Head Start Program, 65012-65014 [2019-25634]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations
EPA-APPROVED VERMONT SOURCE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS—Continued
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citation].
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Standards.
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citation].
[FR Doc. 2019–25597 Filed 11–25–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560–50–P
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and
Families
45 CFR Part 1302
[Docket No.: HHS–ACF–2019–0006]
RIN 0970–AC78
Head Start Program
Office of Head Start (OHS),
Administration for Children and
Families (ACF), Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS).
ACTIONS: Final rule; delay compliance
date and request for information.
AGENCY:
The Office of Head Start will
further delay the compliance date for
programs to meet the new
comprehensive background checks
requirements and to participate in their
state or local Quality Rating and
Improvement Systems (QRIS). We are
delaying the compliance date for these
standards, based on concerns states still
will not have systems developed that
can accommodate Head Start programs
by the current compliance date. Head
Start programs are still encouraged to
conduct comprehensive background
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:52 Nov 25, 2019
Jkt 250001
EPA approved date
checks where state systems support
Head Start requests and are required to
meet the background check
requirements in section 648A of the
Head Start Act that requires them to
obtain a State, tribal, or Federal criminal
record check for all staff members prior
to employment. The Office of Head Start
also requests comments on the issues set
out in this final rule.
DATES: The date for programs to comply
with background checks procedures as
described in 45 CFR 1302.90(b) and to
participate in QRIS as described in 45
CFR 1302.53(b)(2), delayed September
28, 2017 (82 FR 45205) and September
26, 2018 (83 FR 48558), is further
delayed until September 30, 2021.
Comments are due December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments,
identified by HHS–ACF–2019–0006
and/or RIN 0970–AC78, by either of the
following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal:
https://www.regulations.gov. Follow
instructions for sending comments. We
prefer to receive comments via this
method.
• Mail: Office of Head Start,
Attention: Colleen Rathgeb, Director,
Division of Planning, Oversight and
Policy, 330 C Street SW, Washington,
DC 20024.
Instructions: All submissions received
must include our agency name and the
docket number or Regulatory
Information Number (RIN) for this
PO 00000
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Fmt 4700
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Explanation
*
*
Certain aspects relating to Coating of Flat Wood Paneling
which were conditionally approved on July 19, 2011 are
now fully approved.
*
*
notice. All comments will be posted
without change to https://
www.regulations.gov, including any
personal information provided. We
accept anonymous comments. If you
wish to remain anonymous, enter ‘‘N/
A’’ in the required fields.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Colleen Rathgeb, Office of Head Start,
Planning, Oversight, and Policy
Division Director, (202) 358–3263,
OHS_NPRM@acf.hhs.gov. Deaf and
hearing impaired individuals may call
the Federal Dual Party Relay Service at
1–800–877–8339 between 8 a.m. and 7
p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Head Start programs must comply
with background check requirements
and participate in their States’ QRIS by
September 30, 2019. We have already
delayed the compliance date for
background check requirements,
through documents published in the
Federal Register on September 28, 2017
(82 FR 45205) and on September 26,
2018 (83 FR 48558). We issued the first
notice to align our compliance date for
background checks with the background
check requirements deadline in the
Child Care Development Block Grant
(CCDBG) Act of 2014, Public Law 113–
186. We issued the second notice to
accommodate and reduce burden on
E:\FR\FM\26NOR1.SGM
26NOR1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations
States that received waivers to comply
with CCDBG requirements.
We took that approach because States
that receive CCDBG funds are required
to establish systems that implement the
same set of comprehensive background
checks for all child care teachers and
staff. These systems will enable Head
Start programs to meet the more
comprehensive background checks
requirements in the final rule at 45 CFR
XIII subpart B. We also extended the
compliance date for programs to
participate in QRIS in those notices to
allow States more time to develop
systems that could allow Head Start
programs to participate. We are still
concerned programs will not be able to
implement fully either of these
requirements by September 30, 2019,
without unintended regulatory and
administrative burdens. While States
and Head Start programs are making
significant progress in implementing the
new requirements, very few States are
fully compliant with the CCDBG Act
requirements. In order for Head Start
programs to comply with the
comprehensive background check
requirement in the Head Start
regulations at 45 CFR 1302.90(b), it is
necessary for the State background
check systems to be operational.
Background Check Procedures in the
Regulation
Our standards at 45 CFR 1302.90(b)
require that, before a person is hired at
a Head Start facility, programs must
conduct comprehensive background
checks on such prospective employees
that consist of (1) a sex offender registry
check, (2) State or tribal criminal history
records check (including fingerprint
check), and Federal Bureau of
Investigation criminal history records
check (including fingerprint check), and
(3) a child abuse and neglect State
registry check, if available. We also
require programs to conduct
comprehensive background checks for
each employee at least once every five
years.
The Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act of 2007 (Act) sets forth
standard background checks
requirements for Head Start programs.
We added more comprehensive
background check requirements in the
Head Start Program Performance
Standards final rule by adding
fingerprint checks and other
components, which align with
background check requirements in the
CCDBG. To date, only two States have
developed systems that fully meet
CCDBG background check requirements.
We understand that States may request
time-limited waivers, in one year
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:52 Nov 25, 2019
Jkt 250001
increments (i.e., potentially through
September 30, 2020), to design systems
that can accommodate these background
check requests. Nearly two-thirds of
States have met critical milestones in
complying with CCDBG Act background
check requirements, but these States
need this additional time to fully
comply.
Therefore, we will extend the
compliance date for 45 CFR 1302.90(b)
to September 30, 2021. If we do not
delay the compliance date for
comprehensive background checks,
Head Start programs, States, tribes,
territories, and State and local law
enforcement agencies would experience
unintended burden. Many States are
experiencing serious backlog in
completing child care background check
requests already in the queue and Head
Start background check requests would
add to this backlog. If expanded Head
Start background checks went into effect
before State systems were fully
operational, many programs would not
be able to complete all of the necessary
components to comply with the
regulation. This would likely result in
programs leaving vacancies unfilled, not
be able to provide adequate staffing for
classrooms and other critical functions,
and children going unserved.
Until all Head Start programs have
systems in place that fully comply with
45 CFR 1302.90(b), we require them to
continue to adhere to the criminal
record check requirements in section
648A of the Head Start Act, as amended
by the Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110–
134, which states Head Start agencies
must ‘‘obtain—(A) a State, tribal, or
Federal criminal record check covering
all jurisdictions where the grantee
provides Head Start services to children;
(B) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal
record check as required by the law of
the jurisdiction where the grantee
provides Head Start services; or (C) a
criminal record check as otherwise
required by Federal law.’’
QRIS Requirement in the Regulation
We require programs that meet certain
conditions, except for American Indian
and Alaska Native programs, to
participate in State or local QRIS, as
prescribed at 45 CFR 1302.53(b)(2). A
QRIS is a systematic approach to assess,
improve, and communicate the level of
quality in early and school-age care and
education programs within a state or
locality. The criteria Head Start
programs must meet to enter the QRIS
and maintain participation vary greatly
by State. We recognize some Head Start
programs were already participating in
their State and local quality
PO 00000
Frm 00047
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
65013
improvement efforts before we
introduced this standard in the
regulation. Now that we have included
this standard in the regulation, we
understand programs have taken steps
to participate in QRIS and that many
States are assessing their QRIS with new
Head Start QRIS participation policies.
However, programs and States need
additional time to align these systems.
We want to minimize any unintended
burden on States that choose to adapt
their systems to allow Head Start
programs to participate in QRIS, as well
as alleviate programs’ concerns about
meeting the current compliance date. To
avoid duplication efforts between Head
Start and QRIS monitoring systems, as
well as to eliminate undue burden on
Head Start programs and States as they
work to align these systems, we will
delay the compliance date for this
standard until September 30, 2021.
Request for Information
We are seeking comment from the
public to gain more information about
the problems Head Start programs are
encountering as they attempt to come
into compliance with the
comprehensive background checks.
Specifically, we invite the public to
share with us:
1. How feasible is it for programs and
other stakeholders to conduct
comprehensive background checks by
September 30, 2021?
2. What obstacles are programs facing
today as they attempt to comply with
these performance standards?
3. What steps, if any, can ACF take to
help programs and other stakeholders
comply with these performance
standards by September 30 2021?
Conclusion
We ordinarily publish a notice of
proposed rulemaking in the Federal
Register to provide a period for public
comment before the provisions of a rule
take effect in accordance with section
553(b) of the Administrative Procedure
Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However,
we can waive this notice and comment
procedure if the Secretary finds, for
good cause, that the notice and
comment process is impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public
interest, and incorporates a statement of
the finding and the reasons therefore in
the notice.
The Secretary finds good cause to
waive public comment under section
553(b) of the APA because it is
unnecessary and contrary to the public
interest to provide for public comment
in this instance.
State, localities, and Head Start
grantees will likely be subjected to
E:\FR\FM\26NOR1.SGM
26NOR1
65014
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 228 / Tuesday, November 26, 2019 / Rules and Regulations
undue and unnecessary administrative
burdens as they expend time trying to
find ways to implement these standards
without support from local and State
law enforcement agencies and without
QRIS systems that can accommodate
Head Start programs. A period for
public comment would only extend
programs’ concerns as they attempt to
meet these standards by the compliance
dates. Head Start programs are still
required to comply with statutory
background check requirements in the
Improving Head Start for School
Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110–
134, until they can develop systems that
will enable them to conduct complete
background checks with fingerprints.
Therefore, if we delay compliance dates,
we will pose no harm or burden to
programs or the public. Moreover,
programs that already have systems in
place to meet background check
standards at 45 CFR 1302.90(b) and to
participate in their States’ QRIS at 45
CFR 1302.53(b)(2) may voluntarily come
into compliance by the current
compliance date. However, programs
that do not have systems in place will
have until September 30, 2021, the new
compliance date, to comply.
Dated: October 8, 2019.
Lynn A. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
Approved: November 19, 2019.
Alex M. Azar II,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019–25634 Filed 11–25–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184–40–P
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS
COMMISSION
47 CFR Part 61
[WC Docket Nos. 18–276, 17–308; FCC No.
19–107; FR ID 16252]
Reform of Certain Tariff Rules
Federal Communications
Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
The Commission amends its
tariff publication rules to allow carriers
to cross-reference their own tariffs and
the tariffs of their affiliates, and to
eliminate the short form tariff review
plan filed by price cap incumbent local
exchange carriers 90 days before the
effective date of their annual access
tariff filings. These changes will bring
the Commission’s tariff publication
rules in line with the reality of the
increased ease of access to tariff filings,
and will reduce the regulatory burdens
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
15:52 Nov 25, 2019
Jkt 250001
on filers and the Commission’s own
tariff review staff.
DATES: The amendments set forth in this
Report and Order will become effective
December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Federal Communications
Commission, 445 12th Street SW,
Washington, DC 20554.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robin Cohn, Wireline Competition
Bureau, Pricing Policy Division at 202–
418–1540 or via email at Robin.Cohn@
fcc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a
summary of the Commission’s Report
and Order released October 30, 2019. A
full-text copy can be obtained at the
following internet Address: https://
docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC19-107A1.pdf.
Background
1. Many of the Commission’s rules
governing tariff filings were adopted
when paper tariffs were filed at the
Commission and interested parties had
to visit the Commission to review
physical copies of those filings. Not
surprisingly, technological advances
that allow carriers and interested parties
to submit and view information
electronically have obviated the need
for certain longstanding tariff rules that
were predicated on the need for paper
filings and protracted review periods.
Last year, the Commission proposed to
amend two such sets of rules—those
that prohibit a carrier from crossreferencing its tariffs and those of its
affiliates, and the rule that requires
price cap local exchange carriers (LECs)
to file short form tariff review plans well
in advance of their annual tariff filings.
2. Cross-referencing. When the
Commission’s cross-referencing rules
were adopted more than 75 years ago,
tariffs were often quite voluminous and
were filed in hard copy, making it
cumbersome to obtain and follow a
cross-reference from one tariff to
another tariff. To ensure that someone
reviewing a paper copy of a tariff would
have ready access to all of the terms of
the tariff, the Commission adopted
§ 61.74, which, with certain exceptions,
prohibits one tariff from crossreferencing another tariff, and § 61.54,
which also has been interpreted as
prohibiting cross-referencing between
tariffs.
3. Today, by contrast, carriers are
required to file tariffs electronically
using the Electronic Tariff Filing System
(ETFS), and it only takes ‘‘a few seconds
and a few clicks’’ to find a crossreferenced tariff. As a result, interested
parties can now access tariffs through
the ETFS via an internet connection
PO 00000
Frm 00048
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
anywhere and electronically review and
search the tariffs they are looking for.
4. The Commission’s current rules
allow carriers to seek special permission
to cross-reference their own tariffs and
those of their affiliates, and carriers do
so when, for example, they offer
discount plans that cross different
operating territories. The Wireline
Competition Bureau (Bureau) has
routinely granted requests for special
permission to allow a carrier to crossreference its own tariffs and those of its
affiliates. In the notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM) (83 FR 58510, Nov.
20, 2018), the Commission proposed to
amend the rules to allow a carrier’s
tariffs to refer to its own tariffs and
those of its affiliates, and provided an
interim waiver of § 61.74(a) to all
carriers to allow carriers’ tariffs to
reference their other tariffs, and those of
their affiliates, pending resolution of the
issues addressed in the NPRM.
5. Short form tariff review plans. Prior
to 1997, annual interstate access tariffs
were filed 90 days before the effective
date of such tariffs, thereby allowing a
significant amount of time for the
Commission and interested parties to
review the filings and associated cost
support. In 1997, when the Commission
modified its rules to permit price cap
carriers to file tariffs on either 7 days’
notice (for rate reductions) or 15 days’
notice (for rate increases), it also
adopted a requirement that price cap
carriers submit supporting information,
without rate data, 90 days prior to the
annual access tariff filing effective date.
This filing, known as the ‘‘short form
tariff review plan,’’ consists of a
standardized spreadsheet showing data
regarding exogenous cost adjustments
that price cap carriers seek to make to
their price cap indices. Exogenous cost
adjustments are made, for example, to
the following cost input categories: (1)
Regulatory fees; (2)
Telecommunications Relay Services
(TRS) expenses; (3) excess deferred
taxes; and (4) North American
Numbering Plan Administration
(NANPA) expenses.
6. In the years following adoption of
the short form tariff review plan filing
requirement, the Bureau often granted
waivers of the filing deadline and of the
requirement to provide certain data in
advance of the annual access tariff
filing. In 2014, at USTelecom’s request,
the Bureau granted a waiver that
reduced the 90-day filing deadline for
the short form tariff review plan to
approximately 45 days before the
annual access tariff effective date.
7. In 2017, the Bureau waived the
short form tariff review plan filing
requirement in its entirety, finding that
E:\FR\FM\26NOR1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 26, 2019)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 65012-65014]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25634]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families
45 CFR Part 1302
[Docket No.: HHS-ACF-2019-0006]
RIN 0970-AC78
Head Start Program
AGENCY: Office of Head Start (OHS), Administration for Children and
Families (ACF), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
ACTIONS: Final rule; delay compliance date and request for
information.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Head Start will further delay the compliance
date for programs to meet the new comprehensive background checks
requirements and to participate in their state or local Quality Rating
and Improvement Systems (QRIS). We are delaying the compliance date for
these standards, based on concerns states still will not have systems
developed that can accommodate Head Start programs by the current
compliance date. Head Start programs are still encouraged to conduct
comprehensive background checks where state systems support Head Start
requests and are required to meet the background check requirements in
section 648A of the Head Start Act that requires them to obtain a
State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check for all staff members
prior to employment. The Office of Head Start also requests comments on
the issues set out in this final rule.
DATES: The date for programs to comply with background checks
procedures as described in 45 CFR 1302.90(b) and to participate in QRIS
as described in 45 CFR 1302.53(b)(2), delayed September 28, 2017 (82 FR
45205) and September 26, 2018 (83 FR 48558), is further delayed until
September 30, 2021. Comments are due December 26, 2019.
ADDRESSES: You may send comments, identified by HHS-ACF-2019-0006 and/
or RIN 0970-AC78, by either of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow instructions for sending comments. We prefer to receive comments
via this method.
Mail: Office of Head Start, Attention: Colleen Rathgeb,
Director, Division of Planning, Oversight and Policy, 330 C Street SW,
Washington, DC 20024.
Instructions: All submissions received must include our agency name
and the docket number or Regulatory Information Number (RIN) for this
notice. All comments will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. We
accept anonymous comments. If you wish to remain anonymous, enter ``N/
A'' in the required fields.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colleen Rathgeb, Office of Head Start,
Planning, Oversight, and Policy Division Director, (202) 358-3263,
[email protected]. Deaf and hearing impaired individuals may call
the Federal Dual Party Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m.
and 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Head Start programs must comply with background check requirements
and participate in their States' QRIS by September 30, 2019. We have
already delayed the compliance date for background check requirements,
through documents published in the Federal Register on September 28,
2017 (82 FR 45205) and on September 26, 2018 (83 FR 48558). We issued
the first notice to align our compliance date for background checks
with the background check requirements deadline in the Child Care
Development Block Grant (CCDBG) Act of 2014, Public Law 113-186. We
issued the second notice to accommodate and reduce burden on
[[Page 65013]]
States that received waivers to comply with CCDBG requirements.
We took that approach because States that receive CCDBG funds are
required to establish systems that implement the same set of
comprehensive background checks for all child care teachers and staff.
These systems will enable Head Start programs to meet the more
comprehensive background checks requirements in the final rule at 45
CFR XIII subpart B. We also extended the compliance date for programs
to participate in QRIS in those notices to allow States more time to
develop systems that could allow Head Start programs to participate. We
are still concerned programs will not be able to implement fully either
of these requirements by September 30, 2019, without unintended
regulatory and administrative burdens. While States and Head Start
programs are making significant progress in implementing the new
requirements, very few States are fully compliant with the CCDBG Act
requirements. In order for Head Start programs to comply with the
comprehensive background check requirement in the Head Start
regulations at 45 CFR 1302.90(b), it is necessary for the State
background check systems to be operational.
Background Check Procedures in the Regulation
Our standards at 45 CFR 1302.90(b) require that, before a person is
hired at a Head Start facility, programs must conduct comprehensive
background checks on such prospective employees that consist of (1) a
sex offender registry check, (2) State or tribal criminal history
records check (including fingerprint check), and Federal Bureau of
Investigation criminal history records check (including fingerprint
check), and (3) a child abuse and neglect State registry check, if
available. We also require programs to conduct comprehensive background
checks for each employee at least once every five years.
The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 (Act)
sets forth standard background checks requirements for Head Start
programs. We added more comprehensive background check requirements in
the Head Start Program Performance Standards final rule by adding
fingerprint checks and other components, which align with background
check requirements in the CCDBG. To date, only two States have
developed systems that fully meet CCDBG background check requirements.
We understand that States may request time-limited waivers, in one year
increments (i.e., potentially through September 30, 2020), to design
systems that can accommodate these background check requests. Nearly
two-thirds of States have met critical milestones in complying with
CCDBG Act background check requirements, but these States need this
additional time to fully comply.
Therefore, we will extend the compliance date for 45 CFR 1302.90(b)
to September 30, 2021. If we do not delay the compliance date for
comprehensive background checks, Head Start programs, States, tribes,
territories, and State and local law enforcement agencies would
experience unintended burden. Many States are experiencing serious
backlog in completing child care background check requests already in
the queue and Head Start background check requests would add to this
backlog. If expanded Head Start background checks went into effect
before State systems were fully operational, many programs would not be
able to complete all of the necessary components to comply with the
regulation. This would likely result in programs leaving vacancies
unfilled, not be able to provide adequate staffing for classrooms and
other critical functions, and children going unserved.
Until all Head Start programs have systems in place that fully
comply with 45 CFR 1302.90(b), we require them to continue to adhere to
the criminal record check requirements in section 648A of the Head
Start Act, as amended by the Improving Head Start for School Readiness
Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134, which states Head Start agencies must
``obtain--(A) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record check
covering all jurisdictions where the grantee provides Head Start
services to children; (B) a State, tribal, or Federal criminal record
check as required by the law of the jurisdiction where the grantee
provides Head Start services; or (C) a criminal record check as
otherwise required by Federal law.''
QRIS Requirement in the Regulation
We require programs that meet certain conditions, except for
American Indian and Alaska Native programs, to participate in State or
local QRIS, as prescribed at 45 CFR 1302.53(b)(2). A QRIS is a
systematic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of
quality in early and school-age care and education programs within a
state or locality. The criteria Head Start programs must meet to enter
the QRIS and maintain participation vary greatly by State. We recognize
some Head Start programs were already participating in their State and
local quality improvement efforts before we introduced this standard in
the regulation. Now that we have included this standard in the
regulation, we understand programs have taken steps to participate in
QRIS and that many States are assessing their QRIS with new Head Start
QRIS participation policies. However, programs and States need
additional time to align these systems. We want to minimize any
unintended burden on States that choose to adapt their systems to allow
Head Start programs to participate in QRIS, as well as alleviate
programs' concerns about meeting the current compliance date. To avoid
duplication efforts between Head Start and QRIS monitoring systems, as
well as to eliminate undue burden on Head Start programs and States as
they work to align these systems, we will delay the compliance date for
this standard until September 30, 2021.
Request for Information
We are seeking comment from the public to gain more information
about the problems Head Start programs are encountering as they attempt
to come into compliance with the comprehensive background checks.
Specifically, we invite the public to share with us:
1. How feasible is it for programs and other stakeholders to
conduct comprehensive background checks by September 30, 2021?
2. What obstacles are programs facing today as they attempt to
comply with these performance standards?
3. What steps, if any, can ACF take to help programs and other
stakeholders comply with these performance standards by September 30
2021?
Conclusion
We ordinarily publish a notice of proposed rulemaking in the
Federal Register to provide a period for public comment before the
provisions of a rule take effect in accordance with section 553(b) of
the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). However, we
can waive this notice and comment procedure if the Secretary finds, for
good cause, that the notice and comment process is impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest, and incorporates a
statement of the finding and the reasons therefore in the notice.
The Secretary finds good cause to waive public comment under
section 553(b) of the APA because it is unnecessary and contrary to the
public interest to provide for public comment in this instance.
State, localities, and Head Start grantees will likely be subjected
to
[[Page 65014]]
undue and unnecessary administrative burdens as they expend time trying
to find ways to implement these standards without support from local
and State law enforcement agencies and without QRIS systems that can
accommodate Head Start programs. A period for public comment would only
extend programs' concerns as they attempt to meet these standards by
the compliance dates. Head Start programs are still required to comply
with statutory background check requirements in the Improving Head
Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, Public Law 110-134, until they
can develop systems that will enable them to conduct complete
background checks with fingerprints. Therefore, if we delay compliance
dates, we will pose no harm or burden to programs or the public.
Moreover, programs that already have systems in place to meet
background check standards at 45 CFR 1302.90(b) and to participate in
their States' QRIS at 45 CFR 1302.53(b)(2) may voluntarily come into
compliance by the current compliance date. However, programs that do
not have systems in place will have until September 30, 2021, the new
compliance date, to comply.
Dated: October 8, 2019.
Lynn A. Johnson,
Assistant Secretary for Children and Families.
Approved: November 19, 2019.
Alex M. Azar II,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-25634 Filed 11-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-40-P
