82 FR 32316 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 133 (July 13, 2017)

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 133 (Thursday, July 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32316-32317]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-14681]


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Notices
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
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Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 133 / Thursday, July 13, 2017 / 
Notices

[[Page 32316]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

July 10, 2017.
    The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following 
information collection requirement(s) to Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Public Law 104-13. Comments are requested 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; (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 August 
14, 2017 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: 
[email protected] or fax (202) 395-5806 and to Departmental 
Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250-
7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720-
8958.
    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.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: RUS Form 87, Request for Mail List Data.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0051.
    Summary of Collection: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a 
credit agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency makes 
loans (direct and guaranteed) to finance electric and 
telecommunications facilities in rural areas in accordance with the 
Rural Electrification Act of 1936, 7 U.S.C. 901 as amended, (ReAct). 
RUS Electric Program provides support to the vast rural American 
electric infrastructure. RUS' Telecommunications Program makes loans to 
furnish and improve telephone services and other telecommunications 
purposes in rural areas.
    Need and Use of the Information: RUS will collect information using 
RUS Form 87, Request for Mail List Data. The information is used for 
the RUS Electric and Telephone programs to obtain the name and 
addresses of the borrowers' officers/board of directors and corporate 
officials, who are authorized to sign official documents and/or to make 
official representations concerning borrower operations and management. 
RUS uses the information to assure that (1) accurate, current, and 
verifiable information is available; (2) correspondence with borrowers 
is properly directed; and (3) the appropriate officials have signed the 
official documents submitted. Failure to collect information from 
borrowers could result in failure to protect the government's security 
interest when determining eligibility and administering loan programs.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; Business 
or other for-profit.
    Number of Respondents: 980.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 245.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: Technical Assistance Program, 7 CFR part 1775.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0112.
    Summary of Collection: Section 306 of the Consolidated Farm and 
Rural Development Act (CONACT), 7 U.S.C. 1926, authorizes Rural 
Utilities Service (RUS) to make loans and grants to public agencies, 
American Indian tribes, and nonprofit corporations. The loans and 
grants fund the development of drinking water, wastewater, and solid 
waste disposal facilities in rural areas with populations of up to 
10,000 residents. Nonprofit organizations receive Technical Assistance 
and Training (TAT) and Solid Waste Management (SWM) grants to help 
small rural communities or areas identify and solve problems relating 
to community drinking water, wastewater, or solid waste disposal 
systems. The technical assistance is intended to improve the management 
and operation of the systems and reduce or eliminate pollution of water 
resources. TAT and SWM are competitive grant programs administered by 
RUS.
    Need and Use of the Information: Nonprofit organizations applying 
for TAT and SWM grants must submit a pre-application, which includes an 
application form, narrative proposal, various other forms, 
certifications and supplemental information. RUS will collect 
information to determine applicant's eligibility, project feasibility, 
and the applicant's ability to meet the grant and regulatory 
requirements. RUS will review the information, evaluate it, and, if the 
applicant and project are eligible for further competition, invite the 
applicant to submit a formal application. Failure to collect proper 
information could result in improper determinations of eligibility, 
improper use of funds, or hindrances in making grants authorized by the 
TAT and SWM program.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions; State, 
Local or Tribal Governments.
    Number of Respondents: 82.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Quarterly.
    Total Burden Hours: 6,369.

Rural Utilities Service

    Title: Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program.
    OMB Control Number: 0572-0134.
    Summary of Collection: Beginning in 2003 the Omnibus Appropriations 
Act (Public Law 108-7) provided grant funds in the Distance Learning 
and Telemedicine Grant Program budget, the

[[Page 32317]]

Consolidated Appropriations Act (Public Law 108-199) and the 
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (Public Law 108-447) provided 
additional funds for public broadcasting systems to meet the digital 
transition. As part of the nation's transition to digital television, 
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) required all television 
broadcasters to initiate the broadcast of a digital television signal 
and to cease analog television broadcasts on February 18, 2009. While 
stations must broadcast its main transmitter signal in digital, many 
rural stations often have translators serving small or isolated areas 
and some of these have not completed the transition to digital or fully 
converted its production and studio equipment to digital. Because the 
FCC deadline did not apply to translators, they are allowed to continue 
broadcasting in analog. The digital transition also created some 
service gaps where households receiving an analog signal cannot receive 
a digital signal. For these reasons the grant program has continued 
past the FCC digital transition deadline until 2014. The Public 
Television Digital Transition Grant Program is no longer funded.
    Need and Use of the Information: There are past awardees that 
remain in the program and the Agency continues to collect information 
from them. Awardees still in the program must complete SF-475 ``Federal 
Financial Report'' to submit financial information and SF-270 ``Request 
for Advance or Reimbursement'' to request payments. If this information 
is not collected, there would be no basis advancing grant funds to the 
grant recipients or for ensuring that the project funding is used for 
intended purposes.
    Description of Respondents: Not-for-profit institutions.
    Number of Respondents: 15.
    Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion.
    Total Burden Hours: 1 hour place holder.

Ruth Brown,
Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2017-14681 Filed 7-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-15-P