52 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 

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: 

(a) A comparison of actual 

accomplishments to the objectives 

established for that period; 

(b) 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 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; 

(c) Objectives and timetable 

established for the next reporting 

period; 

(d) 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 in the Letter of 

Conditions; and 

(e) Within 90 days after the 

conclusion of the Project, the grantee 

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 grantee may request 

reimbursement monthly, the last three 

months of reimbursements will be 

withheld until a final Project, Project 

Performance, and Financial Status 

Report are received and approved by the 

Agency. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact your 

USDA RD State Office provided in the 

ADDRESSES section of this notice. 

H. 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 this 

program, as covered in this notice, have 

been approved by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) under 

OMB Control Number 0570–0070. 

2. National Environmental Policy Act. 

All recipients under this notice are 

subject to the requirements of 7 CFR 

part 1970 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/ 

title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XVIII/ 

subchapter-H/part-1970). However, 

awards for technical assistance and 

training under this notice are classified 

as a Categorical Exclusion in accordance 

with 7 CFR 1970.53(b) (https://

www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/section1970.53), and usually do not require any 

additional documentation. RBCS will 

review each grant application to 

determine its compliance with 7 CFR 

part 1970 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/ 

title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XVIII/ 

subchapter-H/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 

(https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-2/ 

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 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/ 

title-2/part-170). 

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), 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. 

[FR Doc. 2023–28840 Filed 12–29–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[DOCKET #: RUS–23–ELECTRIC–0020] 

Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) 

for Section 313A Guarantees for Bonds 

and Notes Issued for Utility 

Infrastructure Purposes for Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2024 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Funding Opportunity 

(NOFO). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS or the Agency), a Rural 

Development agency of the United 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 53 

States Department of Agriculture 

(USDA), announces the acceptance of 

applications under the Guarantees for 

Bonds and Notes Issued for Utility 

Infrastructure Purposes Program (the 

313A Program) for Fiscal Year (FY) 

2024. This notice is being issued in 

order to allow applicants sufficient time 

to prepare and submit their applications 

and give the Agency time to process 

applications within FY 2024. In FY 

2023, the Agency made $900 million 

available for the 313A Program. Because 

full-year appropriations have not been 

enacted as of this date, the final amount 

that will be made available in FY 2024 

will be determined by subsequent 

Congressional action. The agency is 

accepting applications up to the amount 

made available in FY 2023, subject to 

Congressional action. The purpose of 

the 313A Program is to guarantee loans 

to selected applicants as a Guaranteed 

Lender. Successful applications will be 

selected by the Agency for funding and 

subsequently awarded to the extent that 

funding may ultimately be made 

available through apportionment. All 

applicants are responsible for all 

expenses incurred in developing their 

applications. 

DATES: Completed applications must be 

electronically received by RUS no later 

than 5 p.m. eastern time (ET) on March 

4, 2024. Applicants intending to submit 

applications must have their 

applications received by the closing 

deadline. 

ADDRESSES: Completed applications 

must be submitted electronically to 

Amy McWilliams, Branch Chief, Policy 

and Outreach Branch, Office of 

Customer Service and Technical 

Assistance, Electric Program, RUS at 

amy.mcwilliams@usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy McWilliams, Branch Chief, Policy 

and Outreach Branch, Office of 

Customer Service and Technical 

Assistance, Electric Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, USDA, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Mail Stop 

1560, Room 4121—South, Washington, 

DC 20250–1560, by email at 

amy.mcwilliams@usda.gov, or call (202) 

205–8663. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Awarding Agency Name: 

Rural Utilities Service 

Funding Opportunity Title: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for 

Section 313A Guarantees for Bonds and 

Notes Issued for Utility Infrastructure 

Purposes for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Funding Opportunity 

Assistance Listing: 10.850. 

Dates: Completed applications must 

be received by RUS no later than 5 p.m. 

eastern time (ET) on March 4, 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): 

• Addressing Climate Change and 

Environmental Justice; Reducing 

climate pollution and increasing 

resilience to the impacts of climate 

change through economic support to 

rural communities 

• Advancing Racial Justice, PlaceBased Equity, and Opportunity; 

Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects. 

• Creating More and Better Market 

Opportunities; Assisting rural 

communities recover economically 

through more and better market 

opportunities and through improved 

infrastructure. 

A. Program Description 

1. Purpose of the Program. The 

purpose of the 313A Program is to 

guarantee loans to selected applicants 

(each referred to as the ‘‘Guaranteed 

Lender’’ in this NOFO). The proceeds of 

the guaranteed loans are to be used (a) 

to make utility infrastructure loans or 

(b) to refinance bonds or notes issued 

for such purposes to a borrower that has 

at any time received, or is eligible to 

receive, a loan under the Rural 

Electrification Act of 1936, as amended 

(RE Act). Each applicant must provide 

a statement on how it proposes to use 

the proceeds of the guaranteed bonds, 

and the financial benefit it anticipates 

deriving from participating in the 

program pursuant to 7 CFR 1720.6(a)(3), 

or its equivalent in any subsequent 

regulation. Objectives may include, but 

are not limited to the annual savings to 

be realized by the ultimate borrower(s) 

as a result of the applicant’s use of 

lower cost loan funds provided by the 

Federal Financing Bank (FFB) and 

guaranteed by RUS. 

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 

2018 (2018 Farm Bill) modified the 

313A Program by amending the RE Act 

to allow proceeds of guaranteed bonds 

awarded under this NOFO to be used to 

make broadband loans, or to refinance 

broadband loans made to a borrower 

that has received, or is eligible to 

receive, a broadband loan under title VI 

of the RE Act. 

The 2018 Farm Bill has also modified 

the 313A Program to allow the proceeds 

of guaranteed loans made under this 

NOFO to be used by the Guaranteed 

Lender to fund projects for the 

generation of electricity. 

2. Statutory and Regulatory Authority. 

The 313A Program is authorized by 

section 313A of the Rural Electrification 

Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 940c– 

1), and is implemented by regulations 

located at 7 CFR part 1720. The 

Administrator of RUS (the 

Administrator) has been delegated 

responsibility for administering the 

313A Program. 

3. Definitions. The definitions 

applicable to this NOFO are currently 

published at 7 CFR 1720.3. 

4. Application of Awards. RUS will 

review and evaluate applications 

received in response to this NOFO 

based on the regulations at 7 CFR 

1720.7, and as provided in this NOFO. 

B. Federal Award Information 

Type of Awards: Guaranteed Loans 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2024. 

Anticipated available Funds: 

$900,000,000. Should additional 

funding become available this FY, RUS 

reserves the right to increase the total 

funds available under this notice. 

Award Amounts: RUS anticipates 

making multiple guarantees under this 

NOFO. The number, amount, and terms 

of awards under this NOFO will depend 

in part on the number of eligible 

applications and the amount of funds 

requested and the final amount 

appropriated by Congress. In 

determining whether to make an award, 

RUS will take overall program policy 

objectives into account. 

Anticipated Award Date: Awards will 

be made on or before Monday, 

September 30, 2024, but no earlier than 

March 4, 2024. 

Performance Period: The RE Act 

provides that loans guaranteed under 

this program cannot exceed 30 years in 

length. 

Renewal or Supplemental Awards: N/ 

A 

Type of Assistance Instrument: The 

type of assistance is in the form of an 

RUS FFB Guaranteed Loan and is 

supported by a perfected lien on 

collateral sufficient to provide for full 

loan security. 

C. Eligibility Information 

1. Eligible Applicants. To be eligible 

to participate in the 313A Program or 

receive a guarantee, a Guaranteed 

Lender must meet the eligibility criteria 

specified in 7 CFR 1720.5. 

2. Cost Sharing or Matching. There is 

no requirement for cost sharing or 

matching; however, borrowers must 

provide sufficient unencumbered 

collateral to secure loan guarantees 

made under this program. 


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3. Other. Applications will only be 

accepted from lenders that serve rural 

areas as defined in 7 CFR 1710.2(a). 

D. Application and Submission 

Information 

1. Address to Request Application 

Package. 

All applications must be prepared and 

submitted in accordance with this 

NOFO and 7 CFR part 1720 (https://

www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/ 

chapter-XVII/part-1720). 

2. Content and Form of Application 

Submission. 

In addition to the required application 

specified in 7 CFR 1720.6, all applicants 

must submit the following additional 

required documents and materials: 

a. Restrictions on Lobbying: 

Applicants must comply with the 

requirements relating to restrictions on 

lobbying activities (See 2 CFR part 418). 

This form is available at https://

www.gsa.gov/forms-library/disclosurelobbying-activities. 

b. Uniform Relocation Act assurance 

statement: 

Applicants must comply with 49 CFR 

part 24, which implements the Uniform 

Relocation Assistance and Real Property 

Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, as 

amended. (See 7 CFR 1710.124.) This 

form (Assurances Required by 49 CFR 

2.2(a)) is available at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/resources/directives/ 

electric-sample-documents. 

c. Federal debt delinquency 

requirements: 

This report indicates whether the 

applicants are delinquent on any 

Federal debt (See 7 CFR 1710.126 and 

7 CFR 1710.501(a) (12)). This form (the 

Federal Debt Delinquency Certification) 

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

directives/federal-debt-delinquencycertification. 

d. Form RD 400–4, Assurance 

Agreement: 

Applicants must submit a nondiscrimination assurance commitment 

to comply with certain regulations on 

non-discrimination in program services 

and benefits and on equal employment 

opportunity as set forth in 7 CFR part 

15, 12 CFR part 202, 7 CFR part 1901, 

subpart E, DR 4300–003, DR 4330–0300, 

and DR 4330–005. This form is available 

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

compliance-assurance-rd-form-400-4- 

nov-2017. 

e. Articles of Incorporation and 

Bylaws: 

See 7 CFR 1710.501(b)(1). These are 

required if either document has been 

amended since the last loan application 

was submitted to RUS, or if this is the 

applicant’s first application for a loan 

under the RE Act. 

f. Pro forma financial statements 

including cash flow projections and 

assumptions: 

Each applicant must include five-year 

pro forma income statements, balance 

sheets and cash flow projections or 

business plans and clearly state the 

assumptions that underlie the 

projections, demonstrating that there is 

reasonable assurance that the applicant 

will be able to repay the guaranteed loan 

in accordance with its terms (See 7 CFR 

1720.6(a)(4)). 

g. Pending litigation statement: 

A statement from the applicant’s 

counsel listing any pending litigation, 

including levels of related insurance 

coverage and the potential effect on the 

applicant, must be submitted to RUS. 

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 

its application in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/ 

current/title-2/subtitle-A/chapter-I/part25). 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/entityregistration. 

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 it completes 

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. To be 

considered, applications must be 

submitted no later than 5 p.m. eastern 

time (ET) on March 4, 2024. 

5. Funding Restrictions. 

Funds from loans guaranteed under 

this program may only be used in 

accordance with this notice, the 

program regulations, and the RE Act. 

6. Other Submission Requirements. 

Such other application documents and 

submissions deemed necessary by the 

Secretary for evaluation of applications. 

E. Application Review Information 

1. Criteria. 

Each application will be reviewed by 

the Secretary to determine whether it is 

eligible under 7 CFR 1720.5, the 

information required under 7 CFR 

1720.6 is complete, and the proposed 

guaranteed bond complies with 

applicable statutes and regulations. The 

Secretary can at any time reject an 

application that fails to meet these 

requirements. 

2. Review and Selection Process. 

Applications will be subject to a 

substantive review, on a competitive 

basis, by the Administrator based upon 

the evaluation factors listed in 7 CFR 

1720.7(b). The Administrator may limit 

the number of guarantees made to a 

maximum of five per year, to ensure a 

sufficient examination is conducted of 

applicant requests. RUS will notify the 

applicant in writing of the 

Administrator’s approval or denial of an 

application. Approvals for guarantees 

will be conditioned upon compliance 

with 7 CFR 1720.4 and 7 CFR 1720.6. 

The Administrator reserves the 

discretion to approve an application for 

an amount that was less than requested. 

Before a guarantee decision is made 

by the Administrator, the Administrator 

shall request that FFB review the rating 

agency determination required by 7 CFR 

1720.5(b)(2) as to whether the bond or 

note to be issued would receive an 

investment grade rating without regard 

to the guarantee. 

F. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notices. 

RUS will send a commitment letter to 

an applicant once the guaranteed loan 

has been approved. Applicants must 

accept and commit to all terms and 

conditions of the guaranteed loan which 

are requested by RUS and FFB before 

the loan guarantee award can be 

obligated. 

The requirements under 7 CFR 1720.8 

must be met by the applicant prior to 

the endorsement of a guarantee by the 

Administrator. Each Guaranteed Lender 

will be required to enter into a 

Guarantee Agreement with RUS that 

contains the provisions described in 7 

CFR 1720.8 (Issuance of the Guarantee), 

7 CFR 1720.9 (Guarantee Agreement), 

and 7 CFR 1720.12 (Reporting 

Requirements). The Guarantee 

Agreement will also obligate the 

Guaranteed Lender to pay, on a semiannual basis, a guarantee fee equal to 30 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 1 / Tuesday, January 2, 2024 / Notices 55 

basis points (0.30 percent) of the 

outstanding principal amount of the 

guaranteed loan (See 7 CFR 1720.10). 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements— 

Applicants must accept and commit 

to all terms and conditions of the 

guaranteed loan which are requested by 

RUS and FFB as follows: 

a. Compliance conditions. 

In addition to the standard conditions 

placed on the 313A Program or 

conditions requested by RUS to ensure 

loan security and statutory compliance, 

applicants must comply with the 

following conditions: 

(1) Each Guaranteed Lender selected 

under the 313A Program will be 

required to post collateral for the benefit 

of RUS in an amount at least equal to 

the aggregate amount of loan advances 

made to the Guaranteed Lender under 

the 313A Program. 

(2) The pledged collateral (the 

Pledged Collateral) shall consist of 

outstanding notes or bonds payable to 

the Guaranteed Lender (the Eligible 

Instruments) and shall be placed on 

deposit with a collateral agent for the 

benefit of RUS. To be deemed Eligible 

Instruments that can be pledged as 

collateral, the notes or bonds to be 

pledged (i) cannot be classified as nonperforming, impaired, or restructured 

under generally accepted accounting 

principles; special mention loans as 

defined by the Office of the Comptroller 

of the Currency; or any other elevated 

risk categories used by the Guaranteed 

Lender, (ii) must be free and clear of all 

liens other than the lien created for the 

benefit of RUS, (iii) cannot be 

comprised of more than 30 percent of 

bonds or notes from generation and 

transmission borrowers, (iv) cannot 

have more than 5 percent of bonds and 

notes be from any one particular 

borrower and (v) cannot be unsecured 

notes. 

(3) The Guaranteed Lender will be 

required to place a lien on the Pledged 

Collateral in favor of RUS (as secured 

party) at the time that the Pledged 

Collateral is deposited with the 

collateral agent. RUS will have the right, 

in its sole discretion, within 14 business 

days of the Guaranteed Lender’s written 

request to pledge Pledged Collateral, to 

reject any of the Pledged Instruments 

and require the Guaranteed Lender to 

substitute other Pledged Instruments as 

collateral with the collateral agent. Prior 

to receiving any advances under the 

313A Program, the Guaranteed Lender 

will be required to enter into a pledge 

agreement, satisfactory to RUS, with a 

banking institution serving as collateral 

agent. 

(4) The Guaranteed Lender will be 

required to agree not to take any action 

that would have the effect of reducing 

the value of the pledged collateral below 

the level described above. 

(5) Applicants must certify to the 

RUS, the portion of their loan portfolio 

that is: 

i. Refinanced RUS debt; 

ii. Debt of borrowers for whom both 

RUS and the applicants have 

outstanding loans; 

and 

iii. Debt of borrowers for whom both 

RUS and the applicant have outstanding 

concurrent loans pursuant to Section 

307 of the RE Act, and the amount of 

Eligible Loans. 

b. Schedule of Loan Repayment: 

The amortization method for the 

repayment of the guaranteed loan shall 

be repaid by the Guaranteed Lender: (i) 

in periodic installments of principal and 

interest, (ii) in periodic installments of 

interest and, at the end of the term of 

the bond or note, as applicable, by the 

repayment of the outstanding principal, 

or (iii) through a combination of the 

methods described in (i) and (ii) above. 

The amortization method will be agreed 

to by RUS and the Guaranteed Lender. 

3. Compliance with Federal Laws. 

Applicants must comply with all 

applicable Federal laws and regulations. 

a. This loan guarantee will be subject 

to the provisions contained in the 

appropriations act for FY 2024, once 

enacted by Congress. Prior 

appropriations acts have included 

prohibitions against RUS making 

awards to applicants having corporate 

felony convictions within the past 24 

months or to applicants having 

corporate Federal tax delinquencies. It 

is possible that such provisions will be 

included in the appropriations act for 

FY 2024. 

b. An authorized official within your 

organization must execute, date, and 

return the loan commitment letter to 

RUS within, no later than 14 calendar 

days from the date of the letter, 

otherwise the commitment will be 

voided. 

4. Reporting 

Guaranteed Lenders are required to 

comply with the financial reporting 

requirements and Pledged Collateral 

review and certification requirements 

set forth in 7 CFR 1720.12. 

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s) 

For general questions about this 

announcement, please contact your 

USDA Rural Development contact 

provided in the ADDRESSES section of 

this notice. 

H. Other Information 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

Under the Paperwork Reduction Act 

(44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), OMB must 

approve all ‘‘collection of information’’ 

as a requirement for ‘‘answers to *** 

identical reporting or recordkeeping 

requirements imposed on ten or more 

persons ***’’ (44 U.S.C. 3502(3)(A)). 

RUS has concluded that the reporting 

requirements contained in this funding 

announcement will involve fewer than 

10 persons and do not require approval 

under the provisions of the Act. 

National Environmental Policy Act 

In accordance with 7 CFR 

1970.53(a)(7), any proceeds to be used 

to refinance bonds or notes previously 

issued by the Guaranteed Lender for RE 

Act purposes are classified as 

categorical exclusions. However, for any 

new projects using 313A Program funds, 

applicants must consult with RUS and 

comply with the Agency regulations at 

7 CFR part 1970. 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act 

All applicants, in accordance with 2 

CFR part 25 (https://www.ecfr.gov/ 

current/title-2/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 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/ 

title-2/part-170). 

Civil Rights Act 

All loan guarantees 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 FederallyAssisted 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. 

Nondiscrimination Statement 

In accordance with Federal civil 

rights laws and U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (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, 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
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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. 

Andrew Berke, 

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, USDA 

Rural Development. 

[FR Doc. 2023–27901 Filed 12–29–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Census Bureau 

Census Scientific Advisory Committee; 

Request for Nominations 

AGENCY: Census Bureau, Commerce. 

ACTION: Notice of request for 

nominations. 

SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census 

(Census Bureau) requests nominations 

of individuals to the Census Scientific 

Advisory Committee (CSAC or 

Committee). The Census Bureau will 

consider nominations received in 

response to this notice, as well as from 

other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section of this notice 

provides Committee and membership 

criteria. 

DATES: Please submit nominations by 

February 2, 2024. The Census Bureau 

will retain nominations received after 

this date for consideration should 

additional vacancies occur. 

ADDRESSES: Please submit nominations 

to the census.scientific.advisory 

.committee@census.gov (subject line 

‘‘2024 CSAC Nominations’’). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Shana Banks, Chief, Advisory 

Committee Branch, Office of Program, 

Performance and Stakeholder 

Integration (PPSI), Census Bureau, by 

telephone at 301–763–3815 or by email 

at Shana.J.Banks@census.gov. 

Individuals who use telecommunication 

devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the 

Federal Information Relay Service 

(FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339 between 8 

a.m. and 8 p.m., eastern standard time, 

Monday through Friday. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Census Scientific Advisory Committee 

was established in accordance with the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act 

(FACA) title 5, United States Code 

(U.S.C.), app. The following provides 

information about the Committee, 

membership, and the nomination 

process. 

Objectives and Duties 

1. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee advises the Director of the 

U.S. Census Bureau on the full range of 

Census Bureau programs and activities 

including communications, 

demographic, economic, field 

operations, geography, information 

technology, and statistics. 

2. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee will address census policies, 

research and methodology, tests, 

operations, communications/messaging, 

and other activities to ascertain needs 

and best practices to improve censuses, 

surveys, operations, and programs. 

3. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee will provide formal review 

and feedback on internal and external 

working papers, reports, and other 

documents related to the design and 

implementation of census programs and 

surveys. 

4. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee will function solely as an 

advisory body and shall comply fully 

with the provisions of the FACA. 

5. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee reports to the Director of the 

Census Bureau. 

Membership 

1. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee consists of up to 21 members 

who are appointed by and serve at the 

discretion of the Director of the Census 

Bureau. 

2. Members will serve for a three-year 

term. All members will be evaluated at 

the conclusion of their first term with 

the prospect of renewal, pending 

Committee needs. Active attendance 

and participation in meetings and 

activities will be factors considered 

when determining term renewal or 

membership continuance. Members may 

be appointed for a second three-year 

term at the discretion of the Director. 

3. Members shall serve as Special 

Government Employees (SGEs) and will 

be subject to the ethics rules applicable 

to SGEs. 

4. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee aims to have balanced 

representation among its members, 

considering such factors as geography, 

scientific expertise, community 

involvement, and knowledge of census 

programs and/or activities, and, where 

possible the Census Bureau will 

consider the ethnic, racial, and gender 

diversity and various abilities of the 

United States population. 

5. No employee of the Federal 

Government can serve as a member of 

the Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee. 

Miscellaneous 

1. The Census Bureau will not 

compensate members of the Committee 

for their services, but shall, upon 

request, reimburse travel expenses as 

authorized by 5 U.S.C. 5703. 

2. The Census Scientific Advisory 

Committee will convene twice per year, 

budget and environmental conditions 

permitting. The Committee will use 

formal advisory committee meetings, 

webinars, working groups, and other 

means of review to accomplish its goals, 

consistent with the requirements of 

FACA. 

Nomination Information 

1. Nominations are requested as 

described above. 

2. Nominees must have scientific and 

technical expertise in such areas as 

communications, demographic, 

economic, field operations, geography, 

information technology, and statistics. 

Such knowledge and expertise are 

needed to provide advice and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES