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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 21, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7074-7076]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-01357]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance 
under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments 
are requested regarding: 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; the 
accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used; ways to enhance the quality, 
utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and 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 regarding this information collection received by February 
20, 2025 will be considered. Written comments and recommendations for 
the proposed information collection should be submitted within 30 days 
of the publication of this notice on the following website 
www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information 
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for 
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
    An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information 
unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB 
control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to 
respond to the collection of information that such persons are not 
required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR 1901-E, Civil Rights Compliance Requirements.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0018.
    Summary of Collection: Rural Development (RD) is required to 
provide Federal financial assistance through its housing and community 
and business programs on an equal opportunity basis. The information 
collection requirements in this request are needed to comply with civil 
rights laws and Executive Orders that provide protection and prohibit 
discrimination on the basis of 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, reprisal or 
retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
    Need and Use of the Information: RD will use the information to 
monitor a recipient's compliance with the civil rights laws, and to 
determine whether or not service and benefits are being provided to 
beneficiaries on an equal opportunity basis. This information is made 
available to USDA officials, officials of other Federal agencies and to 
Congress for reporting purposes. Without the required information, RD 
and its recipient will lack the necessary documentation to demonstrate 
that their programs are being administered in a nondiscriminatory 
manner and in full compliance with the civil rights laws.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals or households.
    Number of Respondents: 27,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Recordkeeping; Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 458,363.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: Fire and Rescue Loans--7 CFR 1942, Subpart C.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0120.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is 
authorized by Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural 
Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926) to make loans to public agencies, 
nonprofit corporations, and Indian tribes for the development of 
essential community facilities primarily serving

[[Page 7075]]

rural residents. The primary regulation for administering this 
Community Facilities (CF) program is 7 CFR 1942-A (0575-0015). The 
procedures set out in 7 CFR 1942-A have been developed for determining 
eligibility, analyzing financial feasibility, taking security, 
monitoring the use of loan funds, monitoring the financial condition of 
borrowers, and otherwise assisting borrowers and applicants and 
protecting the Government's interest. This includes requirements for 
applicants to provide certain information and documents.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
by Rural Development field offices from applicants/borrowers and 
consultants. This information will be used to determine applicant/
borrower eligibility, project feasibility, and ensure borrowers operate 
on a sound basis and use loan funds for authorized purposes.
    Description of Respondents: Private Sector; Not-for-profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 1,000.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.
    Total Burden Hours: 7,881.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: 7 CFR part 3565, ``Guaranteed Rural Rental Housing Program'' 
and Its' Supporting Handbook.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0174.
    Summary of Collection: On March 28, 1996, the Housing Opportunity 
Program Extension Act of 1996 was signed. One of the provisions of the 
Act was the authorization of the section 538 Guaranteed Rural Rental 
Housing Program (GRRHP), adding the program to the Housing Act of 1949. 
The purpose of the GRRHP is to increase the supply of affordable rural 
rental housing through the use of loan guarantees that encourage 
partnerships between the Rural Housing Service (RHS), private lenders 
and public agencies. RUS will approve qualified lenders to participate 
and monitor lender performance to ensure program requirements are met. 
RHS will collect information from lenders on the eligibility cost, 
benefits, feasibility, and financial performance of the proposed 
project.
    Need and Use of the Information: RHS will collect information from 
lenders to manage, plan, evaluate, and account for Government resources 
and from time to time, propose demonstration programs that use loan 
guarantees or interest credit. The GRRHP regulation and handbook will 
provide lenders and agency staff with guidance on the origination, and 
servicing of GRRHP loans and the approval of qualified lenders. RHS 
will use the information to evaluate a lender's request and make 
determination that the interests of the government are protected. 
Failure to collect information could have an adverse impact on the 
agency ability to monitor lenders and assess program effectiveness and 
effectively guarantee loans.
    Description of Respondents: Private Sector; Business or other for-
profit; Not for-profit Institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 150.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Monthly.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,445.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: Rural Community Development Initiative (RCDI).
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0180.
    Summary of Collection: Congress first authorized the Rural 
Community Development Initiative (RCDI) in 1999 with an appropriation 
of $6 million under the Rural Community Advancement Program (Pub. L. 
106-78, which was amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 
(Pub. L. 114-113)). The Community Facilities Division under the Rural 
Housing Service (RHS) administers this grant program. The intent of the 
RCDI grant program is to develop the capacity and ability of rural area 
recipients to undertake projects through a program of financial and 
technical assistance provided by qualified intermediary organizations. 
Intermediaries may be private or public (including tribal) 
organizations. Intermediaries are required to provide matching funds in 
an amount equal to the RCDI grant. Eligible recipients are nonprofit 
organizations, low-income rural communities, or federally recognized 
tribes.
    Need and Use of the Information: The information will be collected 
from applicants/grantees (intermediary organizations applying for the 
grant), recipients (entities that receive assistance from the 
intermediary), and beneficiaries (entities or individuals that benefit 
from assistance provided by the recipient) by RHS staff in the National 
Office and Rural Development field offices. This information is used to 
determine applicant and recipient eligibility, project feasibility, and 
to ensure that grantees operate on a sound basis and use grant funds 
for authorized purposes. The Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), 
published in the Federal Register, provides instructions for completing 
an application.
    Description of Respondents: Private Sector; Not-for profit 
institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 65.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 2,399.

Rural Housing Service

    Title: RHS-Finance Office Forms.
    OMB Control Number: 0575-0184.
    Summary of Collection: Rural Development uses electronic methods 
for receiving and processing loan payments and collections. These 
electronic collection methods are approved by Treasury and include 
Customer Initiated Payments (CIP), FedWire, and Preauthorized Debits 
(PAD). The Agency that collects CIP information under this paperwork 
burden submission are Housing and Community Facilities and the 
Utilities Programs. The Agencies that collect FedWire and PAD 
information under this paperwork burden submission are the Housing and 
Community Facilities Programs, Business and Cooperative Programs, Water 
and Environmental Programs and Utilities Programs.
    These electronic collection methods provide the borrower the 
ability to submit their loan payments the day prior to or the day of 
their installment due date. The benefits of these electronic payment 
methods include elimination of the mail time for submitting and 
receiving collections thereby giving borrowers use of their funds for a 
longer period; reduction in loan delinquencies; and improved efficiency 
for the Government and the borrower.
    The following information is provided to comply with the Privacy 
Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-579). The information requested on the form is 
required under various provisions of title 15 U.S.C. 1601, 12 CFR 205, 
and 31 CFR 202, for the purpose of providing authority to the 
Department of Treasury to designate financial institutions to collect 
payments, by electronic means, from an account. The information will be 
used for identification with the records of the government agency and 
the financial institution to direct the payments to the point 
authorized. No deduction may be made unless a signed authorization form 
is received. Failure to furnish this information may delay or prevent 
the collection of these payments through the Automated Clearing House 
System.
    To administer these electronic payment methods, Rural Development 
must collect the borrower's financial institution (FI) routing 
information (routing information includes the FI routing number and the 
borrower's account number). Rural Development uses Agency approved 
forms for collecting this FI routing information.

[[Page 7076]]

    Need and Use of the Information: Rural Development requests that 
the borrower make payments electronically via CIP, FedWire, or PAD. In 
order to do this, Rural Development is seeking extension of Agency 
forms for collecting FI routing information for CIP, FedWire, and PAD 
collections. If the information were not collected, Rural Development 
would be unable to collect loan payments electronically.
    Description of Respondents: Individuals and Households; Farms; Not-
for-profit institutions; Business or other for-profit; State, Local or 
Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 11,062.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 4,609.

Levi S. Harrell,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2025-01357 Filed 1-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P
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