Agency. The Rural Housing Service (RHS), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or a successor agency.

Approval official. An official who has been delegated loan or grant approval authorities within applicable programs, subject to certain dollar limitations.

CF. Community Facilities.

CFG. Community Facilities Grant.

Essential community facilities. Those public improvements requisite to the beneficial and orderly development of a community that is operated on a nonprofit basis. (See §3570.62(a)(1)). An essential community facility must:

(1) Serve a function customarily provided by a local unit of government;

(2) Be a public improvement needed for the orderly development of a rural community;

(3) Not include private affairs or commercial or business undertakings (except for limited authority for industrial parks) unless it is a minor part of the total facility;

(4) Be within the area of jurisdiction or operation for the public bodies eligible to receive assistance or a similar local rural service area of a not-for-profit corporation; and

(5) Be located in a rural area.

Facility. The physical structure financed by the Agency or the resulting service provided to rural residents.

Grantee. An entity with whom the Agency has entered into a grant agreement under this program.

Instructions. Agency internal procedures available in any Rural Development office and variously referred to as Rural Development Instructions, RD Instructions.

Minor part. No more than 15 percent of the total floor space of the proposed facility.

Nonprofit corporations. Any corporation that is not organized or maintained for the making of a profit and that meets the eligibility requirements for RHS financial assistance in accordance with §3570.61(a)(2).

Processing office. The office designated by the State program official to accept and process applications for CF projects.

Project cost. The cost of completing the proposed facility. (Facilities previously constructed will not be considered in determining project costs.) Total project cost will include only those costs eligible for CFG assistance.

Poverty line. The level of income for a family of four as defined by section 673(2) of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 U.S.C. 9902(2)).

Public body. Any State, county, city, township, incorporated town or village, borough, authority, district, economic development authority, or federally recognized Indian tribe in rural areas.

Reasonable rates and terms. The rates and terms customarily charged public and nonprofit type borrowers in similar circumstances in the ordinary course of business and subject to Agency review.

RHS. The Rural Housing Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, or a successor agency.

Rural and rural area. For fiscal year 1999, the terms “rural” and “rural area” include a city or town with a population of 20,000 or less inhabitants. There is no limitation placed on population in open rural areas. After fiscal year 1999, the terms “rural” and “rural area” include a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population of 50,000 inhabitants or less, other than an urbanized area immediately adjacent to a city, town, or unincorporated area that has a population in excess of 50,000 inhabitants. The population figures are obtained from the most recent decennial Census of the United States (decennial Census). If the applicable population figures cannot be obtained from the most recent decennial Census, RD will determine the applicable population figures based on available population data.

Rural Development. A mission area within USDA which includes Rural Housing Service, Rural Utilities Service, and Rural Business-Cooperative Service.

RUS. The Rural Utilities Service, an agency of USDA or a successor agency.

Service area. The area reasonably expected to be served by the facility.

State. The term “State” means each of the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands of the United States, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia.

State Director. The term “State Director” means, with respect to a State, the Director of the Rural Development State Office.

State nonmetropolitan median household income. The median household income of the State's nonmetropolitan counties and portions of metropolitan counties outside of cities, towns or places of 50,000 or more population.

State strategic plan. A plan developed by each State for Rural Development initiatives and the type of assistance required. Plans shall identify goals, methods, and benchmarks for measuring success.

[64 FR 32388, June 17, 1999, as amended at 69 FR 65519, Nov. 15, 2004; 80 FR 9912, Feb. 24, 2015]