36210 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 127 /Thursday, July 2, 1998 / Notices

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Housing Service

Notice of Request for Extension of a

Currently Approved Information

Collection

AGENCY: Rural Housing Service (RHS),

USDA.

ACTION: Proposed collection; Comments

requested.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this

notice announces the Rural Housing

Service’s intention to request an

extension for a currently approved

information collection in support of the

program for Rural Housing Loans.

DATES: Comments on this notice must be

received by August 31, 1998 to be

assured of consideration.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dean A. Daetwyler, Senior Loan

Specialist, Single Family Housing

Servicing and Property Management

Division, RHS, United States

Department of Agriculture, Mail Stop

0784, 1400 Independence Ave., SW,

Washington, DC 20250–0784,

Telephone (202) 690–0514, E-mail

dean.daetwyler@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Title: 7 CFR 1980–D, Rural Housing

Loans.

OMB Number: 0575–0078.

Expiration Date of Approval: July 31,

1998.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved information

collection.

Abstract: The Rural Housing Service

(RHS) is authorized under Section 517

(d) of Title V of the Housing Act of

1949, as amended, to issue loan

guarantees for the acquisition of new or

existing dwellings and related facilities

to provide decent, safe, and sanitary

living conditions and other structures in

rural areas by eligible recipients.

The Act also authorizes the Secretary

to pay the holder of a guaranteed loan

the difference between the rate of

interest paid by the borrower and the

market rate of interest.

The purpose of the program is to

assist low and moderate income

individuals and families acquire or

construct a single family residence in a

rural area with loans made by private

lenders. Eligibility for this program

includes low and moderate income

families or persons whose income does

not exceed 115 percent of the median

income for the area, as determined by

the Secretary.

The GRH program was authorized

under the Cranston-Gonzalez National

Affordable Housing Act and the Agency

issued a final rule implementing the

GRH program on April 17, 1991, before

departmental reorganization. The

program began as a pilot program in 20

States on May 17, 1991. In 1992, the

GRH program was offered on a

nationwide basis. During the

implementation process, the Agency

looked for ways to improve the program

and make it more user friendly.

The Agency recognized the need to

make its program even more compatible

with the existing structure of the

mortgage lending community. On May

22, 1995, the Agency published the final

rule incorporating the needed changes

to encourage greater participation by

lenders and the secondary market for

mortgage loans.

The information requested by the

Agency includes borrower financial

information such as household income,

assets and liabilities, and monthly

expenses. All information collected is

vital for the Agency to determine if

borrowers qualify for and assure they

receive all assistance for which they are

eligible. Information requested on

lenders is required to ensure lenders are

eligible to participate in the GRH

program. Lender requirements are in

compliance with OMB Circular A–129.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting

burden for this collection of information

is estimated to average .4 hours per

response.

Respondents: Individuals or

households and business or other forprofits.

Estimated Number of Respondents:

48,060.

Estimated Number of Responses per

Respondent: 8.6.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on

Respondents: 153,931 hours.

Copies of this information collection

can be obtained from Michele Brooks,

Regulations and Paperwork

Management Branch, at (202) 692–0036.

Comments

Comments are invited on: (a) whether

the proposed collection of information

is necessary for the proper performance

of the functions of RHS, including

whether the information will have

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

RHS’s estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information

including the validity of the

methodology and assumptions used; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on those who are to respond, including

through the use of appropriate

automated, electronic, mechanical, or

other technological collection

techniques or other forms of information

technology. Comments may be sent to

Michele Brooks, Regulations and

Paperwork Management Branch, U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Rural

Development, STOP 0742, 1400

Independence Ave. SW, Washington,

DC 20250. 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.

Dated: June 24, 1998.

Jan E. Shadburn,

Administrator, Rural Housing Service.

[FR Doc. 98–17635 Filed 7–1–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–XV–P

COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM

PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND OR

SEVERELY DISABLED

Procurement List; Additions and

Deletions

AGENCY: Committee for Purchase From

People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled.

ACTION: Additions to and Deletions from

the Procurement List.

SUMMARY: This action adds to the

Procurement List a commodity and

services to be furnished by nonprofit

agencies employing persons who are

blind or have other severe disabilities,

and deletes from the Procurement List

services previously furnished by such

agencies.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 3, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Committee for Purchase

From People Who Are Blind or Severely

Disabled, Crystal Gateway 3, Suite 310,

1215 Jefferson Davis Highway,

Arlington, Virginia 22202–4302.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Beverly Milkman (703) 603–7740.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May

15 and May 22, 1998, the Committee for

Purchase From People Who Are Blind

or Severely Disabled published notices

(63 F.R 27049 and 28352) of proposed

additions to and deletions from the

Procurement List.

Additions

After consideration of the material

presented to it concerning capability of

qualified nonprofit agencies to provide

the commodity and services and impact

of the additions on the current or most

recent contractors, the Committee has

determined that the commodity and

services listed below are suitable for

procurement by the Federal Government