(a) Rural Utilities Service (RUS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture established pursuant to section 232 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354, 108 Stat. 3178). Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture established pursuant to section 232 of the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-354, 108 Stat. 3178), successor to the Soil Conservation Service. RUS will make WS and RCD loans available to sponsoring local public bodies, agencies, and nonprofit organizations to assist them in obtaining the local cost of WS works of improvement and RCD measures. Any processing or servicing activity conducted pursuant to this part involving authorized assistance to RUS employees, members of their families, known close relatives, or business or close personal associates, is subject to the provisions of subpart D of part 1900 of this title. Applicants for this assistance are required to identify any known relationship or association with an RUS employee. RUS will assist the local sponsors and the NRCS in making loans from NRCS construction funds as WS advances when needed for the development of future water supplies or for site preservation.

(b) Rural Development State and local offices will administer these programs on behalf of RUS and will coordinate application processing with the NRCS and other appropriate State and Federal agencies.

[62 FR 33500, June 19, 1997, as amended at 80 FR 9864, Feb. 24, 2015]