Notice of Request for Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection; Comments Requested.

AGENCY:

Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) invites comments on this information collection for which RUS intends to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES:

Comments on this notice must be received by October 12, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Arlette Mussington, Management Analyst, Rural Development Innovation Center—Regulations Management Division, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4227, South Building, Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 720-2825. Email arlette.mussington@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Office of Management and Budget's (OMB) regulation (5 CFR 1320) implementing provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13) requires that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8(d)). This notice identifies an information collection that RUS is submitting to OMB for revision.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (b) The accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (c) Ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) 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 may be sent by the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, in the lower “Search Regulations and Federal Actions” box, select “RUS” from the agency drop-down menu, then click on “Submit.” In the Docket ID column, select RUS-21-WATER-0008 to submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related materials available electronically. Information on using Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the site's “User Tips” link.

Title: The Rural Alaska Village Grant (RAVG) Program.

OMB Control Number: 0572-0150.

Expiration Date of Approval: February 28, 2022.

Type of Request: Revision of a Currently Approved Information Collection.

Abstract: The Rural Alaska Village Grant (RAVG) Program is authorized under Section 305D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (CONACT), (7 U.S.C. 1926(d)), as amended. Governing regulations are currently codified in 7 CFR 1780. Under the RAVG program, the Secretary of Agriculture may make grants to the State of Alaska for the benefit of rural or Native Villages in Alaska to provide for the development and construction of water and wastewater systems to improve the health and sanitation conditions in those Villages. To be eligible to receive a grant under the RAVG program, the project must provide 25 percent in matching funds from the State of Alaska. The matching funds must come from non-Federal sources. The Secretary shall consult with the State of Alaska on a method of prioritizing the allocation of grants according to the needs of, and relative health and sanitation conditions in each village.

Estimate of Burden: Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1.36 hours per response.

Respondents: Business or other for profit, not-for-profit institutions, State, Local, or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 36.

Estimated Number of Responses per Respondent: 18.7.

Estimated Number of Responses: 446.

Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 598.

Copies of this information collection can be obtained from Arlette Mussington, Innovation Center—Regulations Management Division, at (202) 720-2825. Email: arlette.mussington@usda.gov.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the request for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public record.