7558 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / Proposed Rules 

b. Has an internal normative database for 

automatically comparing your performance 

with that of the general population. 

c. Has a statistical analysis package that is 

able to calculate visual field indices, 

particularly mean deviation or mean defect. 

d. Demonstrates the ability to correctly 

detect visual field loss and correctly identify 

normal visual fields. 

e. Demonstrates good test-retest reliability. 

f. Has undergone clinical validation studies 

by three or more independent laboratories 

with results published in peer-reviewed 

ophthalmic journals. 

* * * * * 

102.01 Category of Impairments, Special 

Senses and Speech 

102.02 Loss of central visual acuity. 

A. Remaining vision in the better eye after 

best correction is 20/200 or less. 

OR 

B. An inability to participate in visual 

acuity testing using Snellen methodology or 

other comparable testing, clinical findings 

that fixation and visual-following behavior 

are absent in the better eye, and one of the 

following: 

1. Abnormal anatomical findings 

indicating a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in 

the better eye (such as the presence of Stage 

III or worse retinopathy of prematurity 

despite surgery, hypoplasia of the optic 

nerve, albinism with macular aplasia, or 

bilateral optic atrophy); or 

2. Abnormal neuroimaging documenting 

damage to the cerebral cortex which would 

be expected to prevent the development of a 

visual acuity better than 20/200 in the better 

eye (such as neuroimaging showing bilateral 

encephalomyelitis or bilateral 

encephalomalacia); or 

3. Abnormal electroretinogram 

documenting the presence of Leber’s 

congenital amaurosis or achromatopsia in the 

better eye; or 

4. An absent response to VER testing in the 

better eye. 

102.03 Contraction of the visual field in 

the better eye, with: 

A. The widest diameter subtending an 

angle around the point of fixation no greater 

than 20 degrees. 

OR 

B. An MD of 22 decibels or greater, 

determined by automated static threshold 

perimetry that measures the central 30 

degrees of the visual field (see 102.00A6d). 

OR 

C. A visual field efficiency of 20 percent 

or less, determined by kinetic perimetry (see 

102.00A7c). 

102.04 Loss of visual efficiency in the 

better eye, with: 

A. A visual efficiency value of 1.00 or 

greater after best correction (see 

102.00A7d(i)). 

OR 

B. A visual efficiency percentage of 20 or 

less after best correction (see 102.00A7d(ii)). 

* * * * * 

[FR Doc. 2012–3226 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4191–02–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

24 CFR Part 202 

[Docket No. FR–5416–N–02] 

RIN 2502–AI91 

Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on 

Approval of Farm Credit System 

Lending Institutions in Federal 

Housing Administration (FHA) 

Mortgage Insurance Programs 

AGENCY: Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Housing—Federal Housing 

Commissioner, HUD. 

ACTION: Withdrawal of proposed rule. 

SUMMARY: This notice withdraws HUD’s 

August 2011 rule that proposed to 

amend HUD’s regulations to enable the 

direct lending institutions of the Farm 

Credit System to seek approval to 

participate in the FHA mortgage 

insurance programs as approved 

mortgagees and lenders. 

DATES: The proposed rule is withdrawn 

February 13, 2012. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Office of Lender Activities and Program 

Compliance, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, 451 7th Street 

SW., Washington, DC 20410–8000; 

telephone number 202–708–1515 (this 

is not a toll-free number). Persons with 

hearing or speech impairments may 

access this number through TTY by 

calling the toll-free Federal Information 

Relay Service at 800–877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

On August 26, 2011, at 76 FR 53362, 

HUD published a proposed rule that 

would enable the direct lending 

institutions of the Farm Credit System 

to seek approval to participate in the 

FHA mortgage insurance programs as 

FHA-approved mortgagees and lenders. 

In the proposed rule, HUD noted that 

recent difficulties in mortgage finance 

markets indicated reduced availability 

of housing credit in rural areas. HUD 

therefore proposed to extend FHA 

mortgagee and lender eligibility to the 

lending institutions of the Farm Credit 

System to provide an additional avenue 

for mortgage financing in rural areas. 

The Farm Credit System is a federally 

chartered network of borrower-owned 

lending institutions composed of 

cooperatives and related service 

organizations. The public comment 

period for the proposed rule closed on 

October 25, 2011. HUD received 

approximately 27 substantive public 

comments in response to the August 26, 

2011, proposed rule. Certain comments 

were identical in substance, having been 

submitted as part of mailing campaigns. 

The public comments on this rule can 

be found at http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!searchResults;rpp=10;po=0;s=FR5416-P-01. 

The commenters were almost evenly 

divided in their support of and 

opposition to the rule. Those 

commenters that supported the rule 

stated that there was indeed a need for 

available housing credit in rural areas 

and that allowing Farm Credit lending 

institutions to be FHA-approved lenders 

would aid in the necessary extension of 

credit. The commenters stated that the 

Farm Credit System has been a source 

of consistent and reliable credit for rural 

homeowners and that the ability to 

provide the option of FHA programs to 

families in rural areas will help ensure 

that the borrowing needs of rural 

families are met. Those commenters that 

opposed the rule stated that there was 

no need to expand FHA mortgage 

availability to Farm Credit member 

institutions; that the banking 

community was satisfactorily meeting 

the need for credit in rural areas. The 

commenters opposing the rule also 

stated that it was their view that 

approval of Farm Credit lending 

institutions to originate FHA insured 

loans runs afoul of the Administration’s 

proposal to reduce government 

involvement in the housing finance 

market. 

Upon consideration of the issues 

raised by public comments, HUD is 

withdrawing the August 26, 2011, 

proposed rule. While HUD seeks to 

ensure the availability of mortgage 

financing for qualified borrowers 

nationwide—and particularly in 

underserved areas—HUD and the 

Administration remain committed to 

reducing FHA’s market share and 

facilitating the return of private capital 

to the housing finance market. 

Therefore, in concert with its network of 

FHA-approved lending partners, FHA 

will continue to monitor the adequacy 

of mortgage credit in rural areas to 

ensure that rural residents have access 

to homeownership. 

Accordingly, the proposed rule to 

amend 24 CFR 202.10, published on 

August 26, 2011, at 76 FR 53362, 

entitled ‘‘Approval of Farm Credit 

System Lending Institutions in FHA 

Mortgage Insurance Programs,’’ is 

hereby withdrawn. 

Dated: February 7, 2012. 

Carol J. Galante, 

Acting Assistant Secretary for Housing— 

Federal Housing Commissioner. 

[FR Doc. 2012–3289 Filed 2–10–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 


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