14238 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 49 / Monday, March 14, 2022 / Notices 

Agencies, offices, and employees, and 

institutions participating in or 

administering USDA programs are 

prohibited from discriminating based on 

race, color, national origin, religion, sex, 

gender identity (including gender 

expression), sexual orientation, 

disability, age, marital status, family/ 

parental status, income derived from a 

public assistance program, political 

beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior 

civil rights activity, in any program or 

activity conducted or funded by USDA 

(not all bases apply to all programs). 

Remedies and complaint filing 

deadlines vary by program or incident. 

Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means of communication for 

program information (e.g., Braille, large 

print, audiotape, American Sign 

Language, etc.) should contact the 

responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET 

Center at (202) 720–2600 (voice and 

TTY) or contact USDA through the 

Federal Relay Service at (800) 877–8339. 

Additionally, program information may 

be made available in languages other 

than English. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, complete the USDA Program 

Discrimination Complaint Form, AD– 

3027, found online at https://

www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-file-aprogram-discrimination-complaint and 

at any USDA office or write a letter 

addressed to USDA and provide in the 

letter all of the information requested in 

the form. To request a copy of the 

complaint form, call (866) 632–9992. 

Submit your completed form or letter 

to USDA by: (1) Mail: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant 

Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 

Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 

DC 20250–9410; (2) fax: (202) 690–7442; 

or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider, employer, and lender. 

Paul Kiecker, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05341 Filed 3–11–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–DM–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Housing Service 

[Docket No. RHS–21–CF–0020] 

Community Facilities Technical 

Assistance and Training Grant 

Program for Fiscal Year 2022 

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation of 

Applications (NOSA). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Housing Service 

(Agency), a Rural Development agency 

of the United States Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), announces that it is 

accepting applications under the 

Community Facilities Technical 

Assistance and Training (TAT) Grant 

program for fiscal year (FY) 2022. This 

NOSA is being issued prior to passage 

of a final appropriations act for FY 2022 

to allow potential applicants time to 

submit applications for financial 

assistance under the program and to 

give the Agency time to process 

applications. Once the FY 2022 funding 

amount is determined, the Agency will 

publish it on its website at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/noticessolicitation-applications-nosas. 

DATES: Completed applications must be 

submitted using one of the following 

methods: 

• Paper submissions: The Agency 

must receive applications in paper, 

postmarked, and mailed, shipped, or 

sent overnight by 4:00 p.m. local time 

on May 26, 2022. Applicants intending 

to mail applications must provide 

sufficient time to permit delivery on or 

before the closing deadline date and 

time. Acceptance by the United States 

Postal Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail, and postage due 

applications will not be accepted. The 

application dates and times are firm. 

The Agency will not consider any 

application received after the deadline. 

• Electronic submissions: Electronic 

applications must be submitted via 

https://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. 

Eastern Daylight Savings Time on May 

23, 2022. 

Prior to official submission of 

applications, applicants may request 

application guidance from the Agency, 

as long as such requests are made prior 

to May 16, 2022. Technical assistance is 

not meant to be an analysis or 

assessment of the quality of the 

materials submitted, a substitute for 

agency review of completed 

applications, nor a determination of 

eligibility, if such determination 

requires in-depth analysis. 

The Agency will not solicit or 

consider scoring nor eligibility 

information that is submitted after the 

application deadline. The Agency 

reserves the right to contact applicants 

to seek clarification information on 

materials contained in the submitted 

application. 

ADDRESSES: This notice and application 

materials may be accessed at https://

www.grants.gov. This Notice may also 

be viewed at: https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

newsroom/notices-solicitationapplications-nosas. 

Applicants can submit an electronic 

application by following the 

instructions for the TAT funding 

announcement on https://

www.grants.gov. Applications may be 

submitted by the following methods: 

Applications are to be submitted to 

the USDA Rural Development State 

Office for the State in which the 

applicant is located. The address for the 

headquarters of each USDA Rural 

Development State Office can be 

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

files/CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. The 

Applicant should contact the USDA 

Rural Development State Office to see if 

applications may be submitted to Field 

Offices within the state. 

For applicants located in the District 

of Columbia, applications will be 

submitted to the National Office in care 

of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW, STOP 0787, 

Washington, DC 20250. 

Electronic applications will be 

submitted via https://www.grants.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Rural Development office for the state in 

which the applicant is located. A list of 

Rural Development State Office contacts 

is provided at the following link: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/CF_State_

Office_Contacts.pdf. Applicants located 

in Washington, DC can contact Shirley 

Stevenson at (202) 205–9685 or via 

email at Shirley.Stevenson@usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Authority 

This solicitation is authorized 

pursuant to Section 306(a)(26) of the 

Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(26)), 

7 CFR part 3570, subpart F, and 7 CFR 

3570.267. 

Rural Development: Key Priorities 

The Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will advance the 

following key priorities: 

• Assisting Rural communities 

recover economically from the impacts 

of the COVID–19 pandemic, particularly 

disadvantaged communities; 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to RD programs and 

benefits from RD funded projects; and 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

Additional information regarding 

RD’s funding priorities is available at 

the following website: https://

www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

Expenses incurred in developing grant 

application packages will be at the 

applicant’s sole risk. 


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Background 

USDA’s Rural Development Agencies, 

comprised of the Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RB–CS), Rural 

Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural 

Utilities Service (RUS), are leading the 

way in helping rural America improve 

the quality of life and increase the 

economic opportunities for rural people. 

RHS offers a variety of programs to 

build or improve housing and essential 

community facilities in rural areas. The 

Agency also offers loans, grants, and 

loan guarantees for single- and multifamily housing, child-care centers, fire 

and police stations, hospitals, libraries, 

nursing homes, schools, first responder 

vehicles and equipment, housing for 

farm laborers and much more. The 

Agency also provides technical 

assistance loans and grants in 

partnership with non-profit 

organizations, Indian tribes, state and 

Federal government agencies, and local 

communities. 

Program Description 

The RHS provides TAT grants to 

eligible public bodies and private, 

nonprofit organizations (such as states, 

counties, cities, townships, incorporated 

towns, villages, boroughs, authorities, 

districts, and Tribes located on Federal 

or state reservations) to provide 

technical assistance and training in 

support of essential community 

facilities programs. In turn, this 

technical assistance and training helps 

grantees identify and plan for 

community facility needs in their area. 

Once these needs are pinpointed, the 

grantee can find additional public and 

private financial resources. 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The paperwork burden has been 

approved by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB) under OMB Control 

Number 0575–0198. 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Housing 

Service (RHS). 

Funding Opportunity Title: 

Community Facilities Technical 

Assistance and Training Grant. 

Announcement Type: Notice of 

Solicitation of Applications (NOSA). 

Assistance Listing (formerly CFDA): 

10.766. 

Funding Opportunity Number: 

USDA–RD–CFTAT–202. 

Due Date for Applications: 

Applications must be submitted using 

one of the following methods: 

Paper submissions: The deadline for 

receipt of a paper application is 4 p.m. 

local time, May 26, 2022. 

Electronic submissions: Electronic 

applications will be accepted via 

Grants.gov. The deadline for receipt of 

an electronic application via https://

Grants.gov is 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Daylight Savings Time on May 23, 2022. 

The application dates and times are 

firm. The Agency will not consider any 

application received after the deadline. 

Applicants intending to mail 

applications must provide sufficient 

time to permit delivery on or before the 

closing deadline date and time. 

Acceptance by the United States Postal 

Service or private mailer does not 

constitute delivery. Facsimile (FAX), 

electronic mail, and postage due 

applications will not be accepted. Prior 

to official submission of applications, 

applicants may request technical 

assistance or other application guidance 

from the Agency, as long as such 

requests are made prior to May 17, 2022. 

Technical assistance is not meant to be 

an analysis or assessment of the quality 

of the materials submitted, a substitute 

for agency review of completed 

applications, nor a determination of 

eligibility, if such determination 

requires in-depth analysis. The Agency 

will not solicit or consider scoring or 

eligibility information that is submitted 

after the application deadline. The 

Agency reserves the right to contact 

applicants to seek clarification 

information on materials contained in 

the submitted application. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

II. Award Information 

III. Eligibility Information 

IV. Application and Submission Information 

V. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System 

for Awards Management (SAM) 

VI. Application Processing 

VII. Scoring Criteria 

VIII. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

IX. Non-Discrimination Statement 

I. Funding Opportunity Description 

The Community Facilities Technical 

Assistance and Training Grant program 

is authorized by Section 306(a)(26) of 

the Consolidated Farm and Rural 

Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(26)). 

Program regulations can be found at 7 

CFR part 3570, subpart F, referenced in 

this Notice. The purpose of this Notice 

is to seek applications from entities that 

will provide technical assistance and/or 

training with respect to essential 

community facilities programs. The 

purpose of this program is to assist 

entities in rural areas in accessing 

funding under RHS’s Community 

Facilities Programs in accordance with 

7 CFR part 3570, subpart F. Funding 

priority will be made to private, 

nonprofit or public organizations that 

have experience in providing technical 

assistance and training to rural entities. 

II. Award Information 

Type of Awards: Grants will be made 

to eligible entities who will then 

provide technical assistance and 

training to eligible ultimate recipients. 

Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2022 TAT 

Grant funds. 

Available Funds: This NOSA is being 

issued prior to passage of a final 

appropriations act for FY 2022. Once 

the FY 22 funding amount is 

determined, the Agency will publish it 

on its website at https://

www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/noticessolicitation-applications-nosas. Up to 

ten percent of the available funds may 

be awarded to the highest scoring 

Ultimate Recipient(s) as long as they 

score a minimum score of at least 70. 

The Agency reserves the right to reduce 

funding amounts based on the Agency’s 

determination of available funding or 

other Agency funding priorities. 

Funding Award Amounts: Grant 

awards for Technical Assistance 

providers assisting Ultimate Recipients 

within one state may not exceed 

$150,000. Grant awards made to 

Ultimate Recipients will not exceed 

$50,000. 

Award Dates: Awards will be funded 

on or before September 15, 2022. 

III. Eligibility Information 

Both the applicant and the use of 

funds must meet eligibility 

requirements. The applicant eligibility 

requirements can be found at 7 CFR 

3570.262. Eligible project purposes can 

be found at 7 CFR 3570.263. Ineligible 

project purposes can be found at 7 CFR 

3570.264. Restrictions substantially 

similar to Sections 744 and 745 outlined 

in Division C, Title VII, ‘‘General 

Provisions—Government-Wide’’ of the 

Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 

(Pub. L. 116–260) will apply unless 

noted on the Rural Development 

website (https://www.rd.usda.gov/ 

programs-services/community-facilitiestechnical-assistance-and-traininggrant). Any corporation that has been 

convicted of a felony criminal violation 

under any Federal law within the past 

24 months, or 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 for financial 

assistance provided with full-year 

appropriated funds, unless a Federal 


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agency has considered suspension or 

debarment of the corporation and has 

made a determination that this further 

action is not necessary to protect the 

interests of the Government. 

IV. Application and Submission 

Information 

The requirements for submitting an 

application can be found at 7 CFR 

3570.267. All applicants can access 

application materials at https://

www.grants.gov. Applications must be 

received by the Agency by the due date 

listed in the DATES section of this 

Notice. Applications received after that 

due date will not be considered for 

funding. Paper copies of the 

applications will be submitted to the 

State Office in which the applicant is 

headquartered. Electronic submissions 

should be submitted at https://

www.grants.gov. A listing of the Rural 

Development State Offices may be 

found at https://www.rd.usda.gov/files/ 

CF_State_Office_Contacts.pdf. 

Applicants whose headquarters are in 

the District of Columbia will submit 

their application to the National Office 

in care of Shirley Stevenson, 1400 

Independence Ave. SW, STOP 0787, 

Washington, DC 20250. Both paper and 

electronic applications must be received 

by the Agency by the deadlines stated 

in the DATES section of this Notice. The 

use of a courier and package tracking for 

paper applications is strongly 

encouraged. An applicant can only 

submit one application for funding. 

Application information for electronic 

submissions may be found at https://

www.grants.gov. Applications will not 

be accepted via FAX or email. 

V. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and 

System for Awards Management (SAM) 

Grant applicants must obtain a 

Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and 

register in the System for Award 

Management (SAM) prior to submitting 

an application pursuant to 2 CFR 

25.200(b). Instructions for obtaining the 

UEI are available at https://sam.gov/ 

content/entity-registration. 

In addition, an entity applicant must 

maintain registration in SAM at all 

times during which it has an active 

Federal award or an application or plan 

under consideration by the Agency. The 

applicant must ensure that the 

information in the database is current, 

accurate, and complete. Applicants 

must ensure they complete the 

Financial Assistance General 

Certifications and Representations in 

SAM. Similarly, all recipients of Federal 

financial assistance are required to 

report information about first-tier 

subawards and executive compensation 

in accordance with 2 CFR part 170. So 

long as an entity applicant does not 

have an exception under 2 CFR 

170.110(b), the applicant must have the 

necessary processes and systems in 

place to comply with the reporting 

requirements should the applicant 

receive funding. See 2 CFR 170.200(b). 

An applicant, unless excepted under 

2 CFR 25.110(b), (c), or (d), is required 

to: 

(a) Be registered in SAM before submitting 

its application; 

(b) Provide a valid UEI in its application; 

and 

(c) Continue to maintain an active SAM 

registration with current information at all 

times during which it has an active Federal 

award or an application or plan under 

consideration by a Federal awarding agency. 

The Federal awarding agency may not 

make a federal award to an applicant 

until the applicant has complied with 

all applicable UEI and SAM 

requirements. If an applicant has not 

fully complied with these requirements 

by the time the Federal awarding agency 

is ready to make a Federal award, the 

Federal awarding 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. 

As required by the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB), all 

grant applications must provide a UEI 

number when applying for Federal 

grants. Organizations can obtain a UEI at 

https://sam.gov/content/entityregistration. 

VI. Application Processing 

(a) Applications will be processed in 

accordance with this NOSA and 7 CFR 

3570.272: 

(1) Applications that are not selected 

for funding due to low rating will be 

notified by the Agency. Applications 

that cannot be funded in the fiscal year 

that the application was received will 

not be retained for consideration in the 

following fiscal year. 

(2) Applicants selected for funding 

will need to accept the conditions set 

forth in the Letter of Conditions, meet 

all such conditions, and complete a 

grant agreement which outlines the 

terms and conditions of the grant award 

before grant funds will be disbursed. 

VII. Scoring Criteria 

Applications will be scored in 

accordance with this NOSA and 7 CFR 

3570.273. Those applications receiving 

the highest points using the scoring 

factors will be selected for funding. Up 

to 10% of the available funds may be 

awarded to the highest scoring Ultimate 

Recipient(s) as long as they score a 

minimum score of at least 70. In the 

case of a tie, the first tiebreaker will go 

to the applicant who scores the highest 

on matching funds. If two or more 

applications are still tied after using this 

tiebreaker, the next tiebreaker will go to 

the applicant who scores the highest in 

the multi-jurisdictional category. Once 

the successful applicants are 

announced, the State Office will be 

responsible for obligating the grant 

funds, executing all obligation 

documents, and the grant agreement, as 

provided by the agency. 

The Agency will score each 

application using the following scoring 

factors: 

(a) Experience: Applicant Experience 

at developing and implementing 

successful technical assistance and/or 

training programs: 

(1) More than 10 years—40 points. 

(2) More than 5 years to 10 years—25 

points. 

(3) 3 to 5 years—10 points. 

(b) No prior grants received: 

(1) Applicant has never received a TAT 

Grant—5 points. 

(c) Population: The average 

population of proposed area(s) to be 

served: 

(1) 2,500 or less—15 points. 

(2) 2,501 to 5,000—10 points. 

(3) 5,001 to 10,000—5 points. 

(d) MHI: The average median 

household income (MHI) of the 

proposed area to be served is below the 

higher of the poverty line or: 

(1) 60 percent of the State’s MHI—15 

points. 

(2) 70 percent of the State MHI—10 points. 

(3) 90 percent of the State’s MHI—5 points. 

(e) Multi-jurisdictional: The proposed 

technical assistance or training project 

is part of a Multi-jurisdictional project 

comprised of: 

(1) More than 10 jurisdictions—15 points. 

(2) More than 5 to 10 jurisdictions—10 

points. 

(3) 3 to 5 jurisdictions—5 points. 

(f) Soundness of approach: Up to 10 

points. 

(1) The problem/issue being addressed in 

the Needs Assessment is clearly defined, 

supported by data, and addresses the needs; 

(2) Goals & objectives are clearly defined, 

tied to the need as defined in the work plan, 

and are measurable; 

(3) Work plan clearly articulates a well 

thought out approach to accomplishing 

objectives and clearly identifies who will be 

served by the project; and 

(4) The proposed activities are needed in 

order for a complete Community Facilities 

loan and/or grant application. 

(g) Matching funds: 


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(1) There is evidence of the commitment of 

other cash funds of 20% of the total project 

costs—10 points. 

(2) There is evidence of the commitment of 

other cash funds of 10% of the total project 

costs—5 points. 

(h) State Director discretionary points. 

The State Director may award up to 10 

discretionary points for the highest 

priority project in each state, up to 7 

points for the second highest priority 

project in each state, and up to 5 points 

for the third highest priority project that 

address the following key priorities: 

(1) COVID–19 Impacts. Priority points may 

be awarded if the project is located in or 

serving one of the top 10% of counties or 

county equivalents based upon county risk 

score in the United States. Information on 

whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

(2) Equity. Priority points may be awarded 

if the project is located in or serving a 

community with score 0.75 or above on the 

CDC Social Vulnerability Index. Information 

on whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

(3) Climate Impacts. Priority points may be 

awarded if the project is located in or serving 

coal, oil and gas, and power plant 

communities whose economic well-being 

ranks in the most distressed tier of the 

Distressed Communities Index. Information 

on whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

The State Director will place written 

documentation in the project file each 

time the State Director assigns these 

points. 

(i) Administrator discretionary points. 

The Administrator may award up to 20 

discretionary points for projects to 

address geographic distribution of 

funds, emergency conditions caused by 

economic problems, natural disasters 

and other initiatives identified by the 

Secretary such as applicants proposing 

to advance any or all of the Agency’s 

three key funding priorities, provided 

that all other requirements set forth in 

this notice are otherwise met. The key 

priorities are: 

(1) COVID–19 Impacts. Priority points may 

be awarded if the project is located in or 

serving one of the top 10% of counties or 

county equivalents based upon county risk 

score in the United States. Information on 

whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

(2) Equity. Priority points may be awarded 

if the project is located in or serving a 

community with score 0.75 or above on the 

CDC Social Vulnerability Index. Information 

on whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

(3) Climate Impacts. Priority points may be 

awarded if the project is located in or serving 

coal, oil and gas, and power plant 

communities whose economic well-being 

ranks in the most distressed tier of the 

Distressed Communities Index. Information 

on whether your project qualifies for priority 

points can be found at the following website: 

https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points. 

VIII. Federal Award Administration 

Information 

1. Federal Award Notice. Within the 

limit of funds available for such 

purpose, the awarding official of the 

Agency shall make grants in ranked 

order to eligible applicants under the 

procedures set forth in this Notice and 

the grant regulation 7 CFR part 3570, 

subpart F. Successful applicants will 

receive a letter in the mail containing 

instructions on requirements necessary 

to proceed with execution and 

performance of the award. This letter is 

not an authorization to begin 

performance. In addition, selected 

applicants will be requested to verify 

that components of the application have 

not changed at the time of selection and 

on the award date, if requested by the 

Agency. 

The award is not approved until all 

information has been verified, and the 

awarding official of the Agency has 

signed Form RD 1940–1, ‘‘Request for 

Obligation of Funds’’ and the grant 

agreement. 

Unsuccessful and ineligible 

applicants will receive written 

notification of their review and appeal 

rights. 

2. Administrative and National Policy 

Requirements. Grantees will be required 

to do the following: 

(a) Execute a Grant Agreement. 

(b) Execute Form RD 1940–1. 

(c) Use Form SF 270, ‘‘Request for Advance 

or Reimbursement’’ to request 

reimbursement. Provide receipts for 

expenditures, timesheets, and any other 

documentation to support the request for 

reimbursement. 

(d) Provide financial status and project 

performance reports as set forth at 7 CFR 

3570.276. 

(e) Maintain a financial management 

system that is acceptable to the Agency. 

(f) Ensure that records are maintained to 

document all activities and expenditures 

utilizing CF TAT grant funds and any 

matching funds, if applicable. Receipts for 

expenditures will be included in this 

documentation. 

(g) Provide audits or financial information 

as set forth in 7 CFR 3570.277. 

(h) Collect and maintain data provided by 

ultimate recipients on race, sex, and national 

origin and ensure Ultimate Recipients collect 

and maintain this data. Race and ethnicity 

data will be collected in accordance with 

OMB Federal Register notice, ‘‘Revisions to 

the Standards for the Classification of Federal 

Data on Race and Ethnicity,’’ (62 FR 58782), 

October 30, 1997. Sex data will be collected 

in accordance with Title IX of the Education 

Amendments of 1972. These items should 

not be submitted with the application but 

should be available upon request by the 

Agency. 

(i) Provide a final performance report as set 

forth at 7 CFR 3570.276(a)(7). 

(j) Identify and report any association or 

relationship with Rural Development 

employees. 

(k) The applicant and the ultimate 

recipient must comply with Title VI of the 

Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the 

Education Amendments of 1972, Americans 

with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of 

the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Age 

Discrimination Act of 1975, Executive Order 

12250, Executive Order 13166 Limited 

English Proficiency (LEP), and 7 CFR part 

1901, subpart E. The grantee must comply 

with policies, guidance, and requirements as 

described in the following applicable Code of 

Federal Regulations and any successor 

regulations: 

(1) 2 CFR parts 200 and 400 (Uniform 

Administrative Requirements, Cost 

Principles, and Audit Requirements for 

Federal Awards). 

(2) 2 CFR parts 417 and 180 (Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension 

(Nonprocurement)). 

3. Reporting 

Reporting requirements for this grant 

as set forth at 7 CFR 3570.276. 

IX. Non-Discrimination 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, 

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, the USDA 

TARGET Center at (202) 720–2600 

(voice and TTY), or the Federal Relay 

Service at (800) 877–8339. 

To file a program discrimination 

complaint, a complainant should 

complete a Form AD–3027, USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint 


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Form, which can be obtained online at 

https://www.usda.gov/oascr/how-to-filea-program-discrimination-complaint, 

https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ 

ad-3027, or 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. 

Joaquin Altoro, 

Administrator, Rural Housing Service. 

[FR Doc. 2022–05080 Filed 3–11–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Rural Utilities Service 

[Docket Number RUS–22–ELECTRIC–0001] 

Announcement of Application 

Deadlines and Requirements for 

Section 313A Guarantees for Bonds 

and Notes Issued for Utility 

Infrastructure Purposes for Fiscal Year 

(FY) 2022 

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of Solicitation of 

Applications (NOSA). 

SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service 

(RUS), an agency of the United States 

Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

announces the solicitation of 

applications under the Guarantees for 

Bonds and Notes Issued for Utility 

Infrastructure Purposes Program (the 

313A Program) for Fiscal Year (FY) 

2022. The agency has received $750 

million for this purpose in previous 

years and has a pro-rata share of that 

amount pursuant to the most recent 

continuing resolution. The final amount 

of funding shall be determined by 

Congressional appropriations. Should 

additional funding become available 

this fiscal year, RUS reserves the right 

to increase the total funds available 

under this notice. These types of loan 

guarantees will be made available to 

qualified applicants to make utility 

infrastructure loans or to refinance 

bonds or notes issued for such purposes. 

This notice is being issued in order to 

allow applicants sufficient time to 

leverage financing, prepare and submit 

their applications, and give the Agency 

time to process applications within FY 

2022. An announcement will be made 

on the Agency website: https://

www.rd.usda.gov/newsroom/noticessolicitation-applications-nosas 

regarding any amount received in the 

FY 2022 appropriations. Successful 

applications will be selected by the 

Agency for funding and subsequently 

awarded. All applicants are responsible 

for any expenses incurred in developing 

their applications. The agency 

welcomes financially feasible proposals 

which would use funds available under 

this notice to further finance eligible 

utilities projects that demonstrably 

reduce carbon emissions. 

DATES: Completed applications must be 

received or postmarked by RUS no later 

than 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time 

(EDT) May 13, 2022. Applicants 

intending to mail applications must 

have their applications postmarked by 

the closing deadline. The Agency will 

allow 60 days from the date of the 

postmark for delivery. 

ADDRESSES: Applicants are required to 

submit one original and two copies of 

their loan application to the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Rural 

Utilities Service, Electric Program, 

ATTN: Amy McWilliams, Program 

Advisor, Electric Program, Rural 

Utilities Service, 1400 Independence 

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250– 

1560 or via email at amy.mcwilliams@

usda.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Amy McWilliams, Program Advisor, 

Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service, 

1400 Independence Avenue SW, 

Washington, DC 20250–1560. 

Telephone: (202) 205–8663; fax: (844) 

749–0736; or email: amy.mcwilliams@

usda.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Congressional Review Act 

Pursuant to the Congressional Review 

Act (5 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), the Office of 

Information and Regulatory Affairs in 

the Office of Management and Budget 

designated this action as a major rule, as 

defined by 5 U.S.C. 804(2), because it 

will result in an annual effect on the 

economy of $100,000,000 or more. 

Accordingly, there will be a mandatory 

60-day delay in effectiveness to award 

loan guarantees. However, applications 

will be accepted for 60 days beginning 

March 14, 2022 as stated in the DATES

section of this NOSA. 

Overview 

Federal Agency: Rural Utilities 

Service, USDA. 

Funding Opportunity Title: 

Guarantees for Bonds and Notes Issued 

for Utility Infrastructure Purposes for 

Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. 

Announcement Type: Guarantees for 

Bonds and Notes. 

Catalog of Federal Domestic 

Assistance (CFDA) Number: 10.850. 

Due Date for Applications: Completed 

applications must be received or 

postmarked by RUS no later than 5:00 

p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) May 

13, 2022. 

The Agency encourages applicants to 

consider projects that will promote 

equity and economic opportunity in 

rural America, specifically those that 

advance key priorities (more details are 

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

priority-points): 

• Assisting rural communities recover 

economically from the impacts of the 

COVID–19 pandemic, particularly 

disadvantaged communities; 

• Ensuring all rural residents have 

equitable access to Rural Development 

(RD) programs and benefits from RD 

funded projects; and 

• Reducing climate pollution and 

increasing resilience to the impacts of 

climate change through economic 

support to rural communities. 

Items in Supplementary Information 

I. Program Description 

II. Federal Award Information 

III. Eligibility Information 

IV. Fiscal Year 2022 Application and 

Submission Information 

V. Application Review Information 

VI. Issuance of Guarantee 

VII. Guarantee Agreement 

VIII. Federal Administration Information 

IX. National Environmental Policy Act 

Certification 

X. Other Information and Requirements 

XI. Agency Contacts 

XII. Non-Discrimination Statement 

I. Program Description 

A. Purpose and Objectives of the 313A 

Program 

The purpose of the 313A Program is 

to guarantee loans to selected applicants 

(each referred to as ‘‘Guaranteed 

Lender’’ in this NOSA). The proceeds of 

the guaranteed loans are to be used (i) 

to make utility infrastructure loans or 

(ii) 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, 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1