FR Doc 05-7593
[Federal Register: April 18, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 73)]
[Notices]
[Page 20219-20222]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18ap05-133]
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Part II
Department of Education
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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research--
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority for children with special health
care needs.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services proposes one funding priority for the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research's (NIDRR)
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program,
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers (RRTC) program. The
Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal
year (FY) 2005 and later years. We take this action to focus research
attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve
rehabilitation services and outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before May 18, 2005.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Donna
Nangle, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
6030, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20204-2700. If you prefer to
send your comments through the Internet, use the following address:
donna.nangle@ed.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Nangle. Telephone: (202) 245-
7462.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed
priority. Please let us know of any further opportunities we should
take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits while
preserving the effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this proposed priority in room 6030, 550 12th Street,
SW., Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30
a.m. and 4 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week
except Federal holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking
Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for this proposed priority. If you want to schedule
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or using
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this proposed priority, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal Register. When inviting
applications we designate the priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational. The effect of each type of priority
follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by either
(1) awarding additional points, depending on how well or the extent
to which the application meets the competitive priority (34 CFR
75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting an application that meets the
competitive priority over an application of comparable merit that
does not meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(ii)).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the invitational
priority. However, we do not give an application that meets the
invitational priority a competitive or absolute preference over
other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Note: NIDRR supports the goals of President Bush's New Freedom
Initiative (NFI). The NFI can be accessed on the Internet at the
following site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/newfreedom.
The proposed priority is in concert with NIDRR's 1999-2003 Long-
Range Plan (Plan). The Plan is comprehensive and integrates many issues
relating to disability and rehabilitation research topics. The
reference to the topic of this priority may be found in the Plan,
Chapter 2, Health and Function. The Plan can be accessed on the
Internet at the following site: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/index.html
.
Through the implementation of the NFI and the Plan, NIDRR seeks to:
(1) Improve the quality and utility of disability and rehabilitation
research; (2) foster an exchange of expertise, information, and
training to facilitate the advancement of knowledge and understanding
of the unique needs of traditionally underserved populations; (3)
determine best strategies and programs to improve rehabilitation
outcomes for underserved populations; (4) identify research gaps; (5)
identify mechanisms of integrating research and practice; and (6)
disseminate findings.
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
RRTCs conduct coordinated and integrated advanced programs of
research targeted toward the production of new knowledge to improve
rehabilitation methodology and service delivery systems, alleviate or
stabilize disability conditions, or promote maximum social and economic
independence for persons with disabilities. Additional information on
the RRTC program can be found at: http://www.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/res-program.html#RRTC
.
General Requirements of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers
RRTCs must--
Carry out coordinated advanced programs of rehabilitation
research;
Provide training, including graduate, pre-service, and in-
service training, to help rehabilitation personnel more effectively
provide rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities;
Provide technical assistance to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties;
Demonstrate in its application how it will address, in
whole or in part, the needs of individuals with disabilities from
minority backgrounds;
Disseminate informational materials to individuals with
disabilities, their representatives, providers, and other interested
parties; and
Serve as centers for national excellence in rehabilitation
research for individuals with disabilities, their
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representatives, providers, and other interested parties.
The Department is particularly interested in ensuring that the
expenditure of public funds is justified by the execution of intended
activities and the advancement of knowledge and, thus, has built this
accountability into the selection criteria. Not later than three years
after the establishment of any RRTC, NIDRR will conduct one or more
reviews of the activities and achievements of the RRTC. In accordance
with the provisions of 34 CFR 75.253(a), continued funding depends at
all times on satisfactory performance and accomplishment of approved
grant objectives.
Priorities
Background
This priority focuses on children with disabilities who have
special health care needs. For purposes of this priority, the term
``children with special health care needs'' is defined as children who
``have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental,
behavioral, or emotional condition and who also require health and
related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children
generally'' (McPherson et al. 1998. A New Definition of Children with
Special Health Care Needs. Pediatrics 102(1)). A new study using this
definition estimates that 9.3 million, or one in eight, children under
the age of 18 in the United States have special health care needs (van
Dyke et al. 2004. Prevalence and Characteristics of Children with
Special Health Care Needs, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent
Medicine, 158:9).
Exactly how many children with special health care needs have
disabilities is unclear. Estimates differ depending on the source of
the data and how the populations are defined. However, data from a
number of sources suggest that there is a substantial proportion of
children with special health care needs who have disabilities. For
example, according to the National Survey of Children with Special
Health Care Needs, 23 percent--nearly one-quarter--of children with
special health care needs are affected in their ability to do the
things other children do usually, always, or a great deal. The sources
also note that income, race, and ethnicity are important factors in a
child's experience of disability. (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and
Child Health Bureau, The National Survey of Children with Special
Health Care Needs Chartbook 2001. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, 2004; U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System; and
Americans with Disabilities: Household Economic Studies. U.S. Census
Bureau, 1997. Issued February 2001.)
The U.S. Supreme Court, in its 1999 L.C. v. Olmstead decision, held
that title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits
unjustified isolation or segregation of qualified individuals with
disabilities through institutionalization. The President issued
Executive Order 13217, ``Community-based Alternatives for Individuals
with Disabilities,'' which requires Federal agencies to implement the
Olmstead decision. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
reported that children with special health care needs face barriers to
community integration that include, but are not limited to, a lack of
access to comprehensive, family-centered, community-based care;
affordable health care; and transition services to adulthood (U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Delivering on the Promise,
Self-Evaluation to Promote Community Living for People with
Disabilities. Report to the President on Executive Order 13217, 2002).
Additional difficulties include fragmentation in health care service
delivery, and unequal access to care based on factors such as race,
ethnicity, income, and the availability of health insurance (Mayer et
al., 2004. Unmet Need for Routine and Specialty Care: Data from the
National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs. Pediatrics,
133(2)).
The American Academy of Pediatrics has called for medical care that
is ``accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family centered,
coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective'' (American
Academy of Pediatrics, 2002. Policy Statement: The Medical Home.
Pediatrics, 110(1)). Similarly, the March 2004 NIDRR-funded State of
the Science Conference, Accessing Care: Building Capacity of Service
Delivery Systems for Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special
Health Care Needs, concluded that the most optimal way to provide
appropriate services to children with disabilities and special health
care needs is through a service delivery system that is interconnected,
flexible, collaborative, responsive, and that includes provider,
family, and child participation. Additionally, access to, funding for,
and provider familiarity with assistive technologies and other
specialized rehabilitative services are critical for appropriate care.
The Consensus Statement on Health Care Transitions for Young Adults
with Special Health Care Needs notes that almost half of a million
children with special health care needs transition into adulthood every
year in the United States, and that the goal of health care transition
is to ``maximize lifelong functioning and potential through the
provision of high-quality, developmentally appropriate health care
services that continue uninterrupted as the individual moves from
adolescence to adulthood'' (American Academy of Pediatrics, the
American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of
Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, 2002. Pediatrics,
11(6): 1304).
Proposed Priority
The Assistant Secretary proposes a priority for one RRTC that must
focus on children with disabilities and special health care needs.
Applicants must demonstrate how their research and development
activities will meet the needs of individuals from traditionally
underserved populations including, but not limited to, children from
low-income backgrounds.
The RRTC must conduct at least two, but not more than four, of the
following research activities:
Identify, develop, and evaluate models and strategies for
implementing effective community-based practices for children with
disabilities who have special health care needs;
Identify, develop, and evaluate models and strategies for
effective transition of children and adolescents with disabilities who
have special health care needs to adulthood, including access to adult
health care services, personal assistance services, and full
participation in community life;
Identify and evaluate strategies for maximizing family
partnership and decision-making related to access to and use of home-
and community-based services for children with disabilities who have
special health care needs;
Identify and evaluate innovative and effective strategies
for facilitating access to service delivery for children with
disabilities who have special health care needs, including health care
reimbursement, assistive technology, and other specialized
rehabilitative services (e.g., physical therapy, occupational therapy,
telehealth); and
Identify and evaluate innovative and effective models for
establishing coordination within the service delivery system for
children with disabilities who have special health care needs.
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In addition to the activities proposed by the applicant to carry
out this priority, each RRTC must--
Conduct a state-of-the-science conference on its
respective area of research in the third year of the grant cycle and
publish a comprehensive report on the final outcomes of the conference
in the fourth year of the grant cycle. This conference must include
materials from experts internal and external to the RRTC;
Involve individuals with disabilities in planning and
implementing its research, training, and dissemination activities, and
in evaluating the RRTC;
Coordinate on research projects of mutual interest with
relevant NIDRR-funded projects as identified through consultation with
the NIDRR project officer; and
Identify anticipated outcomes (i.e., advances in knowledge
and/or changes and improvements in policy, practice, behavior, and
system capacity) that are linked to the applicant's stated grant
objectives.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priority has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed priority
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and
efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priority, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the
costs.
Summary of Potential Costs and Benefits
The potential costs associated with this proposed priority are
minimal while the benefits are significant. Grantees may incur some
costs associated with completing the application process in terms of
staff time, copying, and mailing or delivery. The use of e-Application
technology reduces mailing and copying costs significantly.
The benefits of the RRTC program have been well established over
the years in that similar projects have been completed successfully.
This proposed priority will generate new knowledge and technologies
through research, development, dissemination, utilization, and
technical assistance projects.
Another benefit of this proposed priority is that the establishment
of a new RRTC will support the President's NFI and will improve the
lives of persons with disabilities, in particular children with
disabilities and special health care needs. The new RRTC will generate,
disseminate, and promote the use of new information that will improve
the options for individuals with disabilities to perform regular
activities in the community.
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
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Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html
.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.133B
Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers Program.)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2).
Dated: April 12, 2005.
John H. Hager,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 05-7593 Filed 4-15-05; 8:45 am]
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