41056 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 

[FR Doc. 2018–17765 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–C 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

Establishment of Maximum Interest 

Rate 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service 

(RHS or Agency) seeks public comments 

on updating the provisions of the Single 

Family Housing Guaranteed Loan 

Program (SFHGLP), specifically 

regarding the maximum interest rate, its 

impact on loan making to potential 

SFHGLP borrowers, and possible 

changes to the interest rate cap. RHS is 

soliciting input regarding the maximum 

interest rate to help the Agency 

determine whether the interest rate cap 

should be modified in order to support 

the agency’s mission to offer applicants, 

who are unable to secure the credit 

necessary for such housing from other 

sources under conventional credit 

terms, an opportunity to acquire new or 

existing housing for use as a primary 

residence; finance the repair and 

rehabilitation costs associated with the 

purchase of the home; and refinance an 

existing Section 502 loan to lower the 

interest rate. 

These opportunities are provided to 

applicants under terms and conditions 

which the applicant can reasonably be 

expected to fulfill. 

DATES: Written Comments: Interested 

parties must submit written comments 

on or before October 16, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments in either 

paper or electronic format by the 

following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 

instructions for submitting comments. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Please send your comments addressed 

to Kate Jensen, Finance and Loan 

Analyst, Single Family Housing 

Guaranteed Loan Program, USDA Rural 

Development, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, STOP 0784, Room 2250, 

Washington, DC 20250–1522. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate 

Jensen, Finance and Loan Analyst, at 

kate.jensen@wdc.usda.gov or (503) 894– 

2382. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

RHS delivers programs authorized by 

the Housing Act of 1949, as amended 

(42 U.S.C. 1472 et seq.) (Housing Act). 

The preamble to the Housing Act 

declares that every American deserves a 

‘‘decent home and a suitable living 

environment.’’ RHS guarantees a variety 

of housing loans for home purchases, 

repair, and rental housing development 

in rural areas. The SFHGLP provides 

low- and moderate-income borrowers 

access to mortgage credit by 

guaranteeing loans issued by agencyapproved private sector lenders. Loans 

may finance the full construction and 

acquisition cost of a property up to 100 

percent of the appraised value. 

Mortgages have 30-year terms and fixed 

rates negotiated with the lender that 

cannot exceed an interest rate cap that 

is determined by the Agency. Financing 

may also be used to refinance existing 

USDA guaranteed or direct loans. The 

program maintains its neutral or slightly 

negative subsidy status through 

guarantee and annual loan fees. 

Request for Comment 

Stakeholder input is vital to ensure 

that the maximum interest rate 

continues to support the agency’s 

mission and not overly burden SFHGLP 

lenders and their customers. Currently, 

the maximum allowable interest rate is 

defined in Section 7.3.B of the program 

handbook (available at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/files/3555- 

1chapter07.pdf) as the current Fannie 

Mae posted yield for 90-day delivery 

(Actual/Actual), plus one percent for 30- 

year fixed rate conventional loans, 

rounded up to the nearest one quarter of 

one percent. The Agency is considering 

whether to modify the maximum 

interest rate and would like stakeholder 

feedback on the issue. 

The following questions and 

discussion items are posed to guide 

stakeholder comments. Where possible, 

RHS requests that comments include 

specific suggestions regarding ways to 

improve existing programs and delivery 

mechanisms and eliminate or minimize 

the duplication of RHS’s regulation and 

policies with work performed by other 

entities, including federal, state, and 

local agencies. RHS welcomes pertinent 

comments that are beyond the scope of 

these questions. 

1. Should the Agency continue with 

the requirement that the maximum 

allowable interest rate shall not exceed 

the current Federal National Mortgage 

Association posted yield for 90-day 

delivery (Actual/Actual) plus one 

percent for 30-year fixed rate 

conventional loans, rounded up to the 

nearest one quarter of one percent? 

2. Should the Agency consider 

indexing the maximum allowable 

interest rate to a source other than the 

Federal National Mortgage Association? 

3. Should a higher maximum 

allowable interest rate cap be 

established? If so, what maximum rate 

is recommended, and why? 

4. Does the current maximum interest 

rate create any barriers to loan making 

in eligible rural areas? If so, how and 

under what circumstances? 

5. What effect would increasing or 

eliminating the maximum interest rate 

have for loan originators and borrowers 

in underserved populations and rural 

communities? 

6. If the maximum allowable interest 

rate cap were to be increased or 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2018 / Notices 41057 

eliminated, what protections exist to 

prevent consumers from being 

overcharged? 

7. If the maximum allowable interest 

rate is raised or removed, what steps 

should the Agency take to monitor 

lenders to ensure that borrowers are not 

overcharged? 

Non-Discrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights law and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA) civil rights 

regulations and policies, the USDA, its 

Agencies, offices, and 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. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at http://

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_

cust.html and at any USDA office or 

write a letter addressed to USDA and 

provide in the letter all of the 

information requested in the form. To 

request a copy of the complaint form, 

call (866) 632–9992. Submit your 

completed form or letter 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; 

(2) Fax: (202) 690–7442; or 

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

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Dated: August 13, 2018. 

Joel C. Baxley, 

Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17764 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting 

of the Delaware Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Commission on Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement of monthly 

planning meetings. 

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 

(FACA), that a planning meeting of the 

Delaware State Advisory Committee to 

the Commission will convene by 

conference call, on Monday, September 

17, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT). The 

purpose of the meeting is to discuss 

preparation of the Committee’s report 

on implicit bias and policing in 

communities of color in Delaware. 

DATES: Monday, September 17, 2018, at 

10:00 a.m. (EDT). 

ADDRESSES: Public Call-In Information: 

Conference call number: 1–800–210– 

9006 and conference call ID: 4124362. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ivy 

L. Davis, at ero@usccr.gov or by phone 

at 202–376–7533. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Interested 

members of the public may listen to the 

discussion by calling the following tollfree conference call number: 1–800– 

210–9006 and conference call ID: 

4124362. Please be advised that before 

placing them into the conference call, 

the conference call operator may ask 

callers to provide their names, their 

organizational affiliations (if any), and 

email addresses (so that callers may be 

notified of future meetings). 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 

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

telephone number herein. 

Persons with hearing impairments 

may also follow the discussion by first 

calling the Federal Relay Service at 

1–800–877–8339 and providing the 

operator with the toll-free conference 

call number: 1–800–210–9006 and 

conference call ID: 4124362. 

Members of the public are invited to 

submit written comments; the 

comments must be received in the 

regional office approximately 30 days 

after each scheduled meeting. Written 

comments may be mailed to the Eastern 

Regional Office, U.S. Commission on 

Civil Rights, 1331 Pennsylvania 

Avenue, Suite 1150, Washington, DC 

20425, or emailed to Evelyn Bohor at 

ero@usccr.gov. Persons who desire 

additional information may contact the 

Eastern Regional Office at (202) 376– 

7533. 

Records and documents discussed 

during the meeting will be available for 

public viewing as they become available 

at http://facadatabase.gov/committee/ 

meetings.aspx?cid=240; click the 

‘‘Meeting Details’’ and ‘‘Documents’’ 

links. Records generated from this 

meeting may also be inspected and 

reproduced at the Eastern Regional 

Office, as they become available, both 

before and after the meetings. Persons 

interested in the work of this advisory 

committee are advised to go to the 

Commission’s website, www.usccr.gov, 

or to contact the Eastern Regional Office 

at the above phone number, email or 

street address. 

Agenda 

Monday, September 17, 2018 

at 10:00 a.m. 

I. Welcome and Introductions 

Rollcall 

II. Planning Meeting 

Discuss Project Report 

III. Other Business 

IV. Adjournment 

Dated: August 13, 2018. 

David Mussatt, 

Supervisory Chief, Regional Programs Unit. 

[FR Doc. 2018–17734 Filed 8–16–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS 

Notice of Public Meeting of the Virginia 

Advisory Committee 

AGENCY: Commission on Civil Rights. 

ACTION: Announcement 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 

(FACA) that a meeting of the Virginia 

Advisory Committee to the Commission 

will convene by conference call at 12:00 

p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, September 

19, 2018. The purpose of the meeting is 

for Committee members to continue 

discussing plans for the in-person 

briefing on hate crimes in VA— 

incidences and responses. 

DATES: Wednesday, September 19, 2018, 

at 12:00 p.m. EST. 

ADDRESSES: Public call-in information: 

Conference call-in number: 1–800–474– 

8920 and conference call 8310490. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ivy 

Davis at ero@usccr.gov or by phone at 

202–376–7533. 


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