[Federal Register: September 17, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 180)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 48923-48925]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17se97-26]
[[Page 48923]]
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Part II
Department of Education
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34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303
IDEA Amendments of 1997; Proposed Rule
[[Page 48924]]
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303
IDEA Amendments of 1997
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a series of seven public meetings to
obtain public comment on the anticipated Notice of Proposed Rule Making
(NPRM) for 34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303 to implement the statutory
requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Amendments of 1997 (IDEA Amendments of 1997), Pub. L. 105-17. In the
alternative, should the NPRM not be published by the time a meeting or
meetings are held, the Secretary will use the meeting or meetings as an
opportunity to receive public comment on how to regulate to implement
the statutory provisions of IDEA Amendments of 1997.
DATES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting dates.
ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting addresses.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For information regarding the statutory requirements of IDEA Amendments
of 1997, call JoLeta Reynolds or Thomas Irvin at 202-205-5507. Persons
wishing to obtain additional information regarding the regional
meetings should call Laura Black Price at 202-205-8969 (voice) or 202-
205-5467 (TDD). Individuals who use a telecommunication device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through
Friday.
Individuals who cannot attend the meetings are invited to send
written comments. Comments on the NPRM should be directed to Thomas
Irvin, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S.
Department of Education, Room 4607, MES Building, 330 C Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20202, or fax your comments to 202-260-0416. Comments
should specifically reference the section or sections of the NPRM being
referred to and must be received not later than 90 days after the
publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department anticipates in the near
future publishing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for 34 CFR
Parts 300, 301, and 303 to implement changes occasioned by the IDEA
Amendments 1997. The purpose of the meetings is to take public comment
on the NPRM, if it has been published by the date of the meeting or
meetings, or, if the NPRM has not been published by that meeting date,
to receive public comment on how to regulate to implement the statutory
provisions of IDEA Amendments of 1997. This effort is part of a broader
initiative to provide opportunities for full and open input from the
various constituencies interested in the programs administered by the
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
Regional Meetings
Individuals who wish to make a statement at any of the regional
meetings are encouraged to do so. Time allotted for each individual to
testify will be limited and will depend on the number of speakers
wishing to testify at each session. It is likely that each participant
choosing to comment will be limited to four minutes. Persons interested
in making oral public comment will be able to sign-up to make a
statement on the day of the regional meeting at the Department's public
meeting on-site registration desk on a first-come-first-served basis.
If no time slots remain, then the Department will reserve a limited
amount of additional time at the end of each hearing to accommodate
those individuals. (Every effort will be made to have ample time to
hear all individuals who wish to make a statement.)
Any individual who will need accommodations for a disability in
order to participate in a regional meeting (e.g., interpreting
services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternate format)
should notify Laura Black Price at 202-205-8969 (voice) 205-5465 (TDD),
or 202-260-0416 (fax) by no later than 14 days prior to the meeting the
individual will attend. We will attempt to meet requests received after
this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the requested
accommodation. All regional meeting sites are accessible to individuals
with disabilities.
The dates and location of the seven regional meeting appear below.
The U.S. Department of Education is announcing these public meetings in
advance of the publication of the NPRM so as to allow interested
parties sufficient time to schedule travel and accommodations, as
necessary. The Department has made arrangements for a limited number of
rooms at a special government per diem room rate that participants may
reserve at their own expense. All costs for these rooms will be the
participant's own. To reserve a room at these rates you must inform the
hotel that you are attending the regional meeting of the U.S.
Department of Education and make reservations prior to the reservation
expiration date indicated below. When making reservations, individuals
must indicate the need for any special accommodations.
Individuals from OSERS and other offices of the Department of
Education will be available at the meetings to receive public comment
on the NPRM, if it has been published by the date of the meeting, or if
the NPRM has not been published by the date of the meeting, to receive
public comment on how to regulate to implement the statutory
requirements. Participants are particularly encouraged to express their
support for or raise concerns about specific sections of the proposed
regulations and, if possible, to provide recommendations for specific
regulatory language. A copy of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 is available
on the world wide web at (www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/).
Dates, Time, and Location of Meetings:
Boston:
Thursday, October 23, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Logan Ramada Hotel
75 Service Road
Logan International Airport
Boston, MA 02128
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-272-6232 or 617-569-9300. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 1.
Atlanta:
Monday, October 27, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Radisson Hotel Atlanta
165 Courtland & International Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-833-8624 or 404-659-6500. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: September 26.
Dallas:
Tuesday, October 28, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Radisson Hotel Dallas
1893 West Mockingbird Lane
Dallas, TX 75235
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-888-588-9846 or 214-634-8850. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 13.
Washington:
Tuesday, November 4, 1997, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm.
(No hotel rooms have been reserved for this regional meeting)
Government Services Administration (GSA) Building, Auditorium, first
floor, 7th & D Streets, SW (Use main entrance off D Street) Washington,
DC 20407
Contact Laura Black Price at 202-205-
[[Page 48925]]
8969 (voice), 205-5465 (TDD), or 202-260-0416 (fax) by Friday, October
31 to place your name on the list of attendees for entrance into the
building.
Denver:
Tuesday, November 18, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Four Points Hotel
3535 Quebec Street
Denver, CO 80207
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-328-2268 or 303-333-7711. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 26.
San Francisco:
Friday, November 24, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Holiday Inn Select/Chinatown
750 Kearny Street
San Francisco, CA 84108
415-433-6600
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-243-1135 or 415-433-6600. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 16.
Chicago:
Monday, November 24, 1997 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
Sheraton North Shore
933 Skokie Boulevard
Northbrook, IL 60062
Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-535-9131 or 847-498-6500. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: November 3.
Dated: September 12, 1997.
Howard R. Moses,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services.
[FR Doc. 97-24703 Filed 9-16-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-M