(a) In addition to requirements set forth in 7 CFR part 1735, 7 CFR part 1737 and other applicable parts of 7 CFR chapter XVII, the following are certain additional requirements that must be met before RUS will approve a loan:
(1) If the borrower had 100 or more employees as of the prior December 31, it must submit the current annual Employer Information Report EEO-1, Standard Form 100, as required by the Department of Labor; see 29 CFR 1602.7 through 1602.14.
(2) The borrower must be in compliance with regulations on nondiscrimination. See 7 CFR part 1790 (or RUS Bulletin 320-19).
(3) For subsequent loans, RUS must determine whether the borrower's accounting records are adequate. If the records are not adequate, as determined by RUS based on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles or other accounting conventions as deemed necessary by RUS, a provision will be included in the loan contract requiring the borrower to improve its records to an adequate level.
(4) The borrower must not have any receivables, loans, guarantees, investments, or other obligations that are contrary to the mortgage provisions or any RUS regulations including, but not limited to, 7 CFR part 1758 (or RUS Bulletins 320-4, 320-22, 321-2, 322-2, 323-1, or 326-1). If the borrower has any of these items, the loan contract shall contain a provision requiring that they be eliminated prior to the release of funds. See 7 CFR part 1744 for conditions under which RUS will provide a shared first lien and/or a lien accommodation for non-RUS lenders.
(5) RUS must make a determination on flood insurance requirements. In accordance with the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, as amended by the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended (the “Flood Insurance Act”), RUS shall not approve financial assistance for the acquisition, construction, repair or improvement of any building or any machinery, equipment, fixtures or furnishings contained or to be contained in any such building located in an area which has been identified by the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (the “Director of FEMA”) pursuant to the Flood Insurance Act as an area having special flood hazards unless:
(i) Flood insurance has been made available, pursuant to the Flood Insurance Act, in the area in which the acquisition, construction, repair or improvement is proposed to occur; and
(ii) The borrower has obtained flood insurance coverage with respect to such building, machinery, equipment, fixtures or furnishings as may be required pursuant to the Flood Insurance Act.
Accordingly, a finding shall be made on whether loan funds will be used to finance buildings, machinery, fixtures or furnishings located in an identified special flood hazard area. If loan funds are to be used in such a special flood hazard area, a provision will be included in the loan contract restricting the release of funds until all the requirements of the Flood Insurance Act have been satisfied.
(6) All environmental review requirements must be met in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970. The Agency may obligate, but not disperse, funds under the program pursuant to 7 U.S.C. 950cc-1, before the completion of the otherwise required environmental, historical, or other types of reviews if the Secretary of Agriculture determines that subsequent site-specific review shall be adequate and easily accomplished for the location of towers, poles, or other broadband facilities in the service area of the awardee without compromising the project or the required reviews.
(b) [Reserved]
[54 FR 13356, Apr. 3, 1989. Redesignated at 55 FR 39396, Sept. 27, 1990, as amended at 56 FR 26600, June 10, 1991; 81 FR 11027, Mar. 2, 2016; 86 FR 50610, Sept. 10, 2021]