FR Doc E8-14413[Federal Register: June 25, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 123)]
[Notices]
[Page 36063-36064]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr25jn08-63]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Waivers for the Rehabilitation Training--Rehabilitation
Continuing Education Program (RCEP)
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of waivers for the Rehabilitation Training--
Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program (RCEP).
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SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and
75.261(a) and (c)(2) of the Education Department General Administrative
Regulations (EDGAR), respectively, that generally prohibit project
periods exceeding five years and project period extensions involving
the obligation of additional Federal funds. These waivers will enable
seven current RCEP grantees to provide continuing education to
employees of vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies and their partners
and to continue to receive some additional Federal funding from July 1
through September 30, 2008.
DATES: Effective Date: These waivers are effective June 25, 2008.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Marschall, U.S. Department
of Education, 400 Maryland Ave, SW., room 5053, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-7429 or via Internet:
Christine.Marschall@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities can 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: On May 12, 2008, we published a notice in
the
[[Page 36064]]
Federal Register (73 FR 26974), proposing waivers of 34 CFR 75.250 and
75.261(a) and (c)(2) of EDGAR in order to give early notice of the
possibility that the Department will continue to fund seven current
RCEP grantees from July 1 through September 30, 2008.
The RCEPs provide continuing education to employees of State VR
agencies and their partners, as well as other rehabilitation services
agencies. The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) in the
Department's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services is
in the process of redesigning the RCEPs to create and support 10
regional Technical Assistance and Continuing Education (TACE) centers.
(For more information on the TACE centers, see the notice of final
priority that the Department published in the Federal Register on June
5, 2008 (73 FR 32010). The Department intends to make awards for the
TACE centers so that grant activities can begin by October 1, 2008.
The waivers announced in this notice ensure that services provided
by the current RCEP grantees are provided to the extent possible
through September 30, 2008, the anticipated date that the TACE centers
will commence their project activities. The project periods for the
following current RCEP grantees end on June 30, 2008: (1) State
University of New York at Buffalo, (2) George Washington University,
(3) the University of Arkansas, (4) the University of Missouri-
Columbia, (5) the University of Northern Colorado, (6) San Diego State
University, and (7) Western Washington University. Because it would be
contrary to the public interest to have a lapse in continuing education
activities before grants for RSA's new TACE projects are awarded and
implemented, the Secretary will provide some additional funding to
these seven RCEP grantees that are in the fifth year of their project
periods to allow them to continue operating through September 30, 2008.
Note: RSA does not plan to continue funding any other RCEPs with
the exception of three RCEP grantees currently in the fourth year of
their grant (Assumption College, the University of Tennessee, and
Georgia State University) with budget periods ending on June 30,
2008. For these three RCEP grantees, the Secretary plans to extend
their current budget period and provide some additional funding to
support continuing education activities through September 30, 2008.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation to comment on the proposed waivers,
we received 13 comments, all expressing support for the waivers. As a
result, there are no changes in the final waivers.
Waiver of Delayed Effective Date
The Administrative Procedure Act requires that a substantive rule
be published at least 30 days before its effective date, except as
otherwise provided for good cause (5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3)). We provided the
public with an opportunity to comment on the Secretary's intent to
waive the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 75.261(a) and (c)(2) of
EDGAR for current RCEP grantees that have grants ending on June 30,
2008, to enable them to provide continuing education to employees of VR
agencies and their partners and to continue to receive some additional
Federal funding from July 1 through September 30, 2008. All of the
comments that we received supported the proposed waivers. Given that
the current RCEP grantees' project periods will expire on June 30,
2008, in order to ensure that there is no lapse in the services
provided by these grantees, the Secretary has determined that a delayed
effective date is impracticable and would be contrary to the public
interest.
Final Waivers--Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program
The Secretary waives the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and
75.261(a) and (c)(2), which prohibit project periods exceeding five
years and extensions of project periods that involve the obligation of
additional Federal funds, for current RCEP grantees in the fifth year
of their grants.
With these waivers, the seven RCEP grantees that have grants ending
on June 30, 2008, are eligible for additional funding, as available, to
allow them to continue their activities through September 30, 2008.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
The Secretary certifies that the announced waivers will not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This notice of waivers does not contain any information collection
requirements.
Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the
objectives of the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental
partnership and a strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies
on processes developed by State and local governments for coordination
and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
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/index.html.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
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 84.264A,
Rehabilitation Continuing Education Program)
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 772.
Dated: June 20, 2008.
Tracy R. Justesen,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. E8-14413 Filed 6-24-08; 8:45 am]
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