Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Institutional Disclosures for Distance Education or Correspondence Programs, 55302 [2019-22549]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 200 (Wednesday, October 16, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 55302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22549]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2019-ICCD-0130]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Institutional Disclosures for Distance Education or Correspondence 
Programs

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is 
proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 16, 2019.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use https://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2019-ICCD-
0130. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily 
accept comments at [email protected]. Please include the docket ID 
number and the title of the information collection request when 
requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that comments 
submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period 
will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments 
submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the 
Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 550 12th Street SW, PCP, Room 9086, 
Washington, DC 20202-0023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger, 202-377-4018.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The 
Department of Education is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to 
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the 
Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, 
including through the use of information technology. Please note that 
written comments received in response to this notice will be considered 
public records.
    Title of Collection: Institutional Disclosures for Distance 
Education or Correspondence Programs.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0145.
    Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; 
Private Sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,588.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 152,405.
    Abstract: The Department of Education (Department) requests an 
extension without change to the information collection tied to 34 CFR 
part 668.50 requiring institutional disclosures for distance education 
and correspondence courses. This regulatory action establishes 
requirements for institutional disclosures to prospective and enrolled 
students in programs offered solely through distance education or 
correspondence courses, which the Department believes will protect 
students by providing them with important information that may 
influence their attendance in distance education programs or 
correspondence courses as well as improve the efficacy of State-based 
consumer protections for students. Since distance education may involve 
multiple States, institutional and program authorization requirements 
among States may differ, and students may be unfamiliar with or fail to 
receive information about complaint processes, licensure requirements, 
or other requirements of authorities in States in which they do not 
reside.
    The final regulations, based on the 2019 negotiated rulemaking, 
will rescind the requirements of Sec.  668.50 in its entirety. While 
the Secretary is exercising her authority to allow for early 
implementation of the rescission of this section, the final rule and 
the rescission will not fully take place until July 1, 2020. The 
Department is asking to extend the current burden assessment until the 
effective date of the change and at that time a discontinuation request 
will be filed.

    Dated: October 10, 2019.
Kate Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Information Collection Clearance Program, Information 
Management Branch, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-22549 Filed 10-15-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P