[Federal Register: July 7, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 130)]
[Notices]
[Page 38600-38601]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr07jy06-34]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Housing Service
Rural Business-Cooperative Service
Rural Utilities Service
Farm Service Agency
Notice of Request for Extension of a Currently Approved
Information Collection
AGENCIES: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service,
Rural Utilities Service, and Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Proposed collection: comments request.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this
notice announces the intention of USDA Farm Service Agency's (FSA) and
Rural Development, henceforth collectively known as Rural Development,
or individually as Housing and Community Programs, Business and
Cooperative Programs, Utility Programs, to request an extension for a
currently approved information collection in support of compliance with
applicable acts for planning and performing construction and other
development work.
DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by September 5, 2006 to
be assured consideration.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry B. Fleming, Architect, Program
Support Staff, RHS, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 0761, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-0761, Telephone (202)
720-8547 or (202) 720-9619 or via e-mail at larry.fleming@wdc.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: RD 1924-A, ``Planning and Performing Construction and Other
Development''.
OMB Number: 0575-0042.
Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2006.
Type of Request: Extension of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: The information collection under OMB Number 0575-0042
enables the Agencies to effectively administer the policies, methods,
and responsibilities in the planning and performing of construction and
other development work for the related construction programs.
Section 501 of Title V of the Housing Act of 1949, as amended,
authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to extend financial assistance
to construct, improve, alter, repair, replace, or rehabilitate
dwellings; farm buildings; and/or related facilities to provide decent,
safe, and sanitary living conditions and adequate farm buildings and
other structures in rural areas.
Section 506 of the Act requires that all new buildings and repairs
shall be constructed in accordance with plans and specifications as
required by the Secretary and that such construction be supervised and
inspected.
Section 509 of the Act grants the Secretary the power to determine
and prescribe the standards of adequate farm housing and other
buildings. The Housing and Urban Rural Recovery Act of 1983 amended
section 509(a) and section 515 to require residential buildings and
related facilities comply with the standards prescribed by the
Secretary of Agriculture, the standard prescribed by the Secretary of
Housing and Urban Development, or the standards prescribed in any of
the nationally recognized model building codes.
Similar authorizations are contained in sections 303, 304, 306, and
339 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act, as amended,
which authorized loans and grants for essential community services.
In several sections of both acts, loan limitations are established
as percentages of development costs, requiring careful monitoring of
those costs. Also, the Secretary is authorized to prescribe regulations
to ensure that Federal funds are not wasted or dissipated and that
construction will be undertaken in an economic manner and will not be
of elaborate or extravagant design or materials.
The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is the credit Agency for rural
water and wastewater development within Rural Development of the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Rural-Business-Cooperative
Service (RBS) is the credit Agency for rural business development
within Rural Development of USDA. These Agencies adopted use of forms
in RD Instruction 1924-A. Information for their usage is included in
this report.
Other information collection is required to conform to numerous
Public Laws applying to all Federal agencies, such as: Civil Rights
Acts of 1964 and
[[Page 38601]]
1968, Davis-Bacon Act, Historic Preservation Act, Environmental Policy
Act, and to conform to Executive Orders governing use of Federal funds.
This information is cleared through the appropriate enforcing Agency or
other executive Department.
The Agencies provide forms and/or guidelines to assist in the
collection and submission of information; however, most of the
information may be collected and submitted in the form and content
which is accepted and typically used in normal conduct of planning and
performing development work in private industry when a private lender
is financing the activity. The information is usually submitted via
hand delivery or U.S. Postal Service to the appropriate Agency office.
Electronic submittal of information is also possible through e-mail or
USDA's Service Center eForms Web site.
The information is used by the Agencies to determine whether a
loan/grant can be approved, to ensure that the Agency has adequate
security for the loans financed, to provide for sound construction and
development work, and to determine that the requirements of the
applicable acts have been met. The information is also used to monitor
compliance with the terms and conditions of the Agencies' loan/grant
programs and to monitor the prudent use of Federal funds.
If the information were not collected and submitted, the Agencies
would not have control over the type and quality of construction and
development work planned and performed with Federal funds. The Agencies
would not be assured that the security provided for loans is adequate,
nor would the Agencies be certain that decent, safe, and sanitary
dwelling or other adequate structures were being provided to rural
residents as required by the different acts.
Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of
information is estimated to average .33 hours per response.
Respondents: Individuals or households, farms, business or other
for-profit, non-profit institutions, and small businesses or
organizations.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 25,340.
Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 15.
Estimated Number of Responses: 368,980.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 118,438 hours.
Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Brigitte
Sumter, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, at (202) 692-0042.
Comments
Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of
information is necessary for the proper performance of the function of
the Agencies, including whether the information will have practical
utility; (b) the accuracy of the Agencies' estimate of the burden of
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
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 Brigitte
Sumter, Regulations and Paperwork Management Branch, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Rural Development, Stop 0742, 1400 Independence Avenue,
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0742. 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 30, 2006.
Russell T. Davis,
Administrator, Rural Housing Service.
Dated: June 30, 2006.
David Rouzer,
Acting Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
Dated: June 30, 2006.
Curtis Anderson,
Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.
Dated: June 30, 2006.
John Williams,
Acting Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 06-6031 Filed 7-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XV-P