Streamlining the Rural Utilities Service Water and Waste Program Regulations

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) hereby amends the regulations utilized to administer the water and waste loan and grant programs. The final rule will combine the water and waste loan and grant regulations into one regulation. Unnecessary and burdensome requirements for entities seeking water and waste loan and grant financial assistance under the program are eliminated. The streamlining of the water and waste loan and grant regulation will allow RUS to provide better service to rural entities needing assistance in correcting and alleviating health and sanitary problems in their communities, and in general improve the quality of life in rural areas. This rule incorporates changes in the water and waste loan and grant program, the emergency community water assistance grant program, and the resource conversation and watershed loan programs mandated by the 1996 Farm Bill. This rule also amends the regulations originally published by the former Farmers Home Administration (FmHA) and the former Rural Development Administration (RDA). These amendments implement legislation directing the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) with responsibility for the water and waste programs formerly administered by FmHA and RDA. The amendments published in this document consist solely of nomenclature changes required by law and of amendments necessary to conform to these nomenclature changes. The substance of the regulations is not affected by these amendments. This rule could impact the amount of water and waste loan and grant funds an applicant could receive. Therefore, RUS will honor all written commitments of water and waste loan and grant amounts issued prior to the effective date of this rule.