Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service

Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended), the Rural Utilities Service's (RUS)

invites comments on these information collections for which RUS intends

to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

DATES: Comments on this notice must be received by June 8, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F. Lamont Heppe, Jr., Director,

Program Development Regulatory Analysis, Rural Utilities Service, 1400

Independence Ave., SW., STOP 1522, Room 4036 South Building,

Washington, DC 20250-1522. Telephone: (202) 720-9550. FAX: (202) 720-

4120.

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) require 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 information collection that RUS is

submitting to OMB for reinstatement.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether this 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 burden of the

proposed collection of information; (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 respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to: F. Lamont

Heppe, Jr., Director, Program Development and Regulatory Analysis,

Rural Utilities Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, STOP 1522,

1400 Independence Ave., SW., Washington, DC 20250-1522. FAX: (202) 720-

4120.

Title: Accounting Requirements for Electric and Telecommunications

Borrowers and Manual for Preservation of Electric Borrowers Records.

OMB Control Number: 0572-0003.

Type of Request: Extension of a previously approved information

collection, with change to combine 0572-0002 (Accounting Requirements

for Electric Borrowers), 0572-0003 (Accounting Requirements for RUS

Telephone Borrowers), and 0572-0012 (Manual for Preservation of

Borrowers' Records, Electric.)

Abstract: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) manages programs in

accordance with the Rural Electrification Act (RE Act) of 1936, 7

U.S.C. 901 et seq., as amended, and as prescribed by OMB Circular A-

129, Policies for Federal Credit Programs and Non-Tax Receivables.

The combination of these regulations and bulletin will provide the

system of accounts to be used by RUS electric and telecommunications

borrowers to provide RUS management with the information necessary to

evaluate their financial performance, provides consistency and

comparability of financial information, and determines the period

records are to be retained to meet RUS' audit objective as well as

other financial considerations.

Respondents: Small businesses or organizations.

Estimated Number of Recordkeepers: 1,610.

Estimated Annual Hours Per Recordkeeper: 150 hours.

Estimated Total Recordkeeping Hours: 241,760 hours.

Requests for copies of an information collection can be obtained

from Gail Salgado-Duff, Program Support and Regulatory Analysis, at

(202) 205-3660. FAX: (202) 720-4120.

All responses to this notice will be summarized and included in the

request

[[Page 17151]]

for OMB approval. All comments will also become a matter of public

record.

Dated: April 3, 1998.

Wally Beyer,

Administrator, Rural Utilities Service.

[FR Doc. 98-9202 Filed 4-7-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-15-P