source:
  type: regulation
  id: usda-7cfr-3555.5
  authority: 7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program § 3555.5 — Environmental requirements
  description: '7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program, §3555.5 Environmental requirements.
    Captured section-complete (all subsections verbatim).

    '
obligations:
- id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-a
  canonical_id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-a
  section: 7 CFR §3555.5(a)
  description: 'Environmental requirements — (a): (a) Policy. Rural Development will consider environmental quality,
    economic, social, and other relevant factors in program development and decision-making processes. Rural Development
    will take into account potential environmental impacts of proposed projects by working with applicants, other
    Federa…'
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - gap-fill
  - section-complete
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: 7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program § 3555.5
    source_class: ecfr-xml
    source_url: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3555
    snapshot_id: 60bd6fb03befa14c
    fetched_at: '2026-06-18T00:00:00+00:00'
    content_hash: sha256:f1f884c828bb807baf369d30e1a9479648dfa62165e28511a0730ed785181a8b
    paragraph_quote: (a) Policy. Rural Development will consider environmental quality, economic, social, and other
      relevant factors in program development and decision-making processes. Rural Development will take into account
      potential environmental impacts of proposed projects by working with applicants, other Federal agencies, American
      Indian tribes, State and local governments, and interested citizens and organizations in order to formulate
      actions that advance the program's goals in a manner that will protect environmental quality.
    drafter_attestation: Verbatim (whitespace-normalized) slice of §3555.5 subsection (a) from snapshot 60bd6fb03befa14c;
      substring-verified.
  judgment: false
- id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-b
  canonical_id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-b
  section: 7 CFR §3555.5(b)
  description: 'Environmental requirements — (b): (b) Regulatory references. Loan processing or servicing actions
    taken under this part must comply with the environmental review requirements in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970,
    and 7 CFR part 1924, which addresses lead-based paint.'
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - gap-fill
  - section-complete
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: 7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program § 3555.5
    source_class: ecfr-xml
    source_url: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3555
    snapshot_id: 60bd6fb03befa14c
    fetched_at: '2026-06-18T00:00:00+00:00'
    content_hash: sha256:f1f884c828bb807baf369d30e1a9479648dfa62165e28511a0730ed785181a8b
    paragraph_quote: (b) Regulatory references. Loan processing or servicing actions taken under this part must
      comply with the environmental review requirements in accordance with 7 CFR part 1970, and 7 CFR part 1924,
      which addresses lead-based paint.
    drafter_attestation: Verbatim (whitespace-normalized) slice of §3555.5 subsection (b) from snapshot 60bd6fb03befa14c;
      substring-verified.
  judgment: false
- id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-c
  canonical_id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-c
  section: 7 CFR §3555.5(c)
  description: 'Environmental requirements — (c): (c) Agency responsibilities. Rural Development is responsible
    for compliance with all applicable environmental regulations and statutes.'
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - gap-fill
  - section-complete
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: 7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program § 3555.5
    source_class: ecfr-xml
    source_url: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3555
    snapshot_id: 60bd6fb03befa14c
    fetched_at: '2026-06-18T00:00:00+00:00'
    content_hash: sha256:f1f884c828bb807baf369d30e1a9479648dfa62165e28511a0730ed785181a8b
    paragraph_quote: (c) Agency responsibilities. Rural Development is responsible for compliance with all applicable
      environmental regulations and statutes.
    drafter_attestation: Verbatim (whitespace-normalized) slice of §3555.5 subsection (c) from snapshot 60bd6fb03befa14c;
      substring-verified.
  judgment: false
- id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-d
  canonical_id: usda-7cfr-3555.5-d
  section: 7 CFR §3555.5(d)
  description: 'Environmental requirements — (d): (d) Lender and loan applicant responsibilities. (1) Lenders must
    use due diligence in regard to potential environmental hazards to ensure the property is decent, safe and sanitary
    and of sufficient value to adequately secure the loan. The level of due diligence review to determine potential
    environm…'
  type: do
  tags:
  - regulator-direct
  - gap-fill
  - section-complete
  primary_source:
    tier: 1
    authority: 7 CFR Part 3555 — USDA Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program § 3555.5
    source_class: ecfr-xml
    source_url: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-XXXV/part-3555
    snapshot_id: 60bd6fb03befa14c
    fetched_at: '2026-06-18T00:00:00+00:00'
    content_hash: sha256:f1f884c828bb807baf369d30e1a9479648dfa62165e28511a0730ed785181a8b
    paragraph_quote: (d) Lender and loan applicant responsibilities. (1) Lenders must use due diligence in regard
      to potential environmental hazards to ensure the property is decent, safe and sanitary and of sufficient value
      to adequately secure the loan. The level of due diligence review to determine potential environmental hazards
      must be equivalent to the standards established by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, or the VA. (2) Mortgage loan
      transactions will be subject to the requirements of the 1994 National Flood Insurance Reform Act to determine
      if the dwelling is located in a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). (3) On an as needed basis, lenders and loan
      applicants will assist Rural Development in obtaining such information as Rural Development needs to complete
      its environmental review and to cooperate in the resolution of environmental problems. (4) Lenders will become
      familiar with Agency environmental requirements, so they can advise applicants and reduce the probability
      of unacceptable applications being submitted to Rural Development. (5) The lender must comply with Federally
      mandated flood insurance purchase requirements. Existing dwellings in a SFHA are not eligible under the SFHGLP
      unless flood insurance through the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) is available for the community
      and flood insurance, whether NFIP, &#x201C;write your own,&#x201D; or private flood insurance, is purchased
      by the borrower. The lender will require the borrower to obtain, and maintain for the term of the mortgage,
      flood insurance for any property located in a SFHA, listing the lender as a loss payee. Purchase of existing
      structures within the federally regulated floodplain will not require consideration of alternatives to avoid
      adverse effects and incompatible development in floodplains; (6) The borrower must obtain, and continuously
      maintain for the life of the mortgage, flood insurance on the security property in an amount sufficient to
      protect the property securing the guaranteed loan. Flood insurance policies must be issued under the NFIP,
      or by a licensed property and casualty insurance company authorized to participate in NFIP's &#x201C;Write
      Your Own&#x201D; program or private flood insurance policy, as approved by the lender. Lenders are required
      to accept private flood insurance policies, when purchased by a borrower, that meet the requirements of 42
      U.S.C. 4012a (b)(1)(A). Lenders remain responsible to ensure a private flood insurance policy meets the requirements
      of 42 U.S.C. 4012a (b)(1)(A). (7) Rural Development will not guarantee loans for new or proposed homes in
      an SFHA unless the lender obtains a final Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or a final Letter of Map Revision
      (LOMR) that removes the property from the SFHA, or performs an alternatives analysis in compliance with the
      Agencies National Environmental Policy Act regulation and obtains a FEMA elevation certificate that shows
      that the lowest floor (including basement) of the dwelling and all related building improvements are built
      at or above the 100-year flood plain elevation in compliance with the NFIP. [78 FR 73941, Dec. 9, 2013, as
      amended at 81 FR 6428, Feb. 8, 2016; 81 FR 11048, Mar. 2, 2016]
    drafter_attestation: Verbatim (whitespace-normalized) slice of §3555.5 subsection (d) from snapshot 60bd6fb03befa14c;
      substring-verified.
  judgment: false
