2018-18169. Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

August 20, 2018.

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 required regarding (1) 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; (2) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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 September 24, 2018 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: [e-mail] or fax [phone] and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling [phone].

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.

Farm Service Agency

Title: 7 CFR 766, Direct Loan Servicing—Special.

OMB Control Number: 0560-0233.

Summary Of Collection: Authority to establish the regulatory requirements contained in 7 CFR 766 is provided under 5 U.S.C. 301 which provides that “The head of an Executive department or military department may prescribe regulations for the government of his department, the distribution and performance of its business . . .” The Secretary delegated authority to administer the provisions of the Act applicable to the Farm Loan Program (FLP) to the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service in section 2.16 of 7 CFR part 2. FLP provides loans to family farmers to purchase real estate equipment and finance agricultural production. The regulations covered by this information collection package describes the policies and procedures for the Farm Service Agency's (FSA) servicing of financially distressed or delinquent direct loan borrowers in accordance with the provisions of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (Act) (Pub. L. 87-128), as amended. FSA's loan servicing options include disaster set-aside, primary loan servicing (including reamortization, rescheduling, deferral, write down and conservation contracts), buyout at market value, and homestead protection.

Need and Use of the Information: Information collections are submitted by FLP direct loan borrowers to the local FSA office serving the country in which their business is headquartered. The information is necessary to provide supervised credit and authorized servicing actions to financially distressed and delinquent direct borrowers as legislatively mandated. If the information were not collected, or collected less frequently, FSA would be unable to meet the Congressionally-mandated mission of its loan program.

Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Farms

Number of Respondents: 17,174.

Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually.

Total Burden Hours: 12,036.

Ruth Brown,

Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.