168b - Contractor's Bond

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB
control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0572-0107. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1 minute per
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information including suggestions for reducing burden to: USDA-RUS, Attn.: Director, PDRA, 1400 Independence
Ave., S.W., STOP, 1522, Washington, DC 20250-1522; and to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Paperwork Reduction Project (1910-1800), Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC 20503.

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Rural Utilities Service

CONTRACTOR'S BOND
1.

, as

Know all persons that we,
Principal, and

, as Surety,

are held and firmly bound unto
(hereinafter called the ''Owner'') and unto the United States of America (hereinafter called the ''Government'')
and unto all persons, firms and corporations who or which may furnish materials for or perform labor on a
Rural Utilities Service project known as
and to their successors and assigns, in the penal sum of
dollars ($
), as hereinafter set forth and for the payment of which sum well
and truly to be made we bind ourselves, our executors, administrators, successors and assigns jointly and
severally by these presents. Said project is described in a certain construction contract (hereinafter called the
"Construction Contract'') between the Owner and the Principal, dated
, 20
,
pursuant and subject to a certain loan contract (hereinafter called the ''Loan Contract'') between the Owner
and the Government, acting through the Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (hereinafter called the
''Administrator'').
2.

The condition of this obligation is such that if the Principal shall well and truly perform and fulfill all the
undertakings, covenants, terms, conditions and agreements of the Construction Contract and any amendments
thereto, whether such amendments are or additions, decreases, or changes in materials, their quantity, kind or
price, labor costs, mileage, routing or any other purpose whatsoever, and whether such amendments are made
with or without notice to the Surety, and shall fully indemnify and save harmless the Owner and the
Government from all costs and damages which they, or either of them, shall suffer or incur by reason of any
failure so to do, and shall fully reimburse and repay the Owner and the Government for all outlay and expense
which they, or either of them shall incur in making good any such failure of performance on the part of the
Principal, and shall promptly make payment to all persons working on or supplying labor or materials for use
in the construction of the project contemplated in the Construction Contract and any amendments thereto, in
respect of such labor or materials furnished and used therein, to the full extent thereof, and in respect of such
labor or materials furnished but not so used, to the extent of the quantities estimated in the Construction
Contract and any amendments thereto to be required for the construction of the project, and shall well and
truly reimburse the Owner and the Government, as their respective interests may appear, for any excess in cost
of construction of said project over the cost of such construction as provided in the Construction Contract and
any amendments thereto, occasioned by any default of the Principal under the Construction Contract and any
amendments thereto, then this obligation shall be null and void, but otherwise shall remain in full force and
effect.

3.

It is expressly agreed that this bond shall be deemed amended automatically and immediately, without formal
and separate amendments hereto, upon any amendment to the Construction Contract, so as to bind the
Principal and the Surety to the full and faithful performance of the Construction Contract as so amended,
provided only that the total amount of all increases in the cost of construction shall not exceed 20 percent of the
amount of the maximum price set forth in the Construction Contract. The term ''Amendment,'' wherever used in
this bond, and whether referring to this bond, the Construction Contract or the Loan Contract shall include any
alteration, addition, extension, modification, amendment, rescission, waiver, release or annulment, of any
character whatsoever.

4.

It is expressly agreed that any amendment which may be made by agreement or otherwise between the
Principal and the Owner in the terms, provisions, covenants and conditions of the Construction Contract, or in
the terms, provisions, covenants and conditions of the Loan Contract (including, without limitation, the
granting by the Administrator to the Owner of any extension of time for the performance of the obligations of

Expires: 03/31/2015

RUS FORM 168b (Rev. 2-04)

the Owner under the Loan Contract or the granting by the Administrator or the Owner to the Principal of any
extension of time for the performance of the obligations of the Principal under the Construction Contract, or
the failure or refusal of the Administrator or the Owner to take any action, proceeding or step to enforce any
remedy or exercise any right under either the Construction Contract or the Loan Contract, or the taking of any
action, proceeding or step by the Administrator or the Owner, acting in good faith upon the belief that the same
is permitted by the provisions of the Construction Contract or the Loan Contract) shall not in any way release
the Principal and the Surety, or either of them or their respective executors, administrators, successors or
assigns, from liability hereunder. The Surety hereby acknowledges receipt of notice of any amendment,
indulgence or forbearance, made, granted or permitted.
5.

This bond is made for the benefit of all persons, firms and corporations who or which may furnish any
materials or perform any labor for or on account of the construction to be performed under the Construction
Contract and any amendments thereto, and they, and each of them, are hereby made obligees hereunder with
the same force and effect as if their names were written herein as such, and they and each of them may sue
hereon.
In witness whereof, the undersigned have caused this instrument to be executed and their respective corporate seals
to be affixed and attested by their duly authorized representatives this
day of

,

20

.

Principal

ATTEST:

(SEAL)

By

Secretary

Surety

ATTEST:

By

Secretary

Address of Surety's Home Office

By
Resident Agent of Surety

Signatures: The Contractor's Bond must be signed with the full name of the Contractor. If the Contractor is a partnership the
Contractor's Bond must be signed in the partnership name by a partner. If the Contractor is a corporation the Contractor's
Bond must be signed in the corporate name by a duly authorized officer and the corporate seal affixed and attested by the
Secretary of the corporation. A typewritten copy of all such names and signatures shall be appended.
Power of Attorney: The Contractor's Bond must be accompanied by a power of attorney authorizing execution on behalf of the
Surety and, in jurisdictions so requiring should be countersigned by a duly authorized resident agent of the Surety.

RUS FORM 168b (Rev. 2-04)

(SEAL)