7404 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 

independently or in cooperation with 

States, to carry out operations or 

measures to detect, eradicate, suppress, 

control, prevent, or retard the spread of 

plant pests, such as citrus canker, citrus 

greening, and Asian citrus psyllid, that 

are new to or not widely distributed 

within the United States. The USDA’s 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service (APHIS) is the delegated 

authority to carry out this mission. 

Citrus canker is a plant disease that 

affects plant and plant parts, including 

fresh fruit of citrus and citrus relatives 

(family Rutaceae). Citrus canker can 

cause defoliation and other serious 

damage to the leaves and twigs of 

susceptible plants. It can also cause 

lesions on the fruit of infected plants 

and cause infected fruit to drop from 

trees before reaching maturity. The 

aggressive A (Asiatic) strain of citrus 

canker can infect susceptible plants 

rapidly and lead to extensive economic 

losses in commercial citrus-producing 

areas. 

Citrus greening, also known as 

Huanglongbing disease of citrus, is 

considered to be one of the most serious 

citrus diseases in the world. Citrus 

greening is a bacterial disease that 

attacks the vascular system of host 

plants. This bacterial pathogen can be 

transmitted by grafting and under 

laboratory conditions, by parasitic 

plants. The pathogen can also be 

transmitted by two insect vectors in the 

family Psyllidae; Diaphorina citri 

Kuwayama, the Asian citrus psyllid 

(ACP), and Trioza erytreae (del 

Guercio), the African citrus psyllid. ACP 

can also cause economic damage to 

citrus in groves and nurseries by direct 

feeding. Both adults and nymphs feed 

on young foliage, depleting the sap and 

causing galling or curling of leaves. 

High populations feeding on a citrus 

shoot can kill the growing tip. 

APHIS regulations to prevent the 

interstate spread of citrus canker are 

contained in ‘‘Subpart—Citrus Canker’’ 

(7 CFR 301.75–1 through 301.75–17), 

and the regulations to prevent the 

interstate spread of citrus greening and 

Asian citrus psyllid are contained in 

‘‘Subpart—Citrus Greening and Asian 

Citrus Psyllid’’ (7 CFR 301.76 through 

301.76–11). These regulations restrict 

the interstate movement of regulated 

articles from and through areas 

quarantined for the pest and diseases 

and provide, among other things, 

conditions under which regulated 

nursery stock may be moved interstate. 

The interstate movement of regulated 

nursery stock from these quarantined 

areas involves information collection 

activities, including the application of 

tags, records of inspections and 

treatments, compliance agreements, 

Federal certificates, and limited permits. 

Since the last extension of approval 

for these information collection 

activities, APHIS has added several 

States and territories, as well as 

additional businesses, to the number of 

respondents, resulting in an increase 

over the initial program estimates. As a 

result, each of the burden estimates has 

increased. Most significantly, APHIS 

has increased the estimated annual 

number of responses from 13,182 to 

7,882,984, and the estimated total 

annual burden on respondents has 

increased from 1,900 hours to 2,411,271 

hours. 

We are asking the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) to 

approve our use of these information 

collection activities for an additional 3 

years. 

The purpose of this notice is to solicit 

comments from the public (as well as 

affected agencies) concerning our 

information collection. These comments 

will help us: 

(1) Evaluate 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) Evaluate the accuracy of our 

estimate of the burden of the collection 

of information, including the validity of 

the methodology and assumptions used; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) Minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on those who 

are to respond, through use, as 

appropriate, of automated, electronic, 

mechanical, and other collection 

technologies; e.g., permitting electronic 

submission of responses. 

Estimate of burden: The public 

reporting burden for this collection of 

information is estimated to average 

0.3058 hours per response. 

Respondents: Nursery stock owners. 

Estimated annual number of 

respondents: 1,909. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses per respondent: 4,129. 

Estimated annual number of 

responses: 7,882,984. 

Estimated total annual burden on 

respondents: 2,411,271 hours. (Due to 

averaging, the total annual burden hours 

may not equal the product of the annual 

number of responses multiplied by the 

reporting burden per response.) 

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. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of 

February 2015. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02678 Filed 2–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

Household Water Well System Grant 

Program Announcement of Application 

Deadlines and Funding 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of solicitation of 

applications (NOSA). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS) announces its Household Water 

Well System Grant Program (HWWS) 

application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 

2015. RUS will make grants to qualified 

private non-profit organizations to 

establish lending programs for 

homeowners to borrow up to $11,000 to 

construct or repair household water 

wells for an existing home. The HWWS 

Grant Program is authorized under 7 

U.S.C. 1926e. Regulations may be found 

at 7 CFR part 1776. Of particular note 

this year, the RUS will assign 

administrative discretion points to 

applications that: 

1. Direct loans to rural areas where 

according to the American Community 

Survey data by census tracts show that 

at least 20 percent of the population is 

living in poverty. This emphasis will 

support Rural Development’s goal of 

providing 20 percent of its funding by 

2016 to these areas of need. 

2. Direct loans to areas which lack 

running water, flush toilets, and modern 

sewage disposal systems, and areas 

which have open sewers and high rates 

of disease caused by poor sanitation, in 

particular, colonias or Substantially 

Underserved Trust Areas. 

3. Direct loans to areas stricken by 

drought. 

RUS will publish on its Web site at 

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPindividualwellsystems.htm the amount 

of funding received in the final FY2015 

Appropriations Act. Successful 

applications will be selected by the 

Agency for funding and subsequently 

awarded to the extent that funding may 

ultimately be made available to the 

Agency through appropriations. 

DATES: The deadline for completed 

applications for a HWWS grant is April 

13, 2015. Applications in either paper or 

electronic format must be postmarked or 

time-stamped electronically on or before 


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the deadline. Late applications will be 

ineligible for grant consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Submit applications to the 

following addresses: 

1. Electronic applications: http://

www.grants.gov (Grants.gov). Submit 

electronic applications through 

Grants.gov, following the instructions 

on that Web site. 

2. Paper applications: Water Programs 

Division, Rural Utilities Service, STOP: 

1570, Room 2233–S, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250– 

1570. 

Obtain application guides and 

materials for the HWWS Grant Program 

electronically or in paper format from 

the following addresses: 

1. Electronic copies: http://

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPindividualwellsystems.htm. 

2. Paper copies: Write Water Programs 

Division, Rural Utilities Service, STOP: 

1570, Room 2233–S, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250– 

1570 or call (202) 720–9589. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Joyce M. Taylor, Community Programs 

Specialist, Water Programs Division, 

Water and Environmental Programs. 

Telephone: (202) 720–9589, fax: (202) 

690–0649, email: JoyceM.Taylor@

wdc.usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Utilities 

Service. 

Funding Opportunity Title: HWWS 

Grant Program. 

Announcement Type: Solicitation of 

Applications. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.862. 

Due Date for Applications: April 13, 

2015. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

I. Funding Opportunity: Description of the 

HWWS Grant Program. 

II. Award Information: To be determined. 

III. Eligibility Information: Who is eligible, 

what kinds of projects are eligible, what 

criteria determine basic eligibility. 

IV. Application and Submission Information: 

Where to get application materials, what 

constitutes a completed application, how 

and where to submit applications, 

deadlines, items that are eligible. 

V. Application Review Information: 

Considerations and preferences, scoring 

criteria, review standards, selection 

information. 

VI. Award Administration Information: 

Award notice information, award 

recipient reporting requirements. 

VII. Agency Contacts: Web, phone, fax, email, 

contact name. 

VIII. Non-discrimination Statement: USDA 

non-discrimination statement, how to 

file a complaint, persons with 

disabilities. 

I. Funding Opportunity 

A. Program Description 

The HWWS Grant Program has been 

established to help individuals with low 

to moderate incomes finance the costs of 

household water wells that they own or 

will own. The HWWS Grant Program is 

authorized under Section 306E of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (CONACT), 7 U.S.C. 

1926e. The CONACT authorizes the 

RUS to make grants to qualified private 

non-profit organizations to establish 

lending programs for household water 

wells. 

As the grant recipients, private nonprofit organizations will receive HWWS 

grants to establish lending programs that 

will provide water well loans to 

individuals. The individuals, as loan 

recipients, may use the loans to 

construct, refurbish, and service their 

household well systems. A loan may not 

exceed $11,000 and will have a term up 

to 20 years at a one percent annual 

interest rate. 

B. Background 

The RUS supports the sound 

development of rural communities and 

the growth of our economy without 

endangering the environment. The RUS 

provides financial and technical 

assistance to help communities bring 

safe drinking water and sanitary, 

environmentally sound waste disposal 

facilities to Rural Americans in greatest 

need. 

Central water systems may not be the 

only or best solution to drinking water 

problems. Distance or physical barriers 

make public central water systems 

costly to deploy in remote areas. A 

significant number of geographically 

isolated households without water 

service might require individual wells 

rather than connections to new or 

existing community systems. The goal 

of the RUS is not only to make funds 

available to those communities most in 

need of potable water but also to ensure 

that facilities used to deliver drinking 

water are safe and affordable. There is 

a role for private wells in reaching this 

goal. 

C. Purpose 

The purpose of the HWWS Grant 

Program is to provide funds to private 

non-profit organizations to assist them 

in establishing loan programs from 

which individuals may borrow money 

for HWWS. Faith-based organizations 

are eligible and encouraged to apply for 

this program. Applicants must show 

that the project will provide technical 

and financial assistance to eligible 

individuals to remedy household well 

problems. 

Due to the limited amount of funds 

available under the HWWS Grant 

Program in previous fiscal years, the 

RUS expects that 10 applications may 

be funded from FY 2015 funds. 

Applications from existing HWWS grant 

recipients are acceptable and will be 

evaluated as new applications. 

II. Award Information 

Funding Instrument Type: Grant. 

Available funds: To be determined. 

This Notice is being issued prior to 

passage of a final appropriations act to 

allow potential applicants time to 

submit proposals and give the Agency 

time to process applications within the 

current fiscal year. RUS will publish on 

its Web site at http://

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPindividualwellsystems.htm the amount 

of funding received in the final FY2015 

Appropriations Act. 

Anticipated Number of Awards: 10. 

Length of Project Periods: 12-month 

project. 

Assistance Instrument: Grant 

Agreement with successful applicants 

before any grant funds are disbursed. 

III. Eligibility Information 

A. Who is eligible for grants? 

1. An organization is eligible to 

receive a HWWS grant if it: 

a. Has an active registration with 

current information in the System for 

Award Management (SAM) (formerly 

Central Contractor Registry, (CCR)) and 

has a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) 

number. 

b. Is a private, non-profit organization. 

c. Is legally established and located 

within one of the following: 

(1) A state within the United States 

(2) The District of Columbia 

(3) The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 

(4) A United States territory. 

d. Has the legal capacity and authority 

to carry out the grant purpose. 

e. Has sufficient expertise and 

experience in lending activities. 

f. Has sufficient expertise and 

experience in promoting the safe and 

productive use of individually-owned 

HWWS and ground water. 

g. Has no delinquent debt to the 

Federal Government or no outstanding 

judgments to repay a Federal debt. 

h. Demonstrates that it possesses the 

financial, technical, and managerial 

capability to comply with Federal and 

State laws and requirements, and 

i. Is not a corporation that has been 

convicted of a felony (or had an officer 


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or agent acting on behalf of the 

corporation convicted of a felony) 

within the past 24 months. Any 

Corporation that has any unpaid federal 

tax liability that has been assessed, for 

which all judicial and administrative 

remedies have been exhausted or have 

lapsed, and that is not being paid in a 

timely manner pursuant to an agreement 

with the authority responsible for 

collecting the tax liability is not eligible. 

2. An individual is ineligible to 

receive a Household Water Well grant. 

An individual may receive a loan from 

an organization receiving a grant award. 

B. What are the basic eligibility 

requirements for a project? 

1. Project Eligibility. To be eligible for 

a grant, the project must: 

a. Be a revolving loan fund created to 

provide loans to eligible individuals to 

construct, refurbish, and service 

individually-owned HWWS (see 7 CFR 

1776.11 and 1776.12). Loans may not be 

provided for home sewer or septic 

system projects. 

b. Be established and maintained by 

a private, non-profit organization. 

c. Be located in a rural area. Rural 

area is defined as locations other than 

cities or towns of more than 50,000 

people and the contiguous and adjacent 

urbanized area of such towns and cities. 

2. Required Matching Contributions. 

Grant applicants must provide written 

evidence of a matching contribution of 

at least 10 percent from sources other 

than the proceeds of a HWWS grant. Inkind contributions will not be 

considered for the matching 

requirement. Please see 7 CFR 1776.9 

for the requirement. 

3. Other—Requirements. 

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a 

grant must supply a Dun and Bradstreet 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number as part of an 

application. The Standard Form 424 

(SF–424) contains a field for the DUNS 

number. The applicant can obtain the 

DUNS number free of charge by calling 

Dun and Bradstreet. Please see http://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more 

information on how to obtain a DUNS 

number or how to verify your 

organization’s number. 

b. Prior to submitting an application, 

the applicant must register in the 

System for Award Management (SAM) 

(formerly Central Contractor Registry, 

(CCR)). 

(1) Applicants may register for the 

SAM at https://www.sam.gov/portal/

public/SAM/. 

(2) The SAM registration must remain 

active with current information at all 

times while RUS is considering an 

application or while a Federal Grant 

Award or loan is active. To maintain the 

registration in the SAM database the 

applicant must review and update the 

information in the SAM database 

annually from date of initial registration 

or from the date of the last update. The 

applicant must ensure that the 

information in the database is current, 

accurate, and complete. 

c. Eligibility to receive a HWWS loan 

will be based on the following criteria: 

(1) An individual must be a member 

of a household of which the combined 

household income of all members does 

not exceed 100 percent of the median 

non-metropolitan household income for 

the State or territory in which the 

individual resides. Household income is 

the total income from all sources 

received by each adult household 

member for the most recent 12-month 

period for which the information is 

available. It does not include income 

earned or received by dependent 

children under 18 years old or other 

benefits that are excluded by Federal 

law. The non-metropolitan household 

income must be based on the most 

recent decennial census of the United 

States. 

RUS publishes a list of income 

exclusions in 7 CFR 3550.54(b). Also, 

the Department of Housing and Urban 

Development published a list of income 

exclusions in the Federal Register on 

May 20, 2014, at 79 FR 28938 (See 

‘‘Federally Mandated Exclusions’’). 

(2) The loan recipient must own and 

occupy the home being improved with 

the proceeds of the Household Water 

Well loan or be purchasing the home to 

occupy under a legally enforceable land 

purchase contract which is not in 

default by either the seller or the 

purchaser. 

(3) The home being improved with 

the water well system must be located 

in a rural area. 

(4) The loan for a water well system 

must not be associated with the 

construction of a new dwelling. 

(5) The loan must not be used to 

substitute a water well system for water 

service available from collective water 

systems. (For example, a loan may not 

be used to restore an old well 

abandoned when a dwelling was 

connected to a water district’s water 

line.) 

(6) The loan recipient must not be 

suspended or debarred from 

participation in Federal programs. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

A. Where To Get Application 

Information 

The Household Water Well System 

Grant Application Guide (Application 

Guide), copies of necessary forms and 

samples, and the HWWS Grant Program 

regulation are available from these 

sources: 

1. Internet for electronic copies: 

http://www.grants.gov or http://

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPindividualwellsystems.htm; 

2. Water and Environmental Programs 

for paper copies: RUS, Water Programs 

Division, STOP 1570, Room 2233–S, 

1400 Independence Ave. SW., 

Washington, DC 20250–1570, 

Telephone: (202) 720–9589, Fax: (202) 

690–0649. 

B. Content and Form of Application 

Submission 

1. Rules and Guidelines 

a. Detailed information on each item 

required can be found in the HWWS 

Grant Program regulation (7 CFR part 

1776) and the Application Guide. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

read and apply both the regulation and 

the Application Guide. This Notice does 

not change the requirements for a 

completed application for any form of 

HWWS financial assistance specified in 

the regulation. The regulation and 

Application Guide provide specific 

guidance on each of the items listed. 

b. Applications should be prepared in 

conformance with the provisions in 7 

CFR part 1776, subpart B, and 

departmental and other applicable 

regulations including 2 CFR parts 180, 

182, 417, 421, 7 CFR parts 3015, 3018, 

3019, and 3052 or any successor 

regulations. Applicants should use the 

Application Guide which contains 

instructions and other important 

information in preparing their 

application. Completed applications 

must include the items found in the 

checklist in the next paragraph. 

2. Checklist of Items in Completed 

Application Packages 

a. DUNS Number. The applicant for a 

grant must supply a Dun and Bradstreet 

Data Universal Numbering System 

(DUNS) number as part of an 

application. The Standard Form 424 

(SF–424) contains a field for the DUNS 

number. The applicant can obtain the 

DUNS number free of charge by calling 

Dun and Bradstreet. Please see http://

fedgov.dnb.com/webform for more 

information on how to obtain a DUNS 

number or how to verify your 

organization’s number. 

b. Prior to submitting an application, 

the applicant must register in the 

System for Award Management (SAM) 

(formerly Central Contractor Registry 

(CCR). 


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(1) Applicants may register for the 

SAM at: https://www.sam.gov/portal/

public/SAM/. 

(2) The SAM registration must remain 

active with current information at all 

times while RUS is considering an 

application or while a Federal Grant 

Award or loan is active. To maintain the 

registration in the SAM database the 

applicant must review and update the 

information in the SAM database 

annually from date of initial registration 

or from the date of the last update. The 

applicant must ensure that the 

information in the database is current, 

accurate, and complete. 

(3) Your organization must be listed 

in the SAM. If you have not used 

Grants.gov before, you will need to 

register with the SAM and the 

Credential Provider. New registrations 

can take 3–5 business days to process. 

Updating or renewing an active 

registration has a shorter turnaround, 24 

hours. Registrations in SAM are active 

for one year. The SAM registers your 

organization, housing your 

organizational information and allowing 

Grants.gov to use the information to 

verify your identity. The DUNS number, 

Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), 

and name and address of the applicant 

organization must match SAM data 

files. 

c. The electronic and paper 

application process requires forms with 

the prefixes RD and SF as well as 

supporting documents and 

certifications. 

Application Items 

(1) SF–424, ‘‘Application for Federal 

Assistance’’. 

(2) SF–424A, ‘‘Budget Information— 

Non-Construction Programs’’. 

(3) SF–424B, ‘‘Assurances—NonConstruction Programs’’. 

(4) SF–LLL, ‘‘Disclosure of Lobbying 

Activity’’. 

(5) Form RD 400–1, ‘‘Equal 

Opportunity Agreement’’. 

(6) Form RD 400–4, ‘‘Assurance 

Agreement (Under Title VI, Civil Rights 

Act of 1964). 

(7) Project Proposal, Project Summary, 

Needs Assessment, Project Goals and 

Objectives, Project Narrative. 

(8) Work Plan. 

(9) Budget and Budget Justification. 

(10) Evidence of Legal Authority and 

Existence. 

(11) Documentation of private nonprofit status and Internal Revenue 

Service (IRS). Tax Exempt Status. 

(12) List of Directors and Officers. 

(13) Financial information and 

sustainability (narrative). 

(14) Assurances and Certifications of 

Compliance with Other Federal 

Statutes. 

The forms in items 1 through 6 must 

be completed and signed where 

appropriate by an official of your 

organization who has authority to 

obligate the organization legally. RD 

forms are used by programs under the 

Rural Development mission area. 

Standard forms (SF) are used 

Government-wide. In addition to the 

sources listed in section A, the forms 

may be accessed electronically through 

the Rural Development Web site at 

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

FormsAndPublications.html. 

See section V, ‘‘Application Review 

Information,’’ for instructions and 

guidelines on preparing Items 7 through 

13. 

3. Compliance with Other Federal 

Statutes. The applicant must provide 

evidence of compliance with other 

Federal statutes and regulations, 

including, but not limited to the 

following: 

a. 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. 

b. 2 CFR part 417—Governmentwide 

Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement), or any successor 

regulations. 

c. 7 CFR part 3052—Audits of States, 

Local Governments, and Non-profit 

Organizations, or any successor 

regulations. 

d. Subpart B of 2 CFR part 421, which 

adopts the Government wide 

implementation (2 CFR part 182) of the 

Drug-Free Workplace Act. 

e. Executive Order 13166, ‘‘Improving 

Access to Services for Persons with 

Limited English Proficiency. ’’ For 

information on limited English 

proficiency and agency-specific 

guidance, go to http://www.LEP.gov. 

f. Federal Obligation Certification on 

Delinquent Debt. 

C. How many copies of an application 

are required? 

1. Applications Submitted on Paper. 

Submit one signed original and two 

additional copies. The original and each 

of the two copies must include all 

required forms, certifications, 

assurances, and appendices, be signed 

by an authorized representative, and 

have original signatures. Do not include 

organizational brochures or promotional 

materials. 

2. Applications Submitted 

Electronically. Additional paper copies 

are unnecessary if the application is 

submitted electronically through http:// 

www.grants.gov. 

D. How and Where To Submit an 

Application 

1. Submitting Paper Applications 

a. For paper applications, mail or 

ensure delivery of an original paper 

application (no stamped, photocopied, 

or initialed signatures) and two copies 

by the deadline date to: RUS, Water 

Programs Division, STOP 1570, Room 

2233–S, 1400 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20250–1570, 

Telephone: (202) 720–9589. 

Submit paper applications marked 

‘‘Attention: Water and Environmental 

Programs.’’ 

b. Applications must show proof of 

mailing or shipping by one of the 

following: 

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service 

(USPS) postmark; 

(2) A legible mail receipt with the 

date of mailing stamped by the USPS; 

or, 

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or 

receipt from a commercial carrier. 

c. If a deadline date falls on a 

weekend, it will be extended to the 

following Monday. If the date falls on a 

Federal holiday, it will be extended to 

the next business day. 

d. Due to screening procedures at the 

Department of Agriculture, packages 

arriving via the USPS are irradiated, 

which can damage the contents and 

delay delivery. RUS encourages 

applicants to consider the impact of this 

procedure in selecting an application 

delivery method. 

2. Submitting Electronic Applications 

a. Applications will not be accepted 

by fax or electronic mail. 

b. Electronic applications for grants 

will be accepted if submitted through 

Grants.gov at http://www.grants.gov. 

c. Applicants must preregister 

successfully with Grants.gov to use the 

electronic applications option. 

Application information may be 

downloaded from Grants.gov without 

preregistration. 

d. Applicants who apply through 

Grants.gov should submit their 

electronic applications before the 

deadline. 

e. Grants.gov contains full 

instructions on all required passwords, 

credentialing, and software. Follow the 

instructions at Grants.gov for registering 

and submitting an electronic 

application. 

f. Grants.gov has two preregistration 

requirements: A DUNS number and an 

active registration in SAM. See the 

‘‘Checklist of Items in Completed 

Application Packages’’ for instructions 

on obtaining a DUNS number and 

registering in the SAM. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
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g. You must be registered with 

Grants.gov before you can submit an 

electronic grant application. 

(1) You must register at http://

www.grants.gov/applicants/get_

registered.jsp. 

(2) Organization registration user 

guides and checklists are available at 

http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_

registered.jsp. 

(3) Grants.gov requires some 

credentialing and online authentication 

procedures. When an applicant 

organization is registered with SAM, the 

organization designates a point of 

contract who receives a password 

authorizing the person to designate staff 

members who are allowed to submit 

applications electronically through 

Grants.gov. These authorized 

organization representatives must be 

registered with Grants.gov to receive a 

username and password to submit 

applications. These procedures may 

take several business days to complete. 

(4) Some or all of the SAM and 

Grants.gov registration, credentialing 

and authorizations require updates. If 

you have previously registered at 

Grants.gov to submit applications 

electronically, please ensure that your 

registration, credentialing and 

authorizations are up to date well in 

advance of the grant application 

deadline. 

h. To use Grants.gov: 

(1) Follow the instructions on the 

Web site to find grant information. 

(2) Download a copy of an application 

package. 

(3) Complete the package off-line. 

(4) Upload and submit the application 

via the Grants.gov Web site. 

(5) If a system problem or technical 

difficulty occurs with an electronic 

application, please use the customer 

support resources available at the 

Grants.gov Web site. 

(6) Again, RUS encourages applicants 

to take early action to complete the signup, credentialing and authorization 

procedures at http://www.grants.gov 

before submitting an application at the 

Web site. 

E. Deadlines 

The deadline for paper and electronic 

submissions is April 13, 2015. Paper 

applications must be postmarked and 

mailed, shipped, or sent overnight no 

later than the closing date to be 

considered for FY 2015 grant funding. 

Electronic applications must have an 

electronic date and time stamp by 

midnight of April 13, 2015 to be 

considered on time. RUS will not accept 

applications by fax or email. 

Applications that do not meet the 

criteria above will be considered late 

applications and will not be considered. 

RUS will notify each late applicant that 

its application will not be considered. 

F. Funding Restrictions 

1. Eligible Grant Purposes 

a. Grant funds must be used to 

establish and maintain a revolving loan 

fund to provide loans to eligible 

individuals for household water well 

systems. 

b. Individuals may use the loans to 

construct, refurbish, rehabilitate, or 

replace household water well systems 

up to the point of entry of a home. Point 

of entry for the well system is the 

junction where water enters into a home 

water delivery system after being 

pumped from a well. 

c. Grant funds may be used to pay 

administrative expenses associated with 

providing Household Water Well loans. 

2. Ineligible Grant Purposes 

a. Administrative expenses incurred 

in any calendar year that exceed 10 

percent of the household water well 

loans made during the same period do 

not qualify for reimbursement. 

b. Administrative expenses incurred 

before RUS executes a grant agreement 

with the recipient do not qualify for 

reimbursement. 

c. Delinquent debt owed to the 

Federal Government does not qualify for 

reimbursement. 

d. Grant funds may not be used to 

provide loans for household sewer or 

septic systems. 

e. Household Water Well loans may 

not be used to pay the costs of water 

well systems for the construction of a 

new house. 

f. Household Water Well loans may 

not be used to pay the costs of a home 

plumbing system. 

V. Application Review Information 

A. Criteria 

This section contains instructions and 

guidelines on preparing the project 

proposal, work plan, and budget 

sections of the application. Also, 

guidelines are provided on the 

additional information required for RUS 

to determine eligibility and financial 

feasibility. 

1. Project Proposal. The project 

proposal should outline the project in 

sufficient detail to provide a reader with 

a complete understanding of the loan 

program. Explain what will be 

accomplished by lending funds to 

individual well owners. Demonstrate 

the feasibility of the proposed loan 

program in meeting the objectives of 

this grant program. The proposal should 

include the following elements: 

a. Project Summary. Present a brief 

project overview. Explain the purpose of 

the project, how it relates to RUS’ 

purposes, how the project will be 

executed, what the project will produce, 

and who will direct it. 

b. Needs Assessment. To show why 

the project is necessary, clearly identify 

the economic, social, financial, or other 

problems that require solutions. 

Demonstrate the well owners’ need for 

financial and technical assistance. 

Quantify the number of prospective 

borrowers or provide statistical or 

narrative evidence that a sufficient 

number of borrowers will exist to justify 

the grant award. Describe the service 

area. Provide information on the 

household income of the area and other 

demographical information. Address 

community needs. 

c. Project Goals and Objectives. 

Clearly state the project goals. The 

objectives should clearly describe the 

goals and be concrete and specific 

enough to be quantitative or observable. 

They should also be feasible and relate 

to the purpose of the grant and loan 

program. 

d. Project Narrative. The narrative 

should cover in more detail the items 

briefly described in the Project 

Summary. Demonstrate the grant 

applicant’s experience and expertise in 

promoting the safe and productive use 

of individually-owned household water 

well systems. The narrative should 

address the following points: 

(1) Document the grant applicant’s 

ability to manage and service a 

revolving fund. The narrative may 

describe the systems that are in place for 

the full life cycle of a loan from loan 

origination through servicing. If a 

servicing contractor will service the 

loan portfolio, the arrangement and 

services provided must be discussed. 

(2) Show evidence of the availability 

of funds from sources other than the 

HWWS grant. Describe the contributions 

the project will receive from your 

organization, state agencies, local 

government, other federal agencies, nongovernment organizations, private 

industry, and individuals. The 

documentation should describe how the 

contributions will be used to pay your 

operational costs and provide financial 

assistance for projects. 

(3) Demonstrate that the organization 

has secured commitments of significant 

financial support from other funding 

sources. 

(4) List the fees and charges that 

borrowers will be assessed. 

2. Work Plan. The work plan or scope 

of work must describe the tasks and 

activities that will be accomplished 

with available resources during the 


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grant period. It must include who will 

carry out the activities and services to 

be performed and specific timeframes 

for completion. Describe any unusual or 

unique features of the project such as 

innovations, reductions in cost or time, 

or extraordinary community 

involvement. 

3. Budget and Budget Justification. 

Use the Form SF–424A, Budget 

Information—Non-Construction 

Programs, to show your budget cost 

elements. The form summarizes 

resources as Federal and non-Federal 

funds and costs. ‘‘Federal’’ refers only to 

the HWWS Grant Program for which 

you are applying. ‘‘Non-Federal’’ refers 

to resources from your organization, 

state agencies, local government, other 

Federal agencies, non-government 

organizations, private industry, and 

individuals. Both Federal and nonFederal resources shall be detailed and 

justified in the budget and narrative 

justification. 

a. Provide a budget with line item 

detail and detailed calculations for each 

budget object class identified in section 

B of the Budget Information form (SF– 

424A). Detailed calculations must 

include estimation methods, quantities, 

unit costs, and other similar quantitative 

detail sufficient for the calculation to be 

duplicated. Also include a breakout by 

the funding sources identified in Block 

15 of the SF–424. 

b. Provide a narrative budget 

justification that describes how the 

categorical costs are derived for all 

capital and administrative expenditures, 

the matching contribution, and other 

sources of funds necessary to complete 

the project. Discuss the necessity, 

reasonableness, and allocability of the 

proposed costs. Consult OMB Circular 

A–122: ‘‘Cost Principles for Non-Profit 

Organizations’’, and any successor OMB 

guidance for information about 

appropriate costs for each budget 

category. 

c. If the grant applicant will use a 

servicing contractor, the fees may be 

reimbursed as an administrative 

expense as provided in 7 CFR 1776.13. 

These fees must be discussed in the 

budget narrative. If the grant applicant 

will hire a servicing contractor, it must 

demonstrate that all procurement 

transactions will be conducted in a 

manner to provide, to the maximum 

extent practical, open and free 

competition. Recipients must justify any 

anticipated procurement action that is 

expected to be awarded without 

competition and exceed the simplified 

acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 

134 (currently set at $100,000). 

d. The indirect cost category should 

be used only when the grant applicant 

currently has an indirect cost rate 

approved by the Department of 

Agriculture or another cognizant 

Federal agency. A grant applicant that 

will charge indirect costs to the grant 

must enclose a copy of the current rate 

agreement. If the grant applicant is in 

the process of initially developing or 

renegotiating a rate, the grant applicant 

shall submit its indirect cost proposal to 

the cognizant agency immediately after 

the applicant is advised that an award 

will be made. In no event, shall the 

indirect cost proposal be submitted later 

than three months after the effective 

date of the award. Consult OMB 

Circular A–122 and any successor OMB 

guidance for information about indirect 

costs. 

4. Evidence of Legal Authority and 

Existence. The applicant must provide 

satisfactory documentation that it is 

legally recognized under state or Tribal 

and Federal law as a private non-profit 

organization. The documentation also 

must show that it has the authority to 

enter into a grant agreement with the 

RUS and to perform the activities 

proposed under the grant application. 

Satisfactory documentation includes, 

but is not limited to, certificates from 

the Secretary of State, copies of state/

Tribal statutes or laws establishing your 

organization, and copies of your 

organization’s articles of incorporation 

and bylaws. Letters from IRS awarding 

tax-exempt status are not considered 

adequate evidence. 

5. List of Directors and Officers. The 

applicant must submit a certified list of 

directors and officers with their 

respective terms. 

6. IRS Tax Exempt Status. The 

applicant must submit evidence of tax 

exempt status from the Internal Revenue 

Service. 

7. Financial Information and 

Sustainability. The applicant must 

submit pro forma balance sheets, 

income statements, and cash flow 

statements for the last three years and 

projections for three years. Additionally, 

the most recent audit of the applicant’s 

organization must be submitted. 

B. Evaluation Criteria 

Grant applications that are complete 

and eligible will be scored 

competitively based on the following 

scoring criteria: 

Scoring criteria Points 

Degree of expertise and experience in promoting the safe and productive use of individually-owned household water 

well systems and ground water.

Up to 30 points. 

Degree of expertise and successful experience in making and servicing loans to individuals ......................................... Up to 20 points. 

Percentage of applicant contributions. Points allowed under this paragraph will be based on written evidence of the 

availability of funds from sources other than the proceeds of a HWWS grant to pay part of the cost of a loan recipient’s project. In-kind contributions will not be considered. Funds from other sources as a percentage of the HWWS 

grant and points corresponding to such percentages are as follows: 

0 to 9 percent ............................................................................................................................................................... ineligible. 

10 to 25 percent ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 points. 

26 to 30 percent ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 points. 

31 to 50 percent ........................................................................................................................................................... 15 points. 

51 percent or more ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 points. 

Extent to which the work plan demonstrates a well thought out, comprehensive approach to accomplishing the objectives of this part, clearly defines who will be served by the project, and appears likely to be sustainable.Up to 20 points. 

Extent to which the goals and objectives are clearly defined, tied to the work plan, and measurable ............................. Up to 10 points. 

Lowest ratio of projected administrative expenses to loans advanced .............................................................................. Up to 10 points. 

Administrator’s discretion, considering such factors as: 

Creative outreach ideas for marketing HWWS loans to rural residents; factors include: ........................................... Up to 10 points. 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
7410 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 

Scoring criteria Points 

1. Directs loans to rural areas where according to the American Community Survey data by census tracts 

show that at least 20 percent of the population is living in poverty. This emphasis will support Rural Development’s goal of providing 20 percent of its funding by 2016 to these areas of need. 

2. Directs loans to areas that lack running water, flush toilets, and modern sewage disposal systems, and 

areas that have open sewers and high rates of disease caused by poor sanitation, in particular, colonias 

or Substantially Underserved Trust Areas. 

3. Directs loans to areas stricken by drought. 

C. Review Standards 

1. Incomplete applications as of the 

deadline for submission will not be 

considered. If an application is 

determined to be incomplete, the 

applicant will be notified in writing and 

the application will be returned with no 

further action. 

2. Ineligible applications will be 

returned to the applicant with an 

explanation. 

3. Complete, eligible applications will 

be evaluated competitively by a review 

team, composed of at least two RUS 

employees selected from the Water 

Programs Division. They will make 

overall recommendations based on the 

program elements found in 7 CFR part 

1776 and the review criteria presented 

in this notice. They will award points as 

described in the scoring criteria in 7 

CFR 1776.9 and this notice. Each 

application will receive a score based on 

the averages of the reviewers’ scores and 

discretionary points awarded by the 

RUS Administrator. 

4. Applications will be ranked and 

grants awarded in rank order until all 

grant funds are expended. 

5. Regardless of the score an 

application receives, if RUS determines 

that the project is technically infeasible, 

RUS will notify the applicant, in 

writing, and the application will be 

returned with no further action. 

VI. Award Administration Information 

A. Award Notices 

RUS will notify a successful applicant 

by an award letter accompanied by a 

grant agreement. The grant agreement 

will contain the terms and conditions 

for the grant. The applicant must 

execute and return the grant agreement, 

accompanied by any additional items 

required by the award letter or grant 

agreement. 

B. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements 

1. This notice, the 7 CFR part 1776, 

and the Application Guide implement 

the appropriate administrative and 

national policy requirements. 

2. Direct Federal grants, sub-award 

funds, or contracts under the HWWS 

Grant Program shall not be used to fund 

inherently religious activities, such as 

worship, religious instruction, or 

proselytization. Therefore, organizations 

that receive direct assistance should 

take steps to separate, in time or 

location, their inherently religious 

activities from the services funded 

under the HWWS Grant Program. 

Regulations for the Equal Treatment for 

Faith-based Organizations are contained 

in 7 CFR part 16, which includes the 

prohibition against Federal funding of 

inherently religious activities. 

C. Reporting 

1. Performance Reporting. All 

recipients of HWWS Grant Program 

financial assistance must provide 

quarterly performance activity reports to 

RUS until the project is complete and 

the funds are expended. A final 

performance report is also required. The 

final report may serve as the last annual 

report. The final report must include an 

evaluation of the success of the project. 

2. Financial Reporting. All recipients 

of HWWS Grant Program financial 

assistance must provide an annual 

audit, beginning with the first year a 

portion of the financial assistance is 

expended. The grantee will provide an 

audit report or financial statements as 

follows: 

a. Grantees expending $500,000 or 

more Federal funds per fiscal year will 

submit an audit conducted in 

accordance with OMB Circular A–133 

or any successor OMB guidance. The 

audit will be submitted within 9 months 

after the grantee’s fiscal year. Additional 

audits may be required if the project 

period covers more than one fiscal year. 

b. Grantees expending less than 

$500,000 will provide annual financial 

statements covering the grant period, 

consisting of the organization’s 

statement of income and expense and 

balance sheet signed by an appropriate 

official of the organization. Financial 

statements will be submitted within 90 

days after the grantee’s fiscal year. 

3. Recipient and Subrecipient 

Reporting. The applicant must have the 

necessary processes and systems in 

place to comply with the reporting 

requirements for first-tier sub-awards 

and executive compensation under the 

Federal Funding Accountability and 

Transparency Act of 2006 in the event 

the applicant receives funding unless 

such applicant is exempt from such 

reporting requirements pursuant to 2 

CFR part 170 Section 170.110(b). The 

reporting requirements under the 

Transparency Act pursuant to 2 CFR 

part 170 are as follows: 

a. First Tier Sub-Awards of $25,000 or 

more in non-Recovery Act funds (unless 

they are exempt under 2 CFR part 170) 

must be reported by the Recipient to 

http://www.fsrs.gov no later than the 

end of the month following the month 

the obligation was made. 

b. The Total Compensation of the 

Recipient’s Executives (5 most highly 

compensated executives) must be 

reported by the Recipient (if the 

Recipient meets the criteria under 2 CFR 

part 170) to https://www.sam.gov/

portal/public/SAM/ by the end of the 

month following the month in which 

the award was made. 

c. The Total Compensation of the 

Subrecipient’s Executives (5 most 

highly compensated executives) must be 

reported by the Subrecipient (if the 

Subrecipient meets the criteria under 2 

CFR part 170) to the Recipient by the 

end of the month following the month 

in which the subaward was made. 

VII. Agency Contacts 

A. Web site: http://

www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWPindividualwellsystems.htm. 

B. Phone: 202–720–0499. 

C. Fax: 202–690–0649. 

D. Email: JoyceM.Taylor@

wdc.usda.gov. 

E. Main point of contact: Joyce M. 

Taylor, Community Programs Specialist, 

Water Programs Division, Water and 

Environmental Programs, RUS, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture. 

VIII. Non-Discrimination Statement 

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) prohibits discrimination against 

its customers, employees, and 

applicants for employment on the bases 

of race, color, national origin, age, 

disability, sex, gender identity, religion, 

reprisal, and where applicable, political 

beliefs, marital status, familial or 

parental status, sexual orientation, or all 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 27 / Tuesday, February 10, 2015 / Notices 7411 

or part of an individual’s income is 

derived from any public assistance 

program, or protected genetic 

information in employment or in any 

program or activity conducted or funded 

by the Department. (Not all prohibited 

bases will apply to all programs and/or 

employment activities.) 

How To File a Complaint 

If you wish to file an employment 

complaint, you must contact your 

agency’s EEO Counselor within 45 days 

of the date of the alleged discriminatory 

act, event, or in the case of a personnel 

action. Additional information can be 

found online at http://

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_

file.html. 

If you wish to file a Civil Rights 

program complaint of discrimination, 

complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), 

found online at http://

www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_

cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call 

(866) 632–9992 to request the form. You 

may also write a letter containing all of 

the information requested in the form. 

Send your completed complaint form or 

letter to us by mail at U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Director, Office of 

Adjudication, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250– 

9410, by fax (202) 690–7442 or email at 

program.intake@usda.gov. 

Persons With Disabilities 

Individuals who are deaf, hard of 

hearing or have speech disabilities and 

you wish to file either an EEO or 

program complaint please contact 

USDA through the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339 or (800) 845– 

6136 (in Spanish). 

Persons with disabilities who wish to 

file a program complaint, please see 

information above on how to contact us 

by mail directly or by email. If you 

require alternative means of 

communication for program information 

(e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) 

please contact USDA’s TARGET Center 

at (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). 

Dated: January 6, 2015. 

Jasper Schneider, 

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service. 

[FR Doc. 2015–02680 Filed 2–9–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Census Bureau 

Proposed Information Collection; 

Comment Request; Annual Survey of 

Business Owners 

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. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, written 

comments must be submitted on or 

before April 13, 2015. 

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 Patrice Norman, U.S. 

Census Bureau, EWD, 6K071, 

Washington, DC 20233–6600, (301) 763– 

7198, Patrice.C.Norman@census.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Abstract 

The Census Bureau plans to conduct 

the Annual Survey of Business Owners 

(ASBO) for employer businesses. In the 

ASBO, respondents will be asked 

questions about their businesses as well 

as several questions about the gender, 

ethnicity, race, and veteran status of the 

principal owner(s). This survey will be 

the first annual collection of 

information on the characteristics of 

U.S. businesses by ownership 

categories, i.e., by gender, ethnicity, 

race, and veteran status. The survey will 

be conducted as a joint project with the 

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a 

Missouri nonprofit corporation and a 

private foundation exempt from taxes 

under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 

Revenue Code. The ASBO will 

supplement the five-year Survey of 

Business Owners program and provide 

more timely updates on the status, 

nature, and scope of women-, 

minority-, and veteran-owned 

businesses. The ASBO statistics will be 

used by government program officials, 

industry organization leaders, economic 

and social analysts, and business 

entrepreneurs. Examples of data uses 

include: 

• To assess business assistance needs 

and allocate available program 

resources. 

• To establish and evaluate contract 

procurement practices affecting small 

and disadvantaged businesses. 

• To create a framework for planning, 

directing, and assessing programs that 

promote the activities of disadvantaged 

groups. 

• To assess minority-owned 

businesses by industry and area and to 

educate industry associations, 

corporations, and government entities. 

• To analyze economic and 

demographic shifts and differences in 

ownership and performance among 

geographic areas. 

• To analyze business operations in 

comparison to similar firms, compute 

market share, and assess business 

growth and future prospects. 

The ASBO will be based on the 

quinquennial 2012 Survey of Business 

Owners long form (SBO–1) with 19 

additional questions, including a set of 

questions on the sources of capital used 

for expansion, which will be asked each 

year, and a rotating panel of questions 

that will be determined prior to data 

collection each year. Each year the new 

panel of questions will be submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) as a revision to the current data 

collection’s OMB approval. The 

following changes will be made to the 

2012 SBO: 

• An additional question on where 

the business’s customers are located in 

relation to the business. 

• An additional question on the 

reasons for owning the business. 

• An additional question on whether 

the business had profits, losses, or broke 

even. 

• An additional question on where 

the owner would like the company to be 

in five years. 

• An additional question on issues 

that have negatively impacted the 

profitability of the business. 

• The question on what sources of 

capital were used for expansion or 

capital improvements to the business 

during the reference year has been 

expanded into seven questions. The 

new questions ask: 

Æ The total amount of money put into 

the business in 2014. 

Æ The total amount of money that the 

owner personally put into the business. 

Æ The total amount of money 

received from family, friends, and 

employees that was put into the 

business. 

Æ The total amount of money 

received from any formal debit 


rljohnson on DSK3VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES