Notice2026-10005
Information Collection Request; Online Loan Application
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
May 19, 2026
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentFarm Service Agency
Abstract
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently approved collection associated with an automated FSA Online Loan Application for Direct Loan Making Program. For Direct Loan Making Programs, the information collected is used in eligibility and feasibility determinations for loan making actions. Future releases of the FSA Online Loan Application will provide additional functionality and components for Direct Loan Making applications.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 96 (Tuesday, May 19, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29109-29110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-10005]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Farm Service Agency
[Docket ID: FSA-2026-0298]
Information Collection Request; Online Loan Application
AGENCY: Farm Service Agency, USDA.
ACTION: Notice; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,
the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is requesting comments from all
interested individuals and organizations on a revision of a currently
approved collection associated with an automated FSA Online Loan
Application for Direct Loan Making Program. For Direct Loan Making
Programs, the information collected is used in eligibility and
feasibility determinations for loan making actions. Future releases of
the FSA Online Loan Application will provide additional functionality
and components for Direct Loan Making applications.
DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by July 20, 2026.
ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments in response to this notice.
FSA prefers that the comments are submitted electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal, identified by Docket ID No. FSA-2026-0298,
go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> and search for docket ID FSA-2026-
0298. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
All comments received will be posted without change and made
publicly available on <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to the
collection activities or to obtain a copy of the information collection
request: For the Direct Loan Making Program please contact Matthew
Christian; telephone; (423) 788-2007; email:
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ea878b9e9e828f9dc489829883999e838b84aa9f998e8bc48d859c"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="b0ddd1c4c4d8d5c79ed3d8c2d9c3c4d9d1def0c5c3d4d19ed7dfc6">[email protected]</span></a>. Persons with disabilities who require
alternative means for communication should contact the USDA Target
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice) or (844) 433-2774 (toll-free
nationwide).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Farm Loan Programs, Online Loan Application.
OMB Control Number: 0560-0317.
Expiration Date: November 30, 2026.
Type of Request: Revision of a currently approved information
collection.
Abstract: FSA's Farm Loan Programs provide loans to family farmers
to purchase real estate and equipment, and to finance agricultural
production. In response to Executive Order 14058--Transforming Federal
Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in
Government, FSA simplified the Direct Farm Loan application by reducing
the number of forms required for completion of form FSA-2001, ``Request
for Direct Loan Assistance'' from 29 pages to 13 pages. The simplified
paper application was released in March 2023. In December 2023, FSA
launched the FSA Online Loan Application (OLA) through which Farm Loan
Program applicants desiring an automated application experience could
submit requests for Direct Loan assistance. For the initial launch, the
FSA OLA was only available to individual operators. FSA later expanded
OLA in August 2024 to accept requests from informal entities, including
married couples. In April 2026, further OLA expansion occurred to
accept requests from legal entity applicants. As it relates to
available loan types, OLA is only available for Farm Ownership Loans
and Operating Loans requests. It is not available for Youth Loans,
Emergency Loans, or the Indian Tribal Land Acquisition Loan Program. As
it relates solely to the automated form FSA-2001 completed via the OLA
experience, the burden hours were projected to decrease from the paper
FSA-2001 ``Request for Direct Loan Assistance'' form due to the
intuitive design of the online application software.
FSA is currently exploring broader IT Modernization efforts to
enhance program delivery. As part of the broader IT modernization
effort, the existing OLA platform may be incorporated into a new fully
integrated lending platform for USDA. OMB review and approval will be
required prior to implementation of any new online loan intake
software.
For the following estimated total annual burden on respondents, the
formula used to calculate the total burden hour is the estimated
average time per response hours multiplied by the estimated total
annual responses.
Type of Respondents: Individuals or households (informal entities),
businesses (legal entities,) or other for-profit farms.
Estimated Annual Number of Respondents: 668.
[[Page 29110]]
Estimated Number of Reponses Per Respondent: 1.16.
Estimated Total Annual Responses: 775.
Estimated Average Time per Response: 1.49 hours.
Estimated Total Annual Burden on Respondents: 1,152 hours.
We are requesting comments on all aspects of this information
collection to help us to:
(1) Evaluate whether the collection of information is necessary for
the proper performance of the functions of FSA, including whether the
information will have practical utility;
(2) Evaluate the accuracy of FSA's estimate of burden including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to
be collected;
(4) 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.
All comments received in response to this notice, including names
and addresses when provided, will be a matter of public record.
Comments will be summarized and included in the submission for Office
of Management and Budget approval.
William Beam,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency.
[FR Doc. 2026-10005 Filed 5-18-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-E2-P
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