Rural Utilities Service November 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

USDA Rural Development administers loan and grant programs through the Rural Utilities Service. USDA Rural Development announces the Public Television Digital Transition Grant Program application window for fiscal year (FY) 2009. The FY 2008 funding for the Public Television Station Digital Transition Grant Program was approximately $5 million. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations bill, which may or may not provide funding for this program, to allow time to submit proposals and give the Agency adequate time to process applications within the current fiscal year. A Notice of Funding Availability will be published announcing the funding levels, if any, for Public Television Station Digital Transition grants once an appropriations bill has been enacted. Expenses incurred in developing applications will be at the applicant's risk.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development or the Agency, is amending its regulations to administer the Household Water Well System Grant Program. This action implements provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill for limits on loans that nonprofit organizations may make to homeowners for private well systems. The 2008 Farm Bill raises the loan limit to $11,000 from $8,000. The intended effect is to make part 1776 current with statutory authority. The Agency will also amend the regulation to enable existing grant recipients to amend their grant agreements for the new $11,000 loan limit. In the final rule section of the Federal Register, the Agency is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because Rural Development views this as a non-controversial action and expects no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule, and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If the Agency receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published withdrawing the direct final rule, and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to Rural Development and/or the Agency, invites comments on this information collection for which approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) will be requested.

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Programs, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development, announces its Revolving Fund Program (RFP) application window for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. In addition to announcing the application window, Rural Development announces the available funding and maximum amounts for RFP competitive grants for the fiscal year. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations bill, which may or may not provide for funding this program, to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing and submit applications. Rural Development will publish a subsequent notice identifying the amount received in the appropriations, if any. The RFP is authorized under section 306(a) of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (Con Act), 7 U.S.C. 1926(a), as amended by section 6001 of the Food, Conservation & Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill), Public Law 110-246. Qualified private non-profit organizations will receive RFP grant funds to establish a lending program for eligible entities. Eligible entities for the revolving loan fund will be the same entities eligible to obtain a loan, loan guarantee, or grant from the Rural Development Utilities Programs Water and Waste Disposal loan and grant programs.

The Rural Utilities Service, an agency delivering the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Utilities Program, hereinafter referred to as Rural Development and/or the Agency, amends its regulations for the Telecommunications Loan Program (Loan Program). The Agency has reviewed its criteria for approving loans and has determined that modifications to the Loan Program regulations are required in order to ensure that some financially sound applicants are not excluded from the Loan Program. Specifically, this rule will modify the Times Interest Earned Ratio (TIER) requirements that an applicant must comply with when receiving a loan. In addition, the rule is part of an ongoing Agency project to update Agency policies to enable borrowers to provide reliable, modern telecommunications service at reasonable costs in rural areas, while maintaining the security and feasibility of the Government's loans. In the final rules section of this Federal Register, Rural Development is publishing this action as a direct final rule without prior proposal because the Agency views this as a non-controversial action and anticipates no adverse comments. If no adverse comments are received in response to the direct final rule, no further action will be taken on this proposed rule and the action will become effective at the time specified in the direct final rule. If the Agency receives adverse comments, a timely document will be published withdrawing the direct final rule and all public comments received will be addressed in a subsequent final rule based on this action.