[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 117 (Monday, June 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 32790]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-15217]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) 
invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends 
to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by August 17, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F. Lamont Heppe, Jr., Program 
Development & Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, USDA, 1400 
Independence Ave., SW., Stop 1522, Room 4034 South Building, 
Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 720-0736. FAX: (202) 720-
4120.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Title: Electric and Telecommunications Standards and 
Specifications, and Telecommunications Field Trials and Contract Forms
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0059
    Type of Request: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously 
approved collection for which approval has expired.
    Abstract: In order to facilitate the programmatic interest of the 
RE Act, and, in order to assure that loans made or guaranteed by RUS 
are adequately secured, RUS, as a secured lender, has established 
certain standards and specifications for materials, equipment and 
construction of electric and telecommunications systems. The use of 
standard forms, construction contracts, and procurement procedures 
helps assure RUS that appropriate standards and specifications are 
maintained, RUS' loan security is not adversely affected; and the loan 
and loan guarantee funds are used effectively and for the intended 
purposes.
    Compliance with RUS specifications and standards is demonstrated to 
a large extent via presentation of laboratory tests resulting and other 
informational data upon which the determination of acceptability can be 
made. RUS evaluates this data to determine that the qualification of 
the products is acceptable and that their use will not jeopardize loan 
security. In the telecommunications program, because of the complex and 
highly technical nature of equipment, services, and system 
architectures, RUS also requires a manufacturer to demonstrate 
successful product use in a working telecommunications system. In most 
cases, manufacturers develop telecommunications products with field 
verifications as a normal business operating practice and they easily 
provide this information resource by simply providing the names of 
several users that RUS personally may contact and discuss product 
performance. Products that have not been deployed in a working 
environment can be handled and RUS' field trial procedures.
    This request for reinstatement proposes to combine two of RUS' 
information collections under one control number. Control No. 0572-
0076, RUS Specification for Quality Control and Inspection of Timber 
Products, will be combined into Control No. 0572-0059, Electric and 
Telecommunications Standards and Specifications, and Telecommunications 
Field Trials, and Control Forms. This effort is to streamline RUS' 
information collections into a more logical grouping of packages which 
eliminates duplication of efforts.
    Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of 
information is estimated to average 1 hour per response.
    Respondents: Business or other for-profit and non-profit 
institutions.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 280.
    Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 19.
    Estimate Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 5,861 hours.
    Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Dawn 
Wolfgang, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities 
Service at (202) 720-0812. Comments 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 will 
have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of 
burden including the validity of the methodology and assumption 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 on other forms of information 
technology.
    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 12, 2001.
Blaine D. Stockton,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 01-15217 Filed 6-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-15-P