In accordance
with 5 CFR 1320, this information collection is approved for 6
months as an emergency clearance to meet the statutory obligation
to implement Section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural Investment
Act of 2002. If the Agency decides to continue use of the
collection past the approved emergency clearance time period, it
must resubmit an ICR to OMB under the normal PRA clearance process
and address comments received in response to the related Notice of
Funding Availability.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
12/31/2016
6 Months From Approved
212
0
0
1,354
0
0
0
0
0
The Rural Energy Savings Program helps
rural families and small businesses achieve cost savings by
providing loans to qualified consumers to relend funds to rural
consumers for the purpose of implementing energy efficiency
measures.
On December 18, 2015,
the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2029) received
Congressional approval. Section 744 of H.R. 2029 appropriated
funding to carry out section 6407 of the Farm Security and Rural
Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a) provided that the Secretary
of Agriculture launch the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP)
authorized by the section during the 2016 Fiscal Year and that the
program be carried out through USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS).
RUS has determined that issuing a Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA) is the best course of action to allow the program to launch
in FY 2016. The NOFA must be published and applicants allowed
adequate time to submit applications which the program must, in
turn, review prior to the close of the 2016 Fiscal Year. A normal
clearance process would delay the actual implementation of the
program and render the allocation ineffective if the program were
not implemented. The collection is vital for the agency to make
informed decisions regarding the eligibility of borrowers, to
ensure that funds obtained from the Government are awarded and used
for the purpose for which the funding was made.
PL:
Pub.L. 114 - 113 744 Name of Law: 2016 Omnibus Appropriations
Bill
US Code: 7
USC 8107a Name of Law: Farm Security and Rural Investment Act
of 2002
PL: Pub.L. 114 - 113 x Name of Law:
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016
This is a new collection and
emergency review is requested. The Rural Energy Savings Program
(RESP) was authorized in section 6407 of the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 (7 U.S.C. 8107a). On December 18,
2015, the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill (H.R. 2029) received
Congressional Approval and section 744 of the bill appropriated
funding to carry out Section 6407 provided that the Secretary
launch the RESP program during FY 2016 and that the program be
carried out through USDA Rural Utilities Service. The agency has
determined that the issuance of a Notice of Funding Availability
(NOFA) is the best course of action to allow the program to launch
in FY 2016, and the collection of information is vital for the
agency to make informed decisions to administer the program and
maintain the Federal government security interest. The agency is
requesting approval for an annual burden of 1,354 based upon an
estimate of 20 annual respondents and as described in the attached
Supporting Statement.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.