2022-14760. 60-Day Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Review Rating Summary, RUS Form 300; OMB Control No.: 0572-0025

AGENCY:

Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice; request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Rural Utilities Service, (RUS), announces its intention to request an extension of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

DATES:

Comments on this notice must be received by September 12, 2022 to be assured of consideration.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the lower “Search Regulations and Federal Actions” box, select “Rural Utilities Service” from the agency drop-down menu, then click on “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select “RUS-22-ELECTRIC-0015” to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov , including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “User Tips” link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

MaryPat Daskal, Chief, Branch 1, Rural Development Innovation Center—Regulations Management Division, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: [phone]. Email [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) regulation (5 CFR part 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice identifies the following information collection that Rural Utilities Service is submitting to OMB as extension to an existing collection with Agency adjustment.

Title: 7 CFR part 1730, Review Rating Summary, RUS Form 300.

OMB Control Number: 0572-0025.

Expiration Date of Approval: November 30, 2022.

Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting for this collection of information is estimated to average 6 hours per response.

Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions and other businesses.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 151.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 1.

Estimated Number of Hours per Response: 4

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 604 hours.

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) manages loan programs in accordance with the RE Act of 1936, as amended (7 U.S.C. 901 et seq. ). An important part of safeguarding loan security is to see that RUS financed facilities are being responsibly used, adequately operated, and adequately maintained. Future needs must be anticipated to ensure that facilities will continue to produce revenue and loans will be repaid as required by the RUS mortgage. A periodic operations and maintenance (O&M) review, using the RUS Form 300, in accordance with 7 CFR part 1730, is an effective means for RUS to determine whether the Borrower's systems are being properly operated and maintained, thereby protecting the loan collateral. The O&M review is also used to rate facilities and can be used for appraisals of collateral as prescribed by OMB Circular A-129, Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Taxable Receivables.

The loans and loan guarantees finance the construction of electric distribution, transmission, and generation facilities, including system improvements and replacement required to furnish and improve electric service in rural areas, as well as demand side management, energy efficiency and conservation programs, and on-grid and off-grid renewable energy systems. Loans are made to cooperatives as well as to corporations, states, territories and subdivisions and agencies such as municipalities, people's utility districts, and nonprofit, limited dividend or mutual associations that provide retail electric service needs to rural areas or supply the power needs of distribution borrowers in rural areas.

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 the burden of the collection of information including the validity of the 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 respondents, including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or other forms of information technology. All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will become a matter of public record.

Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Arlette Mussington, Rural Development Innovation Center—Regulations Management Division, at [phone]. Email: [e-mail].

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.

Christopher A. McLean,

Acting Administrator, Rural Utilities Service .