Rural Utilities Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 a revision of a currently approved information collection and invites comments on this information collection.

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.

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

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development (RD) mission area of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal Register on June 22, 2023, to announce the acceptance of applications under the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Disaster Water Grants Program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. The NOFO also announced the availability of at least $247,250,000 in grant funding through the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2023. Grant funds will be made available to qualified, rural applicants to pay for necessary expenses related to water infrastructure systems damaged by events that occurred during CY 2022 and were recognized through Presidentially Declared Disasters. This correction notice is amending the list of states that were identified as containing areas that have been impacted by qualifying events during CY 2022.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS), Rural Housing Service (RHS), and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), agencies of the Rural Development 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 provides applicants with the Guarantee Fee rates, Guarantee percentage for Guaranteed Loans, the Periodic Retention Fee, and Fee for Issuance of the Loan Note Guarantee Prior to Construction Completion for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, to be used when applying for guaranteed loans under the guaranteed loan types listed above. This notice is being published prior to the passage of a FY 2024 appropriation. Should the fees need to be adjusted after passage of the FY 2024 appropriations, the agency will publish a subsequent notice in the Federal Register.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announced its intent to solicit Letters of Interest (LOI) for applications under the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) Program in a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) on May 16, 2023, in the Federal Register. In addition, the NOFO announced the eligibility requirements, application process and deadlines, and the criteria that RUS will use to assess New ERA Applications. This notice is making corrections and amendments to clarify timelines for application submission, ensure applicants know they are required to establish a Verified eAuthentication ID, inform applicants that they are eligible for the New ERA Program even if they are subject to a ``cooling off period'' under the Rural Electrification Act, and to notify applicants that the Agency will provide general assistance to applicants through the RUS' General Field Representatives (GFRs) prior to LOI submissions.

On September 10, 2021, Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service (hereinafter referred to as ``the Agency'') published a document that completed modifications to existing program regulations to implement statutory provisions of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill). Following the final implementation of the final rule, the Agency found that an amendment was necessary to clarify the meaning of a sentence. This document clarifies the final rule.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, as amended, 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.

The Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) Program is intended for governmental entities and non-profits that foster economic development, job creation and business creation in rural and Tribal communities. Eligible applicants for RBDG assistance include rural towns, communities, State agencies, authorities, nonprofit corporations, institutions of higher education, Federally recognized Tribes (https://www.bia.gov/service/tribal-leaders-directory) and cooperatives (if organized as a private nonprofit corporation). USDA intends to improve Tribal Government participation in the program. This proposed rule seeks to increase Tribal Government participation with programmatic amendments.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), an agency in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Mission area, published a final rule with comment in the Federal Register on February 6, 2023, to revise its Policy on Audits to change the title, remove an unnecessary report, update terminology, clarify Agency contacts and filing requirements, and update or remove any outdated references. The document also made conforming changes to other regulations. These changes provide uniformity and consistency for all RUS awardees. Through this action, RUS is confirming the final rule as it was published and providing responses to the public comments that were received.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) Agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is soliciting Letters of Interest (LOI) for loan Applications, announcing the Application process for those loans, and providing deadlines for Applications from eligible entities under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) Program. These loan funds will be made to qualified PACE Applicants to finance power generation Projects for Renewable Energy Resource (RER) systems or Energy Storage Systems (ESS) that support RER Projects. The PACE Program has $1,000,000,000 available in appropriated funds under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA).

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applicationsfor Broadband Technical Assistance (BTA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. Broadband Technical Assistance provides competitive cooperative agreement funding to eligible entities to receive or deliver broadband technical assistance and training that promotes the expansion of broadband into rural areas. Examples of broadband technical assistance projects may include conducting feasibility studies, completing network designs, and developing broadband financial assistance applications. This announcement lists the information needed to submit an application.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announces the acceptance of applications under the Guarantees for Bonds and Notes Issued for Utility Infrastructure Purposes Program (the 313A Program) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. This notice is being issued in order to allow applicants sufficient time to prepare and submit their applications and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2023. Based on FY 2023 appropriated funding, the Agency announces that $900 million will be available for FY 2023. The purpose of the 313A Program is to guarantee loans to selected applicants as a Guaranteed Lender. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through apportionment. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency,'' published in the Federal Register on December 6, 2022, a final rule with request for comments. The Agency received no substantiative comments, so this notice confirms the final rule as published.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule with request for comment. The intent of this rule is to revise its Policy on Audits to change the title, remove an unnecessary report, update terminology, clarify Agency contacts and filing requirements and update or remove any outdated references. This document will also make conforming changes to other regulations. These changes will provide uniformity and consistency for all RUS awardees.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency'', is issuing a final rule with comment. The intent of the final rule is to make updates to the Rural eConnectivity Program (ReConnect Program) regulation to ensure that requirements are clear, accurate as presented and in compliance with Federal reporting requirements.

Notice is hereby given that the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the Department of Agriculture (USDA), has issued a Record of Decision (ROD) to meet its responsibilities in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, RUS Environmental Policies and Procedure, and other applicable environmental requirements related to providing financial assistance for Badger State Solar's, LLC proposed Alternating Current solar project (Project) in Wisconsin. The Administrator of RUS has signed the ROD, which was effective upon signing. This ROD concludes RUS environmental review process in accordance with NEPA and RUS, Environmental Policies and Procedures. The ultimate decision as to loan approval depends on the conclusion of the environmental review process plus financial and engineering analyses. Issuance of the ROD will allow these reviews to proceed. The ROD is not a decision on the Badger State Solar's loan application and is not an approval of the expenditure of federal funds.

President Joe Biden has pledged that every American will have access to affordable, reliable, high speed internet. Digital equity devices, skills and affordability that bring the internet to lifeare a critical part of that mission. As part of that work, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS or the Agency), a Rural Development (RD) agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), announce the acceptance of applications under the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) grant program for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, subject to the availability of funding. This notice is being issued prior to passage of a FY 2023 Appropriations Act in order to allow applicants sufficient time to leverage financing, prepare and submit their applications, and give the Agency time to process applications within FY 2023. Based on FY 2022 appropriated funding, the Agency estimates that approximately $64 million will be available for FY 2023. Successful applications will be selected by the Agency for funding and subsequently awarded to the extent that funding may ultimately be made available through appropriations. All applicants are responsible for any expenses incurred in developing their applications.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS or Agency), a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is issuing a final rule with comment. The intent of this rule is to revise several regulations to streamline procedures for Electric Program borrowers, including its loan application requirements, approval of work plans and load forecasts, use of approved contracts and system design procedures and reporting requirements.

The Under Secretary for Rural Development (RD) is seeking applications for the Strategic Economic and Community Development (SECD) priority, as reauthorized by Section 6401 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (2018 Farm Bill) for projects that support multi-jurisdictional and multi-sectoral strategic community investment plans. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, the Agency will implement SECD by reserving loan and/or grant funds from the appropriations of the programs covered by this funding priority. This notice describes the requirements by which the Agency will consider projects eligible for the covered programs' reserved appropriated funds and the information needed to submit an application. This NOSA is being issued prior to passage of a final appropriations act for FY 2023 to allow potential applicants time to submit applications for financial assistance under the covered programs and to give the Agency time to process applications. Once the FY 2023 funding amounts are determined, the Agency will publish them on its website at https://www.rd.usda.gov/ newsroom/notices-solicitation-applications-nosas.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice announces the Rural Utilities Service's (RUS or Agency), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, intention to request a new information collection package for the Broadband Technical Assistance Program (BTA Program). The BTA Program provides financial assistance to technical assistance providers and rural communities to promote the expansion of broadband service into unserved rural areas.

The Rural Utilities Service (the Agency) published a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) in the Federal Register of August 4, 2022, entitled Rural eConnectivity Program (ReConnect Program) to announce that it was accepting a second round of applications for fiscal year 2022 (FY 22) utilizing funding provided under the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act. In addition, the FOA defined requirements that are determined at the time a funding announcement is published, as outlined in the regulation.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as amended, RUS's implementing regulations, and other applicable environmental requirements related to providing financial assistance for Badger State Solar, LLC's proposed Alternating Current solar project (Project) in Wisconsin. RUS has included documentation in the FEIS demonstrating RUS has completed its responsibilities under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties.'' The FEIS addresses the construction, operation, and maintenance of a 149 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic (PV) alternating current solar energy generating facility on a site in in Jefferson County, Wisconsin described previously in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). It also addresses comments received during the comment period for the DEIS.

The Rural Utilities Service, a Rural Development agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), hereinafter referred to as ``RUS'' or ``the Agency,'' published in the Federal Register on September 10, 2021, a final rule with request for comments. This document presents the opportunity for the Agency to provide its responses to the public comments received on the final rule and to confirm the final rule as published.

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announces that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a project proposed by Badger State Solar, LLC is available for public review and comment. RUS is publishing the Draft EIS to inform interested parties and the general public about the project proposal and to invite the public to comment on the scope, Proposed Action, and other issues addressed in the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA, and RUS, Environmental Policies and Procedures and evaluates the potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects related to providing financial assistance for the Badger State Solar, LLC's Alternating Current solar project (Project). Badger State Solar intends to request financial assistance from RUS for the Proposed Action and information contained in the EIS will serve as a basis for the decision regarding whether to provide the requested financial assistance. RUS has determined that its action regarding the Proposed Action is an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' and as part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must take into account the effect of the Proposed Action on historic properties. With this notice, RUS invites any affected federal, state, and local agencies, Tribes, and other interested persons to comment on the scope, alternatives, and significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the EIS.