State where the 

intermediary is located. 

(d) Applicants may submit 

applications in hard copy or electronic 

format as previously indicated in the 

Application and Submission 

Information section of this notice. If the 

applicant wishes to hand deliver its 

application, the addresses for these 

deliveries can be located in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

Applicants are encouraged to contact 

their respective State Office for an email 

contact to submit an electronic 

application prior to the submission 

deadline date(s). 

Applicants intending to mail 

applications must allow sufficient time 

to permit delivery on or before the 

closing deadline date and time. 

Acceptance by the United States Postal 

Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX) or 

postage due applications will not be 

accepted. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. All eligible and complete 

applications will be evaluated and 

scored based on the selection criteria 

and weights contained in 7 CFR part 

4280, subpart A. Failure to address any 

one of the criteria by the application 

deadline will result in the application 

being determined ineligible, and the 

application will not be considered for 

funding. 

2. Review and Selection Process. The 

RD State Offices will review 

applications to determine if they are 

eligible for assistance based on 

requirements contained in 7 CFR part 

4280, subpart A. If determined eligible, 

applications will be submitted to the 

National Office. Funding of projects is 

subject to the intermediary’s satisfactory 

submission of the additional items 

required by that subpart and the RD 

Letter of Conditions. Discretionary 

priority points, under 7 CFR 4280.43(e), 

may be awarded with documented 

justification for the following categories: 

(a) Assisting rural communities 

recover economically through more and 

better market opportunities and through 

improved infrastructure. Applicant 

would receive priority points if the 

project is located in or serving a rural 

community whose economic well-being 

ranks in the most distressed tier 

(distress score of 80 or higher) of the 

Distressed Communities Index using the 

Distressed Communities Look-Up Map 

available at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

priority-points. 

(b) Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects. Using 

the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) 

Look-Up Map (available at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points), an 

applicant would receive priority points 

if the project is: 

• Located in or serving a community 

with score 0.75 or above on the SVI; 


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• Is a Federally recognized tribe, 

including Tribal instrumentalities and 

entities that are wholly owned by 

Tribes; or 

• Is a project where at least 50 

percent of the project beneficiaries are 

members of Federally Recognized Tribes 

and non-Tribal applicants include a 

Tribal Resolution of Consent from the 

Tribe or Tribes that the applicant is 

proposing to serve. 

(c) Reduce climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. Using the 

Disadvantaged Community and Energy 

Community Look-Up Map (available at 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/prioritypoints), applicants will receive priority 

in two ways: 

• If the project is located in or serves 

a Disadvantaged Community as defined 

by the Climate and Economic Justice 

Screening Tool (CEJST), from the White 

House Council on Environmental 

Quality (CEQ), or 

• If the project is located in or serves 

an Energy Community as defined by the 

Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). 

See the website, https://

www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points, for 

options. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. Successful 

applicants will receive notification for 

funding from the RD State Office. 

Applicants must comply with all 

applicable statutes and regulations 

before the loan/grant award can be 

approved. Provided the application and 

eligibility requirements have not 

changed, an eligible application not 

selected will be reconsidered in three 

subsequent quarterly funding 

competitions for a total of four 

competitions. If an application is 

withdrawn by the applicant, it can be 

resubmitted and will be evaluated as a 

new application. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. Additional requirements 

that apply to intermediaries or grantees 

selected for these programs can be 

found in 7 CFR part 4280, subpart A; 

Uniform Administrative Requirements, 

Cost Principles, and Audit 

Requirements for Federal Awards of the 

U.S. Department of Agriculture codified 

in 2 CFR 400.1 to 400.2, and 2 CFR part 

415 to 422, and successor regulations to 

these parts. 

Awards are subject to USDA grant 

regulations at 2 CFR part 400 which 

adopts the Office of Management and 

Budget (OMB) regulations 2 CFR part 

200. 

All successful applicants will be 

notified by letter which will include a 

Letter of Conditions, and a Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions. This letter is 

not an authorization to begin 

performance. If the applicant wishes to 

consider beginning performance prior to 

the loan or grant being officially closed, 

all pre-award costs must be approved in 

writing and in advance by the Agency. 

The loan or grant will be considered 

officially awarded when all conditions 

in the Letter of Conditions have been 

met and the Agency obligates the 

funding for the project. 

The following additional 

requirements apply to intermediaries or 

grantees selected for these Programs: 

(a) Form RD 4280–2 ‘‘Rural BusinessCooperative Service Financial 

Assistance Agreement.’’ 

(b) Letter of Conditions. 

(c) Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds.’’ 

(d) Form RD 1942–46, ‘‘Letter of 

Intent to Meet Conditions.’’ 

(e) LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activities,’’ if applicable. 

(f) Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for 

Advance or Reimbursement.’’ 

(g) Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement’’ must be completed by the 

applicant and each prospective ultimate 

recipient. 

(h) Intermediaries or grantees must 

collect and maintain data provided by 

ultimate recipients on race, sex, and 

national origin and ensure ultimate 

recipients collect and maintain this 

data. Race and ethnicity data will be 

collected in accordance with OMB 

Federal Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to 

the Standards for the Classification of 

Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity’’ (62 

FR 58782), October 30, 1997. Sex data 

will be collected in accordance with 

Title IX of the Education Amendments 

of 1972. These items should not be 

submitted with the application but 

should be available upon request by the 

Agency. 

3. Reporting. 

(a) A financial status report and a 

project performance activity report will 

be required of all grantees on a quarterly 

basis until initial funds are expended 

and yearly thereafter, if applicable, 

based on the Federal fiscal year. The 

grantee will complete the project within 

the total time available to it in 

accordance with the scope of work and 

any necessary modifications thereof 

prepared by the grantee and approved 

by the Agency. A final project 

performance report will be required 

with the final financial status report. 

The final report may serve as the last 

quarterly report. The final report must 

provide complete information regarding 

the jobs created and supported as a 

result of the grant if applicable. Grantees 

must continuously monitor performance 

to ensure that time schedules are being 

met, projected work by time periods is 

being accomplished, and other 

performance objectives are being 

achieved. Grantees must submit an 

original of each report to the Agency no 

later than 30 days after the end of the 

quarter. The project performance reports 

must include, but not be limited to, the 

following: 

(i) A comparison of actual 

accomplishments to the objectives 

established for that period; 

(ii) Problems, delays, or adverse 

conditions, if any, which have affected 

or will affect attainment of overall 

project objectives, prevent meeting time 

schedules or objectives, or preclude the 

attainment of particular project work 

elements during established time 

periods. This disclosure shall be 

accompanied by a statement of the 

action taken or planned to resolve the 

situation; 

(iii) Objectives and timetable 

established for the next reporting 

period; 

(iv) Any special reporting 

requirements, such as jobs supported 

and created, businesses assisted, or 

economic development which results in 

improvements in median household 

incomes, and any other specific 

requirements, should be placed in the 

reporting section of the Letter of 

Conditions; and 

(v) Within 90 days after the 

conclusion of the project, the 

intermediary will provide a final project 

evaluation report. The last quarterly 

payment will be withheld until the final 

report is received and approved by the 

Agency. Even though the intermediary 

may request reimbursement on a 

monthly basis, the last 3 months of 

reimbursements will be withheld until a 

final report, project performance, and 

financial status report are received and 

approved by the Agency. 

(b) In addition to any reports required 

by 2 CFR part 200 and 2 CFR 400.1 to 

400.2 and 2 CFR part 415 to 422, the 

intermediary or grantee must provide 

reports as required by 7 CFR part 4280, 

subpart A. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact your RD 

State Office provided in the ADDRESSES

section of this notice. 

H. Build America, Buy America 

Funding to Non-Federal Entities. 

Awardees that are Non-Federal Entities, 

defined pursuant to 2 CFR 200.1 as any 


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State, local government, Indian tribe, 

Institution of Higher Education, or 

nonprofit organization, shall be 

governed by the requirements of Section 

70914 of the Build America, Buy 

America Act (BABAA) within the 

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act 

(Pub. L. 117–58). Any requests for 

waiver of these requirements must be 

submitted pursuant to USDA’s guidance 

available online at https://

www.usda.gov/ocfo/federal-financialassistance-policy/ 

USDABuyAmericaWaiver. 

I. Other Information 

1. Paperwork Reduction Act. In 

accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 

chapter 35), the information collection 

requirements associated with the 

programs, as covered in this notice, 

have been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0035. 

2. National Environmental Policy Act. 

All recipients under this notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970. Awards for technical 

assistance and training under this notice 

are classified as a Categorical Exclusion 

according to 7 CFR 1970.53(b), and 

usually do not require any additional 

documentation. RBCS will review each 

grant application to determine its 

compliance with 7 CFR part 1970. The 

applicant may be asked to provide 

additional information or 

documentation to assist RBCS with this 

determination. 

3. Federal Funding Accountability 

and Transparency Act. All applicants, 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 25, must 

be registered in SAM and have a UEI 

number as stated in section D.3 of this 

notice. All recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier subawards and executive total 

compensation in accordance with 2 CFR 

part 170. 

4. Civil Rights Act. All grants made 

under this notice (to applicant and 

ultimate recipient) are subject to title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as 

required by the USDA (7 CFR part 15, 

subpart A—Nondiscrimination in 

Federally-Assisted Programs of the 

Department of Agriculture—Effectuation 

of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 

1964) and section 504 of the 

Rehabilitation Act of 1973, title VIII of 

the Civil Rights Act of 1968, title IX, 

Executive Order 12250, Executive Order 

13166 (Limited English Proficiency), 

Executive Order 11246, and the Equal 

Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 

and 7 CFR part 1901, subpart E. 

5. Nondiscrimination Statement. In 

accordance with Federal civil rights 

laws and USDA civil rights regulations 

and policies, the USDA, its Mission 

Areas, agencies, staff offices, employees, 

and institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Program information may be made 

available in languages other than 

English. Persons with disabilities who 

require alternative means of 

communication to obtain program 

information (e.g., Braille, large print, 

audiotape, American Sign Language) 

should contact the responsible Mission 

Area, agency, or staff office or the 711 

Relay Service. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 

Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/ 

files/documents/ad-3027.pdf from any 

USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992, 

or by writing a letter addressed to 

USDA. The letter must contain the 

complainant’s name, address, telephone 

number, and a written description of the 

alleged discriminatory action in 

sufficient detail to inform the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about 

the nature and date of an alleged civil 

rights violation. The completed AD– 

3027 form or letter must be submitted to 

USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202) 690– 

7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Karama Neal, 

Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative 

Service, USDA Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2023–19925 Filed 9–13–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Briefing of the 

Minnesota Advisory Committee to the 

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 

Rights. 

ACTION: Notice of public briefing. 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, 

pursuant to the provisions of the rules 

and regulations of the U.S. Commission 

on Civil Rights (Commission) and the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, that 

the Minnesota Advisory Committee 

(Committee) to the U.S. Commission on 

Civil Rights will hold a public briefing 

via Zoom at 1:00 p.m. CT on Friday, 

December 8, 2023. The purpose of this 

briefing is to hear testimony on housing 

affordability in the state. 

DATES: Friday, December 8, 2023, from 

1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m. Central Time. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held 

via Zoom. 

Registration Link (Audio/Visual): 

https://www.zoomgov.com/j/ 

1606567675. 

Join by Phone (Audio Only): (833) 

435–1820 USA Toll-Free; Meeting ID: 

160 656 7675. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ana 

Victoria Fortes, Designated Federal 

Officer, at afortes@usccr.gov or (202) 

519–2938. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This 

committee meeting is available to the 

public through the registration link 

above. Any interested member of the 

public may listen to the meeting. An 

open comment period will be provided 

to allow members of the public to make 

a statement as time allows. Per the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, public 

minutes of the meeting will include a 

list of persons who are present at the 

meeting. If joining via phone, callers can 

expect to incur regular charges for calls 

they initiate over wireless lines, 

according to their wireless plan. The 

Commission will not refund any 

incurred charges. Callers will incur no 

charge for calls they initiate over landline connections to the toll-free 

telephone number. Closed captioning 

will be available for individuals who are 

deaf, hard of hearing, or who have 

certain cognitive or learning 

impairments. To request additional 

accommodations, please email Liliana 

Schiller, Support Services Specialist, at 

lschiller@usccr.gov at least 10 business 

days prior to the meeting. 

Members of the public are entitled to 

submit written comments; the 

comments must be received in the 

regional office within 30 days following 


lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1