Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/09/05/2018-19199/announcement-process-for-rural-utilities-service-grant-programs
Timestamp: 2018-11-19 12:08:11
Document Index: 83278710

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 1709', 'art 415', 'art 200', 'arts 1709', '§\u20091709', '§\u20091709', '§\u20091709', 'art 1739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', '§\u20091739', 'art 1776', '§\u20091776', '§\u20091776', '§\u20091776', '§\u20091776', '§\u20091776', 'art 1783', '§\u20091783', '§\u20091783', '§\u20091783', '§\u20091783', '§\u20091783']

Federal Register :: Announcement Process for Rural Utilities Service Grant Programs
A Rule by the Rural Utilities Service on 09/05/2018
This final rule is effective September 5, 2018.
83 FR 45031
45031-45034 (4 pages)
0572-AC39
RUS-18-AGENCY-0017
PART 1709—ASSISTANCE TO HIGH COST ENERGY COMMUNITIES
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-19199 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2018-19199
Start Preamble Start Printed Page 45031
Michele Brooks, Regulations Team Lead, Rural Development Innovation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1522, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250-1550, Telephone number: (202) 690-1078.
This final rule is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review,” as implemented under USDA's regulations at 2 CFR part 415, subpart C.
The programs affected by this rulemaking are not subject to Executive Order 13771 as they are considered transfer programs and are exempt from the Executive Order.
RUS has determined that this final rule will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, as defined in the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). The matter covered by this rulemaking is administrative, concerning the Agency's process for implementation of the program.
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers assigned to these programs are 10.859, “Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities,” 10.862, “Household Water Well System Grant Program,” 10.863, “Community Connect Grant Program,” and 10.864 “Grant Program to Establish a Fund for Financing Water and Wastewater Projects.” The Catalog is available on the internet at http://www.cfda.gov. The CFDA website also contains a PDF file version of the Catalog.
This final rule has been reviewed in accordance with the requirements of Executive Order 13175, “Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.” Executive Order 13175 requires Federal agencies to consult and coordinate with tribes on a government-to-government basis on policies that have tribal implications, including regulations, legislative comments or proposed legislation, and other policy statements or actions that have substantial direct effects on one or more Indian tribes, on the relationship between the Federal Government and Indian tribes or on the distribution of power and responsibilities between the Federal Government and Indian tribes. Rural Development has assessed the impact of this rule on Indian tribes and determined that this rule does not, to our knowledge, have tribal implications that require tribal consultation under E.O. 13175. If a tribe would like to engage in consultation with Rural Development on this rule, please contact Rural Development's Native American Coordinator at (720) 544-2911 or AIAN@wdc.usda.gov. Start Printed Page 45032
To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/​complaint_​filing_​cust.html 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: 1 (833) 256-1665; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
This final rule contains no new reporting or recordkeeping burdens under OMB control numbers 0572-0127, 0572-0136, 0572-0138, and 0572-0139 that would require approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).
Rural Development is a mission area within the USDA comprised of the Rural Utilities Service, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Business/Cooperative Service. Rural Development's mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for all rural Americans. Rural Development meets its mission by providing loans, loan guarantees, grants, and technical assistance through more than 40 programs aimed at creating and improving housing, businesses, and infrastructure throughout rural America.
In accordance with Executive Order 13777, Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, RUS was tasked with identifying duplicative actions that can be streamlined which could result in time and cost savings. In doing so, RUS identified certain RUS grant regulations require that a Notice of Funds Availability (NOFA) be published in the Federal Register on an annual basis to announce the open/close period for the grant programs. Given that federal agencies must now publish grant Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) on www.Grants.gov, several agency regulations must now be amended to conform with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, And Audit Requirements For Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200. All pertinent information that the public will need to apply for each of the grant programs will be included in the FOA as required by 2 CFR 200.203. In addition, the agency will include the information on the program website and in the program application guide, which will be linked to the FOA.
Interested parties may subscribe to funding opportunities on Grants.gov by logging in to www.Grants.gov and choosing the “Connect” tab to access the “Connect Center.” Subscribing to opportunities, will allow users to receive updates and notifications for specific funding opportunities.
To implement these changes, RUS is publishing this action as a final rule. The Administrative Procedures Act exempts from prior notice rules any actions “relating to agency management or personnel or to public property, loans, grants, benefits, or contracts” (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A)).
Accordingly, for reasons set forth in the preamble, 7 CFR parts 1709, 1739, 1776, and 1783 are amended as follows:
2. Amend § 1709.3 by adding a definition for “Funding opportunity announcement” in alphabetical order to read as follows:
3. Revise § 1709.114 to read as follows:
The RUS will request applications for high energy cost grants on a competitive basis by posting a FOA on www.Grant.gov. The FOA will establish Start Printed Page 45033the amount of funds available, the application package contents and additional requirements, the availability of application materials, high energy cost community eligibility benchmarks, selection criteria and weights, priority considerations, deadlines and procedures for submitting applications. This information will also be made available in the RUS High Energy Cost Grant program application guide and the RUS High Energy Cost Grant program website.
4. Amend § 1709.121 by revising paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(d) In the event an insufficient number of eligible applications are received in response to a FOA and selected for funding to exhaust the funds available, the Administrator reserves the discretion to reopen the application period and to accept additional applications for consideration under the terms of the FOA. Another FOA regarding the reopening of an application period will be announced on www.Grants.gov.
5. The authority citation for part 1739 continues to read as follows:
6. Amend § 1739.1 by revising the third sentence of paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) * * * The Agency will give priority to rural areas that have the greatest need for broadband services, based on the criteria contained herein and in the RUS Community Connect Program application guide and/or the Community Connect Program website and in the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) posted on www.Grants.gov.
7. Revise § 1739.2 to read as follows:
8. Amend § 1739.3 by revising the first sentence of the definitions of “Broadband Grant Speed” and “Broadband service” and by adding the definition of “Funding opportunity agreement” in alphabetical order to read as follows:
Broadband Grant Speed means the minimum bandwidth described in the funding opportunity that an applicant must propose to deliver to every customer in the proposed funded service area in order for the Agency to approve a broadband grant. * * *
Broadband service means any terrestrial technology having the capacity to provide transmission facilities that enable subscribers of the service to originate and receive high-quality voice, data, graphics, and video at the minimum rate of data transmission described in the funding opportunity. * * *
9. Amend § 1739.15 by revising the introductory text to read as follows:
10. Amend § 1739.16 by revising the first sentence of paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) All applications for grants must be delivered to the Agency at the address and by the date specified in the FOA, the Community Connect Grant program application guide and the Community Connect Grant program website (see § 1739.2) to be eligible for funding. * * *
11. Amend § 1739.17 by revising paragraph (d)(7) to read as follows:
12. The authority citation for part 1776 continues to read as follows:
13. Amend § 1776.3 by adding a definition for “Funding opportunity announcement” in alphabetical order to read as follows:
Funding opportunity announcement (FOA) means a publicly available Start Printed Page 45034document by which a Federal agency makes know its intentions to award discretionary grants or cooperative agreements, usually as a result of competition for funds. FOA announcements may be known as program announcements, notices of funding availability, solicitations, or other names depending on the agency and type of program. FOA announcements can be found at www.Grants.gov in the Search Grants tab and on the funding agency's or program's website.
14. Revise § 1776.6 to read as follows:
§ 1776.6
15. Amend § 1776.8 by revising paragraph (d) to read as follows:
§ 1776.8
Methods for submitting applications.
16. The authority citation for part 1783 continues to read as follows:
17. Amend § 1783.3 by adding a definition for “Funding opportunity announcement” in alphabetical order to read as follows:
18. Revise § 1783.6 to read as follows:
§ 1783.6
19. Amend § 1783.8 by revising the second sentence of paragraph (c) to read as follows:
§ 1783.8
(c) * * * Applicants should refer to the most recent FOA for notice of any such changes. In the event of any discrepancy, the information contained in the FOA must be followed. * * *
[FR Doc. 2018-19199 Filed 9-4-18; 8:45 am]