Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 235 / Friday, December 6, 2024 / Notices 97167 

strategic goal to Maintain and 

Modernize the Maritime workforce. 

Respondents: Postsecondary 

educational and vocational institutions, 

registered apprenticeship sponsors, and 

structured experiential learning training 

programs in certain eligible locations 

are eligible to apply for CoE designation. 

Additionally, ‘‘maritime training centers 

previously designated as a 2021 CoE’’ 

are eligible under the statute. 

Affected Public: Postsecondary 

educational and vocational institutions, 

registered apprenticeship sponsors, and 

structured experiential learning training 

programs. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

50. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 50. 

Estimated Hours per Response: 48. 

Annual Estimated Total Annual 

Burden Hours: 2,400. 

Frequency of Response: Once 

Annually. 

A 60-day Federal Register Notice 

soliciting comments on this information 

collection was published on October 1, 

2024 (89 FR 80012). 

(Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995; 44 U.S.C. chapter 35, as amended; and 

49 CFR 1.49.) 

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. 

T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr. 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28613 Filed 12–5–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Maritime Administration 

[Docket No. MARAD–2024–0156] 

Request for Comments on the 

Reinstatement of a Previously 

Approved Information Collection: 

United States Marine Highway Program 

AGENCY: Maritime Administration, DOT. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Maritime Administration 

(MARAD) invites public comments on 

our intention to request the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) 

approval to renew an information 

collection in accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The 

proposed collection OMB 2133–0541 

(United States Marine Highway 

Program) (also known as America’s 

Marine Highway Program) will be used 

to evaluate and review applications 

being submitted for grant award 

consideration. This collection was 

initially discontinued on August 28, 

2023, due to the elimination of the 

project designation application for this 

program from the James M. Inhofe 

National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2023. However, in order to 

facilitate the operation of the United 

States Marine Highway Program Grant 

Program (the Program), which provides 

funding to develop, expand, or promote 

marine highway transportation or 

shipper use of marine highway 

transportation, this collection is being 

reinstated. We are required to publish 

this notice in the Federal Register to 

obtain comments from the public and 

affected agencies. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before February 4, 2025. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by Docket No. MARAD– 

2024–0156 through one of the following 

methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

www.regulations.gov. Search using the 

above DOT docket number and follow 

the online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Mail or Hand Delivery: Docket 

Management Facility, U.S. Department 

of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, West Building, Room W12– 

140, Washington, DC 20590, between 9 

a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 

Friday, except on Federal holidays. 

Instructions: All submissions must 

include the agency name and docket 

number for this rulemaking. 

Note: All comments received will be 

posted without change to 

www.regulations.gov including any personal 

information provided. 

Comments are invited on: (a) whether 

the proposed collection of information 

is necessary for the Department’s 

performance; (b) the accuracy of the 

estimated burden; (c) ways for the 

Department to enhance the quality, 

utility, and clarity of the information 

collection; and (d) ways that the burden 

could be minimized without reducing 

the quality of the collected information. 

The agency will summarize and/or 

include your comments in the request 

for OMB’s clearance of this information 

collection. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Timothy Pickering, 202–366–0704, 

Office of Ports & Waterways Planning, 

Maritime Administration, 1200 New 

Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20590, 

Email: timothy.pickering@dot.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: United States Marine Highway 

Program 

OMB Control Number: 2133–0541. 

Type of Request: Reinstatement of a 

Previously Approved Collection 

Abstract: The Department of 

Transportation will reinstate solicitation 

of grant applications for Marine 

Highway Grant Funding as specified in 

the United States Marine Highway 

Program, codified at 46 U.S.C. 55601. 

These applications must comply with 

the requirements of the referenced 

United States Marine Highway Notice of 

Funding Opportunity and be submitted 

in accordance with the instructions 

contained in that Notice of Funding 

Opportunity. United States Marine 

Highway Grant Notice of Funding 

Opportunities occurs when funds are 

appropriated by Congress. 

Respondents: States, political 

subdivisions of a State, or a local 

government, a United States 

metropolitan planning organization, a 

United States port authority, a Tribal 

government, or a United States private 

sector operator of marine highway 

projects. 

Affected Public: Vessel Operators. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

25. 

Estimated Number of Responses: 25. 

Estimated Hours per Response: 125. 

Annual Estimated Total Annual 

Burden Hours: 1,700. 

Frequency of Response: Annually. 

(Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; and 

49 CFR 1.49.) 

By Order of the Maritime Administrator. 

T. Mitchell Hudson, Jr., 

Secretary, Maritime Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28614 Filed 12–5–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–81–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Community Development Financial 

Institutions Fund 

Notice of Information Collection and 

Request for Public Comment 

ACTION: Notice and request for public 

comment. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of the 

Treasury, as part of a 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 (PRA) of 

1995. Currently, the Community 

Development Financial Institutions 

Fund (CDFI Fund), Department of the 

Treasury, is soliciting comments 

concerning the Small Dollar Loan 

Program (SDL Program) Application 

(Application). The Application is an 

online form submitted through the CDFI 

Fund’s Awards Management 


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97168 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 235 / Friday, December 6, 2024 / Notices 

Information System (AMIS). Information 

on the SDL Program can be found on the 

CDFI Fund’s website at https://

www.cdfifund.gov/programs-training/ 

programs/sdlp. The CDFI Fund is 

required by law to make the 

Applications publicly available for 

comment prior to submission for a new 

PRA number. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

received on or before February 4, 2025 

to be assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

concerning the SDL Program 

Application via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions on the website for the 

submission of comments. In general, all 

comments will be available for 

inspection at www.regulations.gov. 

Comments, including attachments and 

other supporting materials, are part of 

the public record. Do not submit any 

information in your comments or 

supporting materials that you consider 

confidential or inappropriate for public 

disclosure. Information regarding the 

CDFI Fund and its programs may be 

obtained through the CDFI Fund’s 

website at http://www.cdfifund.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Eddie Tsibulevskiy, Program Manager, 

SDL Program, CDFI Fund, U.S. 

Department of the Treasury, 1500 

Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, 

DC 20220, by email to SDLP@

cdfi.treas.gov, or phone 202–653–0421 

(Option 3). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Small Dollar Loan Program 

Application. 

OMB Number: 1559–0051. 

Abstract: The Small Dollar Loan 

Program (SDL Program) was authorized 

by Title XII—Improving Access to 

Mainstream Financial Institutions Act of 

the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and 

Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Pub. 

L. 111–203), which amended the 

Community Development Banking and 

Financial Institutions Act of 1994 (12 

U.S.C. 4719). Through the SDL Program, 

the CDFI Fund provides Federal 

Financial Assistance in the form of 

grants for loan loss reserves and 

technical assistance to enable award 

recipients to establish and/or expand 

small dollar loan programs. Small dollar 

loan programs supported by the SDL 

Program are intended to address the 

issues of consumer access to 

mainstream financial institutions and 

provide alternatives to high-cost small 

dollar loans. The SDL Program is also 

intended to enable award recipients to 

help unbanked and underbanked 

populations build credit, access 

affordable capital, and allow greater 

access into the mainstream financial 

system. 

Through the SDL Program, the CDFI 

Fund provides: 

• Grants for Loan Loss Reserves 

(LLR): The awards will enable a 

Certified Community Development 

Financial Institution (CDFI) to establish 

a loan loss reserve fund to defray the 

costs of establishing or expanding a 

small dollar loan program. 

• Grants for Technical Assistance 

(TA): The awards will support 

technology, staff support, and other 

eligible activities to enable a Certified 

CDFI to establish and maintain a small 

dollar loan program. 

SDL Program Award Recipients are 

selected through a competitive process 

involving a careful review of all 

Applications for program funding. The 

Application requires the submission of 

numeric data and narrative responses in 

three parts: 1. Market Need; 2. Business 

Strategy and Impact; and 3. 

Organizational Capacity, including 

financial and compliance-related data. 

The Award selection process is defined 

in the Notice of Funds Availability 

(NOFA) for each funding round. 

SDL Program Award Recipients enter 

into Assistance Agreements with the 

CDFI Fund that set forth required terms 

and conditions of the Award, including 

reporting and data collection 

requirements. The Assistance 

Agreement requires the submission of 

annual performance reports. The CDFI 

Fund reviews the information collected 

in the performance reports to ensure the 

Recipient’s compliance with its 

Performance Goals and contractual 

obligations, as well as monitor the 

overall performance of the program. 

This request for public comment 

relates to the SDL Program form under 

OMB control number 1559–0051, which 

includes the Application. Capitalized 

terms not defined in this Notice (other 

than titles) have the meaning set forth 

in the fiscal year (FY) 2024 SDL 

Program NOFA. 

Current Actions: Renewal of existing 

Information Collection. 

Type of Review: Regular Review. 

Affected Public: Businesses or other 

for-profit institutions, non-profit 

entities, and State, local and Tribal 

entities participating in CDFI Fund 

programs. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

100 (Application). 

Estimated Annual Time per 

Respondent: 89 hours (Application). 

Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 

8,900 hours (Application). 

Request for Comments: Comments 

submitted in response to this Notice 

will be summarized and/or included in 

the request for Office of Management 

and Budget approval. All comments will 

become a matter of public record and 

may be published on the CDFI Fund 

website at https://www.cdfifund.gov. 

The CDFI Fund is seeking input on the 

SDL Program Application. The 

Application may be obtained from the 

Request for Public Comments page of 

the CDFI Fund’s website at https://

www.cdfifund.gov/requests-forcomments. 

The CDFI Fund is seeking: (a) specific 

input on the content of the SDL Program 

Application and (b) general input on the 

SDL Program related topics and 

considerations. 

Comments concerning the 

Application are invited on: (a) whether 

the collection of information is 

necessary for the proper performance of 

the functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

collection of information; (c) ways to 

enhance the quality, utility and clarity 

of the information to be collected; (d) 

ways to minimize the burden of the 

collection of information on 

respondents, including through the use 

of technology; (e) estimates of capital or 

start-up costs and costs of operation, 

maintenance and purchase of services 

required to provide information; and (f) 

whether any additional questions or 

factors should be considered as part of 

the CMF Application and/or review 

process. 

Additionally, the CDFI Fund 

specifically requests comments 

concerning the following questions: 

1. Should any data fields, questions, 

or tables, be added, removed, or 

clarified to ensure collection of relevant 

information? 

2. The Application states that LLR 

Awards cannot exceed 20% of the 

Applicant’s three-year projected total of 

small dollar loans closed. Is the 20% 

cap appropriate for the purpose of 

supporting a wide variety of small 

dollar loan program designs? If not, 

provide a rationale and state what 

alternative cap would be more 

appropriate. 

3. Is the maximum LLR Award size of 

$350,000 appropriate for the purpose of 

supporting a wide variety of small 

dollar loan program designs? If not, 

what maximum award size would be 

more appropriate and why? 

4. The Application requests 

information on how the Applicant will 

use an LLR Award to establish a small 

dollar loan program or expand an 

existing one. Is the requested 

information adequate to demonstrate a 


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Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 235 / Friday, December 6, 2024 / Notices 97169 

need for an LLR Award? Why or why 

not? What, if any, additional 

information should be collected to 

assess the need and use of an LLR 

Award request? 

5. Is the maximum award size for 

Technical Assistance Awards of 

$150,000 appropriate to support eligible 

Technical Assistance activities? If not, 

what maximum award size would be 

appropriate and why? 

6. Is the data collected in the track 

record and projections tables adequate 

and appropriate to assess an Applicant’s 

experience in small dollar lending and 

projections? Why or why not? 

7. The period of performance for 

SDLP awards is three years. Is three 

years sufficient to expend the award to 

launch or expand a small dollar loan 

program? If it’s not sufficient, what 

period would be more appropriate and 

why? 

8. Is there other information not 

requested (such as additional detail on 

other unsecured consumer loans below 

$10,000) in the Application that would 

demonstrate an Applicant’s experience 

in small dollar lending and projected 

small dollar lending activities? If yes, 

what is that information? 

9. The Application includes questions 

about the intended impact of an 

Applicant’s small dollar lending 

strategy. (1) How should the CDFI Fund 

assess the impact of SDL Program 

Awards on communities served by 

Applicants? (2) The CDFI Fund has 

identified a set of impact options for 

Applicants to choose in the Application. 

Are the current impact choices 

sufficient? Why or why not? Are there 

impacts that should be added or 

modified and if yes, what are they? 

10. The SDL Program Application 

states that the Awards will not be made 

to Applicants that engage in the 

Prohibited Practices listed in Table 1. 

Are the Prohibited Practices appropriate 

to prevent predatory or abusive lending 

practices that low-income borrowers 

often face? Why are why not? Are there 

any Prohibited Practices that should be 

added, eliminated, or clarified? What 

are they? 

TABLE 1—SDL PROGRAM PROHIBITED PRACTICES

Prohibited practice Prohibited practice definition 

i. High-Rate loans ..................................................................... Loans that exceed the lower of the following two rates: (1) an all-inclusive 36% 

APR (using the methodology prescribed in 32 CFR 232.4 of the Military Lending Act (referred to as the Military Annual Percentage Rate [MAPR]; or (2) the 

interest rate limit as set by the state agency that oversees financial institutions 

in your state. 

ii. Coerced automated repayments .......................................... Loans that: (1) have delayed loan disbursements for borrowers who do not agree 

to automatic repayments, (2) charge fees for borrowers who select manual 

payments, or (3) require borrowers to make payments using wire transfers or 

other means that may result in additional fees for borrowers. 

iii. Excessive refinancing .......................................................... Loans that allow refinancing before at least 80% of the principal has been repaid. 

iv. Loan insurance or credit card add-ons ............................... Loans that offer add-on insurance or credit card products, whether they are automatic or not, that require borrowers to opt-in or opt-out to decline coverage or 

require the borrower to accept or opt-out of a credit card. For example, loans 

that automatically include insurance products such as credit, life, disability insurance or involuntary unemployment insurance coverage, or loans that automatically open a credit card for the borrower. 

v. Security interests in household goods, vehicles, or deposit 

accounts. Exception: loans with a savings account component or credit builder loans.

Loans that are secured, except for loans secured by a savings account for loans 

with a savings component or credit builder loans. 

vi. Excessive late fees on missed loan payments ................... Loans that charge more than one fee per late payment. 

vii. Abusive overdraft practices ................................................ Lenders who hold the account from which repayment is being made may not collect a loan payment from the borrower’s account that overdraws the account, 

triggering overdraft fees. 

viii. Aggressive debt collection practices ................................. Loans in which the lender: 

• Does not offer a workout program or other accommodations to help struggling 

borrowers before pursuing other debt collection avenues. 

• All debt collection activities must comply with the Fair Debt Collection Practices 

Act, whether conducted by the lender, a contract debt collector or sold to third 

party debt collectors. 

• Does not disclose to borrowers the details of its debt collection practices or 

provide notice to a borrower when its account is placed with debt collectors. 

ix. Forced arbitration clause, class action ban, and other 

bans on legal remedies.

Loan contracts that contain clauses that prevent borrowers from seeking legal 

remedies in court, such as mandatory arbitration clauses, or clauses requiring 

that the borrower waive the right to a trial by jury or the right to participate in a 

class action lawsuit. 

Authority: (Pub. L. 111–203. 12 U.S.C. 

4719, 12 CFR part 1805, 12 CFR part 

1815, 12 U.S.C. 4502) 

Pravina Raghavan, 

Director, Community Development Financial 

Institutions Fund. 

[FR Doc. 2024–28521 Filed 12–5–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4810–05–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Internal Revenue Service 

Proposed Extension of Information 

Collection Request Submitted for 

Public Comment; Comment Request 

on Burden Related to Advanced 

Pricing Agreements 

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Internal Revenue Service, 

as part of its continuing effort to reduce 

paperwork and respondent burden, 

invites the public and other Federal 

agencies to take this opportunity to 

comment on proposed and/or 

continuing information collections, as 

required by the Paperwork Reduction 


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