Business and Industry (B&I) Priority Scoring Notice for Fiscal Year 2024, 85207-85208 [2023-26802]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 234 / Thursday, December 7, 2023 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service [Docket No. APHIS–2023–0071] Addition of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo to the List of Regions Affected by African Swine Fever Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: We are advising the public that we have added Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list maintained on the APHIS website of regions considered to be affected with African swine fever (ASF). We have taken this action because of the confirmation of ASF in those countries. DATES: Bosnia and Herzegovina was added to the APHIS list of regions considered affected with ASF effective June 26, 2023. Kosovo was added to the APHIS list of regions considered affected with ASF effective August 7, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Heather Sriranganathan, APHIS Veterinary Services, Regionalization Evaluation Services, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, 20747; phone: (717) 818–3582; email: AskRegionalization@ usda.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to below as the regulations) govern the importation of specified animals and animal products to prevent the introduction into the United States of various animal diseases, including African swine fever (ASF). ASF is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that can spread rapidly with extremely high rates of morbidity and mortality. A list of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist is maintained on the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animaland-animal-product-importinformation/animal-health-status-ofregions/. This list is referenced in § 94.8(a)(2) of the regulations. Section 94.8(a)(3) of the regulations states that APHIS will add a region to the list referenced in § 94.8(a)(2) upon determining ASF exists in the region or having reason to believe the disease exists in the region, based on reports APHIS receives of outbreaks of the disease from veterinary officials of the exporting country, from the World Organization for Animal Health ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:23 Dec 06, 2023 Jkt 262001 (WOAH),1 or from other sources the Administrator determines to be reliable, or upon determining that there is reason to believe the disease exists in the region. Section 94.8(a)(1) of the regulations specifies the criteria on which the Administrator bases the reason to believe ASF exists in a region. Section 94.8(b) prohibits the importation of pork and pork products from regions listed in accordance with § 94.8 except if processed and treated in accordance with the provisions specified in that section or consigned to an APHIS-approved establishment for further processing. Section 96.2 restricts the importation of swine casings that originated in or were processed in a region where ASF exists, as listed under § 94.8(a). On June 22, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina reported to WOAH the occurrence of ASF in that country. In response to that report, on June 26, 2023, APHIS added Bosnia and Herzegovina to the list of regions where ASF exists or the Administrator has reason to believe that ASF exists, in compliance with § 94.8(a)(3). This notice serves as an official record and public notification of that action. On July 17, 2023, the veterinary authorities of Kosovo reported to the European Commission the confirmation of ASF in that country. In response to the European Union’s Animal Diseases Information System report, on August 7, 2023, APHIS added Kosovo to the list of regions where ASF exists or the Administrator has reason to believe that ASF exists, in compliance with § 94.8(a)(3). This notice serves as an official record and public notification of that action. As a result, pork and pork products from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo, including casings, are subject to APHIS import restrictions designed to mitigate the risk of ASF introduction into the United States. Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1633, 7701–7772, 7781–7786, and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4. Done in Washington, DC, this 1st day of December 2023. Michael Watson, Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. [FR Doc. 2023–26865 Filed 12–6–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 1 The World Organization for Animal Health internationally follows a British English spelling of ‘‘organisation’’ in its name; also, it was formerly the Office International des Epizooties, or OIE, but on May 28, 2022, the Organization announced that the acronym was changed from OIE to WOAH. PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 85207 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Business-Cooperative Service [Docket No. RBS–23–BUSINESS–0027] Business and Industry (B&I) Priority Scoring Notice for Fiscal Year 2024 Rural Business-Cooperative Service. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The Rural BusinessCooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency, offer loan guarantees through four programs: Community Facilities (CF) administered by the RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by the RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) administered by the RBCS. This notice is establishing a minimum priority score of 20 points, not including administrative points, for B&I loan guarantees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans. This notice is being published prior to the passage of an FY 2024 appropriation. DATES: The minimum priority score in this notice is effective October 1, 2023. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information specific to this notice contact Brenda Griffin, Chief, Underwriting Branch, Rural BusinessCooperative Service, Rural Development, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250–1522. Telephone: (202) 720– 6802. Email: Brenda.Griffin@usda.gov. For information regarding implementation, contact your respective Rural Development State Office listed here: https://www.rd.usda.gov/browsestate. SUMMARY: In accordance with 7 CFR 5001.315(c)(2), for FY 2024 the Agency is establishing a minimum priority score of 20 points, not including administrative points, for B&I loan guarantees due to strong demand for program funds. Priority points for B&I loan guarantee applications will be awarded in accordance with the priorities outlined in 7 CFR 5001.318, B&I Priority Point System. At the time of application, lenders must provide necessary information related to determining the priority score. To the greatest extent possible, lenders should consider the established priorities of the Agency SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1 85208 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 234 / Thursday, December 7, 2023 / Notices when submitting projects for a loan guarantee. All applications that meet the minimum priority score will be processed on an ongoing basis and funds will be awarded continuously through August 30, 2024, subject to the availability of funding. Beginning on September 3, 2024, all remaining unfunded B&I applications will compete for funds remaining after all state allocations are pooled into the National Office. Applications that do not meet the minimum applicable score will be allowed to compete in this funding competition if funding remains available. Any applications that remain unfunded after the funding competition will be handled as described in 7 CFR 5001.315(e). ddrumheller on DSK120RN23PROD with NOTICES1 Administrative Points In the event there are not enough funds available to fund all applications during the funding competition beginning on September 3, 2024, projects that have a tie score can be awarded administrative points as outlined in 7 CFR 5001.318(e). These Administrative points will be awarded to applications that help meet the FY2024 Rural Development Priorities to; 1. Assist rural communities to recover economically through more and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure. 2. Ensure all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs and benefits from RD funded projects. 3. Reduce climate pollution and increase resilience to the impacts of climate change through economic support for rural communities. The Agency will verify that the project is located in an area that addresses these three priorities using the maps at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ priority-points/rural-developmentpriorities-fy-2024. If a tie remains, the Agency will give priority to the project that will create and/or save the most jobs. Non-Discrimination Statement In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA Programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/ parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or VerDate Sep<11>2014 20:23 Dec 06, 2023 Jkt 262001 activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA through the 711 Relay Service. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form, AD–3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/ files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632–9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD– 3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or (2) Fax: (833) 256–1665 or (202)690– 7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Karama Neal, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA Rural Development. [FR Doc. 2023–26802 Filed 12–6–23; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–XY–P DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Office of the Secretary Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Generic Clearance Program Performance Progress Reports Office of the Secretary, Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment. AGENCY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 other Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information collection requirements and minimize the public’s reporting burden. The purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment preceding submission of the collection to OMB. To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed information collection must be received on or before February 5, 2024. DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by mail to the Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, at PRAcomments@ doc.gov. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or specific questions related to collection activities should be directed to S. Dumas, Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, at 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230, (202) 482–3306, or PRAcomments@ doc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract This is a request for a new generic clearance to collect performance and progress data from recipients and subrecipients who receive funding from DOC under a discretionary grant or cooperative agreement. This information is required to monitor and report program performance. DOC provides grants that promote the economic and social well-being of individuals and communities with partnerships, funding, guidance, training, and technical assistance. Currently, most program offices are using the standard grant forms (SF) for progress reporting, which require grantees to only respond to a common set of questions that often solicits incomplete information. This one-sizefits-all approach does not adequately collect the specific data needed for particular grant programs or allow program offices to assess continuous quality improvement. Different grant programs vary in purpose, target population, and activities. Thus, a need for program offices to customize performance measurements has been identified. Therefore, this generic Program Specific Performance Progress Report collection is being proposed. E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM 07DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 234 (Thursday, December 7, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85207-85208]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26802]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Business-Cooperative Service

[Docket No. RBS-23-BUSINESS-0027]


Business and Industry (B&I) Priority Scoring Notice for Fiscal 
Year 2024

AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing 
Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the 
Rural Development (RD) mission area within the U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter collectively referred to as the Agency, 
offer loan guarantees through four programs: Community Facilities (CF) 
administered by the RHS; Water and Waste Disposal (WWD) administered by 
the RUS; and Business and Industry (B&I) and Rural Energy for America 
Program (REAP) administered by the RBCS. This notice is establishing a 
minimum priority score of 20 points, not including administrative 
points, for B&I loan guarantees for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to be used 
when applying for guaranteed loans. This notice is being published 
prior to the passage of an FY 2024 appropriation.

DATES: The minimum priority score in this notice is effective October 
1, 2023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information specific to this 
notice contact Brenda Griffin, Chief, Underwriting Branch, Rural 
Business-Cooperative Service, Rural Development, USDA, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 
720-6802. Email: [email protected]. For information regarding 
implementation, contact your respective Rural Development State Office 
listed here: https://www.rd.usda.gov/browse-state.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with 7 CFR 5001.315(c)(2), for 
FY 2024 the Agency is establishing a minimum priority score of 20 
points, not including administrative points, for B&I loan guarantees 
due to strong demand for program funds. Priority points for B&I loan 
guarantee applications will be awarded in accordance with the 
priorities outlined in 7 CFR 5001.318, B&I Priority Point System. At 
the time of application, lenders must provide necessary information 
related to determining the priority score. To the greatest extent 
possible, lenders should consider the established priorities of the 
Agency

[[Page 85208]]

when submitting projects for a loan guarantee. All applications that 
meet the minimum priority score will be processed on an ongoing basis 
and funds will be awarded continuously through August 30, 2024, subject 
to the availability of funding.
    Beginning on September 3, 2024, all remaining unfunded B&I 
applications will compete for funds remaining after all state 
allocations are pooled into the National Office. Applications that do 
not meet the minimum applicable score will be allowed to compete in 
this funding competition if funding remains available. Any applications 
that remain unfunded after the funding competition will be handled as 
described in 7 CFR 5001.315(e).

Administrative Points

    In the event there are not enough funds available to fund all 
applications during the funding competition beginning on September 3, 
2024, projects that have a tie score can be awarded administrative 
points as outlined in 7 CFR 5001.318(e). These Administrative points 
will be awarded to applications that help meet the FY2024 Rural 
Development Priorities to;
    1. Assist rural communities to recover economically through more 
and better market opportunities and through improved infrastructure.
    2. Ensure all rural residents have equitable access to RD programs 
and benefits from RD funded projects.
    3. Reduce climate pollution and increase resilience to the impacts 
of climate change through economic support for rural communities.
    The Agency will verify that the project is located in an area that 
addresses these three priorities using the maps at https://www.rd.usda.gov/priority-points/rural-development-priorities-fy-2024. 
If a tie remains, the Agency will give priority to the project that 
will create and/or save the most jobs.

Non-Discrimination Statement

    In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its 
agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or 
administering USDA Programs are prohibited from discriminating based on 
race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including 
gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital 
status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance 
program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil 
rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA 
(not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing 
deadlines vary by program or incident.
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of 
communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, 
audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible 
Agency or USDA through the 711 Relay Service. Program information may 
be made available in languages other than English.
    To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should 
complete a Form, AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, 
which can be obtained online at https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 
632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must 
contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a 
written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient 
detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about 
the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed 
AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted 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; or
    (2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202)690-7442; or
    (3) email: [email protected].
    USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

Karama Neal,
Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA Rural 
Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-26802 Filed 12-6-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-XY-P

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