31086 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 104 / Friday, May 30, 2014 / Notices 

need and minimizes or mitigates 

potential impacts. 

RUS is authorized to make loans and 

loan guarantees that finance the 

construction of electric distribution, 

transmission, and generation facilities, 

including system improvements and 

replacements required to furnish and 

improve electric service in rural areas, 

as well as demand side management, 

energy conservation programs, and ongrid and off-grid renewable energy 

systems. RUS is responsible for 

completing the environmental review 

process in processing Basin Electric’s 

application. RUS is serving as the lead 

Federal agency, as defined at 40 CFR 

1501.5, for preparation of the FEIS. 

Based on an interconnection with the 

Western Area Power Administration’s 

(Western) transmission system, Western 

has, in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.6, 

is serving as a cooperating agency for 

the environmental review of the 

proposed Project. Western is also 

serving as the lead Federal agency, in 

accordance with 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2), for 

the Section 106 review of cultural 

resources and the Endangered Species 

Act (ESA), Section 7 review for 

threatened and endangered species. The 

U.S. Forest Service (USFS) may issue a 

special use permit under the Federal 

Land Policy Management Act and is 

also serving as a cooperating agency. 

Separate Records of Decision (RODs) 

will be issued by Western and the USFS 

for their respective actions. It is 

anticipated that the RODS will be issued 

in July 2014. 

The proposed Project is subject to the 

jurisdiction of the North Dakota Public 

Service Commission (NDPSC), which 

has regulatory authority for siting 

electrical transmission facilities within 

the State. Basin Electric has submitted 

applications to the NDPSC for 

Transmission Corridor and Route 

Permits. The NDPSC Permits would 

authorize Basin Electric to construct the 

proposed Project under North Dakota 

rules and regulations. 

RUS has prepared the FEIS to analyze 

the impacts of its respective Federal 

actions and the proposed Project in 

accordance with the NEPA, as amended, 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) Regulation for Implementing the 

Procedural Provisions of the NEPA (40 

CFR parts 1500–1508), Department of 

Energy’s NEPA Implementing 

Procedures (10 CFR part 1021), and RUS 

Environmental Policies and Procedures 

(7 CFR part 1794). RUS has already 

prepared and published a DEIS and a 

SDEIS which can both be found on the 

internet at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/ 

UWP-AVS-Neset.html. 

Because the Project covers a large 

land area and access in some cases has 

been restricted, Section 106 review will 

be phased in accordance with 36 CFR 

800.4(b)(2) and 800.5(a)(3). Accordingly, 

Western will complete Section 106 

review using a Programmatic Agreement 

(PA) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.14(b)(1)(ii). 

RUS, at the request of Western, will 

manage the development and execution 

of the PA. RUS may issue the Record of 

Decision for the proposed Project once 

the PA has been executed. 

This Notice of Availability also serves 

as a notice of proposed floodplain or 

wetland action. It is anticipated that 

there will be no effect on floodplains 

and wetlands by the proposed Project. 

The majority of the floodplains/

wetlands crossed are associated with 

river and stream crossings and can be 

spanned. Some structures may be 

located in the floodplain of the Little 

Missouri River; however, no effects to 

the floodplain are anticipated. 

James F. Elliott, 

Acting Assistant Administrator, Electric 

Programs, USDA, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12316 Filed 5–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Notice of Funding Availability and 

Grant Application Deadlines 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of funds availability; 

correction. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

published a notice of funds availability 

concerning the Distance Learning and 

Telemedicine (DLT) Grant Program for 

the Fiscal Year (FY) 2014 competition. 

The document contained incorrect 

information with regard to the deadline 

for electronic submissions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sam 

Morgan, Program Management Analyst, 

Advanced Services Division, 

Telecommunications Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, email: sam.morgan@

wdc.usda.gov, telephone: (202) 690– 

4493, fax: (202) 720–1051. Additional 

point of contact: Norberto Esteves, 

Acting Director, Advanced Services 

Division at norberto.esteves@

wdc.usda.gov or at same phone numbers 

previously listed. 

Correction 

In the Federal Register of May 22, 

2014, in FR Doc. 2014–11700, on page 

29403, in the second column, under the 

‘‘F. Deadline caption’’, correct ‘‘2.’’ to 

read: 

2. Electronic grant applications must 

be received by July 7, 2014 to be eligible 

for FY 2014 funding. Late or incomplete 

applications will not be eligible for FY 

2014 grant funding. 

Dated: May 23, 2014. 

John Charles Padalino, 

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12548 Filed 5–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Meeting of the Illinois 

Advisory Committee for a Meeting on 

Discussing the Project Proposal on 

Hate Crimes in Illinois and a Briefing 

on Religious Discrimination in Prisons 

AGENCY: U.S. Commission on Civil 

Rights. 

ACTION: Notice of meeting. 

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 Illinois Advisory Committee 

(Committee) will hold a meeting on 

Thursday, June 12, 2014, for the 

purpose of discussing and voting on a 

project proposal regarding hate crimes 

in Illinois and for gathering information 

and hearing statements regarding 

religious discrimination in Illinois 

prisons. The Committee will have the 

proposal presented by the Commission’s 

two Midwestern Regional Office interns 

and discuss the proposal afterward. The 

Committee also will hear testimony 

from the chief chaplain of the state’s 

Department of Corrections to update 

information the Committee had 

obtained on the topic in 2007. The 

testimony presented at this meeting will 

provide in part a basis for the 

Committee’s final recommendations on 

the topic. 

Members of the public are invited and 

welcomed to make statements into the 

record at the meeting starting at 3:30 

p.m. Members of the public who cannot 

attend in person can listen to the 

discussion. This meeting is available to 

the public through the following tollfree call-in number: 888–438–5535, 

conference ID: 9306519. Any interested 

member of the public may call this 

number and listen to the meeting. 

Callers can expect to incur charges for 

calls they initiate over wireless lines, 

and the Commission will not refund any 

incurred charges. Callers will incur no 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 104 / Friday, May 30, 2014 / Notices 31087 

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

telephone number. Persons with hearing 

impairments may also follow the 

proceedings by first calling the Federal 

Relay Service at 1–800–977–8339 and 

providing the Service with the 

conference call number and conference 

ID number. 

Member of the public are also entitled 

to submit written comments; the 

comments must be received in the 

regional office by July 12, 2014. Written 

comments may be mailed to the 

Midwestern Regional Office, U.S. 

Commission on Civil Rights, 55 W. 

Monroe St., Suite 410, Chicago, IL 

60615. They may also be faxed to the 

Commission at (312) 353–8311, or 

emailed to Administrative Assistant, 

Carolyn Allen at callen@usccr.gov. 

Persons who desire additional 

information may contact the 

Midwestern Regional Office at (312) 

353–8311. 

Hearing-impaired persons who will 

attend the meeting and require the 

services of a sign language interpreter 

should contact the Midwestern Regional 

Office at least ten (10) working days 

before the scheduled date of the 

meeting. 

Records generated from this meeting 

may be inspected and reproduced at the 

Midwestern Regional Office, as they 

become available, both before and after 

the meeting. Records of the meeting will 

be available via www.facadatabase.gov 

under the Commission on Civil Rights, 

Illinois Advisory Committee link. 

Persons interested in the work of this 

Committee are directed to the 

Commission’s Web site, http://

www.usccr.gov, or may contact the 

Midwestern Regional Office at the above 

email or street address. 

Agenda: 

Welcome and Introductions 

12:00 p.m. to 12:10 p.m. 

Barbara Abrajano, Chairman, Illinois 

Advisory Committee 

Discussion of Hate Crime Project 

Proposal 

12:10 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 

Changho Kim, USCCR intern 

Mrinalini Penumaka, USCCR intern 

Illinois Advisory Committee 

Briefing on Religious Discrimination in 

Prisons 

2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. 

IL Department of Correction Chief 

Chaplain Stephen Keim 

Business Meeting 

3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 

Open Session 

3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Adjournment 

4:00 p.m. 

DATES: The meeting will be held on 

Thursday, June 12, 2014, at 12:00 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the University of Chicago Law School, 

1111 E. 60th St., Classroom VI, Chicago, 

IL 60637. 

Dated: May 23, 2014. 

David Mussatt, 

Acting Chief, Regional Programs 

Coordination Unit. 

[FR Doc. 2014–12532 Filed 5–29–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6335–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; 2014 Business 

R&D and Innovation Survey 

AGENCY: U.S. Census Bureau, 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of 

Commerce, as part of its continuing 

effort to reduce paperwork and 

respondent burden, invites the general 

public and other Federal agencies to 

take this opportunity to comment on 

proposed and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

or on-line comments must be submitted 

on or before July 29, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 

Paperwork Clearance Officer, 

Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 

14th and Constitution Avenue NW., 

Washington, DC 20230 (or via the 

Internet at jjessup@doc.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the information collection 

instrument(s) and instructions should 

be directed to Mary Potter, U.S. Census 

Bureau, MCD HQ–7K157, 4600 Silver 

Hill Rd., Suitland, MD 20746, (301) 

763–4207 (or via the internet at 

mary.c.potter@census.gov). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The U.S. Census Bureau, with support 

from the National Science Foundation 

(NSF), plans to conduct the Business 

R&D and Innovation Survey (BRDIS). 

The BRDIS covers all domestic for-profit 

businesses that have 5 or more paid 

employees and are classified in certain 

industries. The BRDIS provides the only 

comprehensive data on R&D costs and 

detailed expenses by type and industry. 

The Census Bureau has conducted an 

R&D survey since 1957 (the Survey of 

Industrial Research and Development 

(SIRD) from 1957–2007 and BRDIS from 

2008–present), collecting primarily 

financial information on the systematic 

work companies were undertaking with 

the goal of discovering new knowledge 

or using existing knowledge to develop 

new or improved goods and services. 

The 2014 BRDIS will continue to collect 

the following types of information: 

• R&D expense based on accounting 

standards. 

• Worldwide R&D of domestic 

companies. 

• Business segment detail. 

• R&D related capital expenditures. 

• Detailed data about the R&D 

workforce. 

• R&D strategy and data on the 

potential impact of R&D on the market. 

• R&D directed to application areas of 

particular national interest. 

• Data measuring innovation, 

intellectual property protection 

activities and technology transfer. 

The BRDIS utilizes a booklet 

instrument that facilitates the obtaining 

of information from various contacts 

within each company that have the best 

understanding of the concepts and 

definitions being presented as well as 

access to the information necessary to 

provide the most accurate response. The 

sections of the booklet have been 

defined by grouping questions based on 

subject matter areas within the company 

and currently include: A company 

information section that includes 

detailed innovation questions; a 

financial section focused on company 

R&D expenses; a human resources 

section; an R&D strategy and 

management section; an IP and 

technology transfer section; and a 

section focused on R&D that is funded 

or paid for by third parties. A web 

instrument is also available to the 

companies. The web instrument 

incorporates the use of Excel 

spreadsheets that are provided to 

facilitate the electronic collection of 

information within the companies. 

Companies have the capability to 

download the spreadsheets from the 

Census Bureau’s Web site; Census 

Bureau also provides a spreadsheet that 

is programmed to consolidate the 

information for the companies so the 

company can simply upload this 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES