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

26945 

Vol. 83, No. 112 

Monday, June 11, 2018 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Submission for OMB Review; 

Comment Request 

June 6, 2018. 

The Department of Agriculture has 

submitted the following information 

collection requirement(s) to OMB for 

review and clearance under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13. Comments are 

requested regarding (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of burden including 

the validity of the methodology and 

assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance 

the quality, utility and clarity of the 

information to be collected; and (4) 

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 July 11, 2018 will 

be considered. Written comments 

should be addressed to: Desk Officer for 

Agriculture, Office of Information and 

Regulatory Affairs, Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), New 

Executive Office Building, 725 17th 

Street NW, Washington, DC 20502. 

Commenters are encouraged to submit 

their comments to OMB via email to: 

OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or 

fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental 

Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail 

Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 

7602. Copies of the submission(s) may 

be obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. 

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. 

Office of the Assistant Secretary for 

Civil Rights 

Title: 7 CFR part 15 subpart D—Data 

Collection Requirements. 

OMB Control Number: 0503–0022. 

Summary of Collection: Under 7 CFR 

15d.4(5) The Office of Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights (OSCAR) shall 

require agencies to collect the race, 

ethnicity, and gender of applicants and 

program participants, who choose to 

provide such information on a voluntary 

basis. Currently, Section 14006 of the 

2008 Farm Bill requires the Secretary of 

Agriculture to annually compile for 

each county and State in the United 

States program application and 

participation rate date regarding socially 

disadvantaged farmers or ranchers for 

each program of USDA that serves 

agricultural producers or landowners. 

Need and Use of the Information: The 

requested information will help USDA 

determine if programs and services are 

reaching the needs of the general public, 

beneficiaries, recipients, partners, and 

other stakeholders and supports USDA’s 

planning, outreach, and compliance 

efforts. The uniform collection of REG 

data allows USDA to administer 

programs from a proactive rather than a 

reactive position and enables the 

Department to assess the 

accomplishment of program delivery 

mandates and objectives. Failure to 

collect this information will have 

negative impact on USDA’s outreach 

and compliance activities. 

Description of Respondents: 

Individuals or households. 

Number of Respondents: 1,190. 

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: 

Other (once). 

Total Burden Hours: 39. 

Ruth Brown, 

Departmental Information Collection 

Clearance Officer. 

[FR Doc. 2018–12449 Filed 6–8–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–9R–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, the 

Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites 

comments on the following 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 10, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michele Brooks, Team Lead, Regulatory 

Team, Rural Development Innovation 

Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, STOP 

1522, Room 5164, South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078. Fax: (202) 

720–8435 or email Michele.Brooks@

wdc.usda.gov. 

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 revision. 

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 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 

respondents, 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: Michele Brooks, Team Lead, 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
26946 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 112 / Monday, June 11, 2018 / Notices 

Regulations Team, Rural Development 

Innovation Center, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, STOP 1522, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–1522. Telephone: (202) 690– 

1078, Fax: (202) 720–8435 or email: 

Michele.Brooks@wdc.usda.gov. 

Title: Advance of Loan Funds and 

Budgetary Control and Other Related 

Burdens. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0015. 

Type of Request: Extension of 

currently approved collection. 

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service 

administers the electric loan and loan 

guarantee program authorized under the 

Rural Electrification Act of 1936 (7 

U.S.C. 901 et seq.) In order to protect 

and ensure the Government’s security 

interest in loans, and in exercise of due 

diligence, electric borrowers furnish 

information to RUS regarding the 

condition, financial or otherwise, 

related to expenditure of loan funds. 

This Information Collection is necessary 

to comply with applicable provisions of 

the RUS loan contract. RUS Borrowers 

submit requisitions to RUS for funds for 

project costs incurred. Insured loan 

funds will be advanced only for projects 

which are included in the RUS 

approved borrowers workplan or 

approved amendment and in an 

approved loan, as amended. The process 

of loan advances establishes the 

beginning of the audit trail of the use of 

loan funds which is required to 

subsequent RUS compliance audits. 

The RUS Form 595 is used as a 

requisition for advances of funds. The 

form helps to assure that loan funds are 

advanced only for the budget purposes 

and amount approved by RUS. 

According to the applicable provisions 

of the RUS loan contract, borrowers 

must certify with each request for funds 

to be approved for advance, which such 

funds are for projects previously 

approved. When a prospective borrower 

requests and is granted a RUS loan, a 

loan contract is established between the 

Federal government, acting through the 

RUS Administrator, and the borrower. 

At the time this contract is entered into, 

the borrower must provide RUS with a 

list of projects for which loan funds will 

be spent, along with an itemized list of 

the estimated costs of these projects. 

Thus, the borrower receives a loan 

based upon estimated cost figures. 

RUS Form 219, Inventory of Work 

Orders, is one of the documents the 

borrower submits to RUS to support 

actual expenditures and an advance of 

loan funds. The form also serves as a 

connecting link and provides an audit 

trail that originates with the advance of 

funds and terminates with evidence 

supporting the propriety of 

expenditures for construction or 

retirement projects. 

Estimate of Burden: The Public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 1.56 

hours per response. 

Respondents: Not-for-profit 

institutions; Business or other for profit. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

600. 

Estimated Number of Responses per 

Respondent: 15.5. 

Estimated Number of Total 

Responses: 9,320. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden on 

Respondents: 14,570 hours. 

Copies of this information collection 

can be obtained from MaryPat Daskal, 

Regulations Team, Rural Development 

Innovation Center, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, (202) 720–7853, Fax: (202) 

720–8435 or email: MaryPat.Daskal@

wdc.usda.gov. 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: May 29, 2018. 

Christopher A. McLean, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–12414 Filed 6–8–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 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, 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 10, 2018. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Michele Brooks, Team Lead, Regulatory 

Team, Rural Development Innovation 

Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW, STOP 

1522, Room 5164, South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078. FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: Michele.Brooks@

wdc.usda.gov. 

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 

extension. 

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: 

Michele Brooks, Team Lead, Regulatory 

Team, Rural Development Innovation 

Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW, STOP 

1522, Room 5164, South Building, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

Telephone: (202) 690–1078, FAX: (202) 

720–8435. Email: Michele.Brooks@

wdc.usda.gov. 

Title: Substantially Underserved Trust 

Areas. 

OMB Control Number: 0572–0147. 

Type of Request: Revision of a 

currently approved information 

collection. 

Abstract: The RUS provides loan, loan 

guarantee and grant programs for rural 

electric, water and waste, and 

telecommunications and broadband 

infrastructure. The SUTA initiative 

gives the Secretary of Agriculture 

certain discretionary authorities relating 

to financial assistance terms and 

conditions that can enhance the 

financing possibilities in areas that are 

underserved by certain RUS electric, 

water and waste, and 

telecommunications and broadband 

programs. The data covered by this 

collection of information are those 

materials necessary to allow the agency 

to determine applicant and community 

eligibility and an explanation and 

documentation of the high need for the 

benefits of the SUTA provisions. 

Program specific application materials, 

which funds are being applied for, are 

covered by the information collection 

package for the specific RUS program. 


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