Proposed Priority and Requirements-Technical Assistance on State Data Collection-National Technical Assistance Center To Improve State Capacity To Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal Data, 67395-67402 [2019-26477]
Download as PDF
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
Building, 6401 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, Maryland 21235–6401.
Comments are available for public
viewing on the Federal eRulemaking
portal at https://www.regulations.gov or
in person, during regular business
hours, by arranging with the contact
person identified below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Cheryl A. Williams, Office of Disability
Policy, Social Security Administration,
6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD
21235–6401, (410) 965–1020. For
information on eligibility or filing for
benefits, call our national toll-free
number, 1–800–772–1213 or TTY 1–
800–325–0778, or visit our internet site,
Social Security Online, at https://
www.socialsecurity.gov.
Andrew Saul,
Commissioner of Social Security.
[FR Doc. 2019–26485 Filed 12–9–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191–02–P
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter III
[Docket ID ED–2019–OSERS–0134]
Proposed Priority and Requirements—
Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection—National Technical
Assistance Center To Improve State
Capacity To Collect, Report, Analyze,
and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part
C Fiscal Data
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Proposed priority and
requirements.
AGENCY:
The mission of the Office of
Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) is to improve early
childhood, educational, and
employment outcomes and raise
expectations for all people with
disabilities, their families, their
communities, and the Nation. As such,
the Department of Education
(Department) proposes a funding
priority and requirements under the
Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection program. The Department
may use the proposed priority for
competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2020
and later years. We take this action to
focus attention on an identified national
need to provide technical assistance
(TA) to improve the capacity of States
to meet the data collection requirements
under Parts B and C of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
The National Technical Assistance
Center to Improve State Capacity to
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use
Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal
Data (Fiscal Data Center) would support
States in collecting, reporting, and
determining how to best analyze and
use their IDEA Part B and C fiscal data
to establish and meet high expectations
for each child with a disability and
would customize its TA to meet each
State’s specific needs.
DATES: We must receive your comments
on or before February 24, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments
through the Federal eRulemaking Portal
or via postal mail, commercial delivery,
or hand delivery. We will not accept
comments submitted by fax or by email
or those submitted after the comment
period. To ensure that we do not receive
duplicate copies, please submit your
comments only once. In addition, please
include the Docket ID at the top of your
comments.
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to
www.regulations.gov to submit your
comments electronically. Information
on using Regulations.gov, including
instructions for accessing agency
documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the
site under ‘‘Help.’’
• Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery,
or Hand Delivery: If you mail or deliver
your comments, address them to Charles
Kniseley, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5133,
Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC
20202–5076.
Privacy Note: The Department’s
policy is to make all comments received
from members of the public available for
public viewing in their entirety on the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov. Therefore,
commenters should be careful to
include in their comments only
information that they wish to make
publicly available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Charles Kniseley, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW,
Room 5133, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202–5076.
Telephone: (202) 245–7322. Email:
Charles.Kniseley@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS), toll free, at 1–800–877–
8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
(CFDA) Number: 84.373F.]
Invitation to Comment: We invite you
to submit comments regarding the
proposed priority and requirements. To
ensure that your comments have
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
67395
maximum effect in developing the
notice of final priority and requirements
we urge you to clearly identify the
specific topic that each comment
addresses.
We are particularly interested in
comments about whether the proposed
priority or any of the proposed
requirements would be challenging for
new applicants to meet and, if so, how
the proposed priority or requirements
could be revised to address potential
challenges.
We invite you to assist us in
complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Orders
12866, 13563, and 13771 and their
overall requirement of reducing
regulatory burden that might result from
this proposed priority and these
proposed requirements. Please let us
know of any further ways we could
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 the proposed priority and
requirements by accessing
Regulations.gov. You may also inspect
the comments in person in room 5133,
550 12th Street SW, Potomac Center
Plaza, Washington, DC, between the
hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 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
provide an appropriate accommodation
or auxiliary aid to an individual with a
disability who needs assistance to
review the comments or other
documents in the public rulemaking
record for the proposed priority and
requirements. If you want to schedule
an appointment for this type of
accommodation or auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of
the Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection program is to improve the
capacity of States to meet IDEA data
collection and reporting requirements.
Funding for the program is authorized
under section 611(c)(1) of IDEA, which
gives the Secretary the authority to
reserve not more than one-half of 1
percent of the amounts appropriated
under Part B for each fiscal year to
provide TA activities authorized under
section 616(i), where needed, to
improve the capacity of States to meet
the data collection requirements under
Parts B and C of IDEA. The maximum
amount the Secretary may reserve under
this set-aside for any fiscal year is
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
67396
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
$25,000,000, cumulatively adjusted by
the rate of inflation. Section 616(i) of
IDEA requires the Secretary to review
the data collection and analysis capacity
of States to ensure that data and
information determined necessary for
the implementation of section 616 of
IDEA are collected, analyzed, and
accurately reported to the Secretary. It
also requires the Secretary to provide
TA (from funds reserved under section
611(c)(1)), where needed, to improve the
capacity of States to meet the data
collection requirements under Parts B
and C of IDEA, which include the data
collection and reporting requirements in
sections 616 and 618 of IDEA.
Additionally, the Department of Defense
and Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education Appropriations Act, 2019
and Continuing Appropriations Act,
2019 gives the Secretary the authority to
use funds reserved under section 611(c)
to ‘‘administer and carry out other
services and activities to improve data
collection, coordination, quality, and
use under parts B and C of the IDEA.’’
Department of Defense and Labor,
Health and Human Services, and
Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019;
Div. B, Title III of Public Law 115–245;
132 Stat. 3100 (2018).
To help ensure this program meets
State needs, we invited the public to
provide input on the Technical
Assistance on State Data Collection
program from April 24, 2018, through
May 24, 2018, on the ED.gov OSERS
Blog.1 In response to this invitation, we
received 63 relevant responses, all of
which we considered in our
development of this document. Sixtytwo supported our continuing to fund
TA centers; only one supported one of
the other options we presented,
specifically, to invite State educational
agencies (SEAs) and State lead agencies
(LAs) to directly apply for funds
reserved under section 611(c) to
purchase TA to improve their capacity
to meet their IDEA Part B and Part C
data collection requirements. A few
commenters noted some concerns
regarding overlap between TA centers
and a need for cross-State collaboration
TA opportunities.
We address these concerns in the
proposed priority by (1) including a
requirement for the Fiscal Data Center to
offer cross-State collaboration TA
opportunities; and (2) clarifying that the
scope of the Fiscal Data Center will be
distinct from the scope of two separate
centers that will provide TA on other
1 See https://sites.ed.gov/osers/2018/04/use-ofpart-b-program-funds-for-technical-assistance-tostates-on-idea-data-collection/.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
non-fiscal data: The National Technical
Assistance Center to Improve State
Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze,
and Use Accurate IDEA Part B Data,
CFDA number 84.373Y, and the
National Technical Assistance Center to
Improve State Capacity to Collect,
Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate
Early Childhood IDEA Data, CFDA
number 84.373Z, for which the notices
of final priority and requirements (NFP)
were published in the Federal Register
on August 12, 2019 (84 FR 39736 and
84 FR 39727).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411(c),
1416(i), 1418(c), and 1442; the
Department of Defense and Labor,
Health and Human Services, and
Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019;
Div. B, Title III of Public Law 115–245,
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019;
132 Stat. 3100 (2018).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34
CFR 300.702.
Proposed Priority: The Assistant
Secretary proposes the following
priority for this program. We may apply
this proposed priority in any year in
which this program is in effect.
National Technical Assistance Center
To Improve State Capacity To Collect,
Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate
IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal Data
Background: The purpose of this
proposed priority is to establish a Fiscal
Data Center to provide States with TA
to assist them in meeting their fiscal
data collection and reporting obligations
under IDEA. Under Part B of IDEA, State
educational agencies (SEAs) are
required to submit fiscal data to the
Department in (1) the IDEA Part B local
educational agency (LEA) Maintenance
of Effort (MOE) Reduction and
Coordinated Early Intervening Services
(CEIS) (LEA MOE/CEIS) Data Collection;
and (2) Section V of the IDEA Part B
Annual Application. Under IDEA Part
C, State lead agencies (LAs) are also
required to report fiscal data to the
Department in (1) Section III of the
IDEA Part C Annual Application (use of
funds); and (2) Section IV of the IDEA
Part C Annual Application (indirect
costs).
In reviewing the data submitted by
States, the Department finds that States
continue to need support to build their
capacity to submit valid and reliable
IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data. It is
important for these data to be accurate
so that States can use them to more
effectively manage all available funding
resources for services for children with
disabilities and ensure that IDEA funds
are used as a payor of last resort. In
addition, under IDEA Part B, States may
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
suffer significant monetary
consequences as a result of inaccurate
data reporting or noncompliance
identified through these data
collections.
Data Under IDEA Part B
In FY 2014 the Department funded
the Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection—IDEA Fiscal Data Center,
which provided TA to improve the
capacity of States to meet the following
IDEA Part B fiscal data collection
requirements under section 618 of
IDEA: (1) Maintenance of State
Financial Support (MFS) for special
education and related services; and (2)
LEA MOE/CEIS.
Since that time, the Department
added new data elements to the LEA
MOE/CEIS data collection based on the
final LEA MOE regulations that were
published in the Federal Register on
April 28, 2015 (80 FR 23644), and States
will need to ensure that the data they
submit under those new elements are
valid and reliable. In addition, the
Department continues to identify errors
in States’ Part B LEA MOE/CEIS data
submissions through its annual review
process. Finally, based on the Office of
Special Education Programs’ (OSEP)
monitoring visits and subsequent fiscal
findings in several States, OSEP has
determined that States continue to need
support in understanding the
requirements relating to the data
elements reported under the LEA MOE/
CEIS data collection.
For example, OSEP has identified
noncompliance in the methodologies
used by some States to calculate the
amounts of their LEAs’ IDEA Part B
subgrants. This type of noncompliance
has broader implications for LEAs and
States that receive increased or
decreased funding for special education
and related services. As an illustration
of the potential impact of fiscal
noncompliance, an error in calculating
the amount of an LEA’s IDEA Part B
allocation affects the amounts the LEA
may expend to meet other fiscal
requirements, such as LEA MOE
reduction under 34 CFR 300.205,
voluntary CEIS under 34 CFR
300.226(a), comprehensive CEIS under
34 CFR 300.646(d), and proportionate
share for parentally placed private
school children with disabilities under
34 CFR 300.133. Based on the
complexities and high stakes involved
in reporting valid and reliable IDEA Part
B fiscal data, the Department
determined that States continue to need
TA to improve their data collection
capacity, their ability to analyze and use
that data, and their ability to ensure data
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
Data Under IDEA Part C
In its review of State submissions of
IDEA Part C fiscal data, the Department
found that States need support to
submit accurate, valid, and reliable data
in two areas: (1) Use of IDEA Part C
funds; and (2) indirect costs.3 In its
reviews, OSEP found inconsistencies
within the fiscal data reported by a State
LA and between the fiscal data reported
and the related fiscal certification and
assurances that the State must provide
in its IDEA Part C Annual Application.
In its IDEA Part C Annual
Application, each LA must provide
several fiscal-related assurances and a
fiscal-related certification. Specifically,
each LA must—(1) ensure its statewide
system has a single line of
responsibility, including: (a) The
identification and coordination of all
available resources for early
intervention services within the State,
including those from Federal, State,
local, and private sources, consistent
with subpart F of 34 CFR part 303; and
(b) the assignment of financial
responsibility in accordance with
subpart F of 34 CFR part 303 and
specifically ensure IDEA Part C funds
are used as payor of last resort
(including any method under IDEA
section 640); (2) coordinate all available
funding sources for IDEA Part C services
(including its system of payments); (3)
use IDEA Part C funds to supplement,
not supplant, the level of State and local
funds expended for infants and toddlers
with disabilities; and (4) charge
administrative direct and indirect costs
to the Part C grant consistent with
applicable Federal fiscal requirements.4
In addition, each LA must certify that
the arrangements to establish financial
responsibility for the provision of Part C
services among appropriate public
agencies under 34 CFR 303.511 and the
lead agency’s contracts with early
intervention service (EIS) providers
regarding financial responsibility for the
provision of Part C services meet the
requirements in 34 CFR 303.500 through
303.521 and are current as of the date
of submission of the certification.5
Fiscal data related to this certification
may need to also be reported in Section
III of the IDEA Part C Annual State
Application under funding for other
State agencies to the extent Federal
IDEA Part C funds are used in
conjunction with State funding or other
support provided by State agencies
other than the State lead agency.
In several instances, States’ reporting
of IDEA Part C fiscal data in their
applications indicates that there is
confusion related to the implementation
of underlying Part C fiscal requirements.
Many States need support in
understanding the administrative costs
that may be charged to IDEA Part C
grants as direct and indirect costs.
Additionally, in their annual
application numerous States are unable
to identify or disaggregate the costs for
2 The Department’s FY 2014 notice of proposed
priority (79 FR 24661) provided information on the
challenges States face in understanding, submitting,
analyzing and using IDEA Part B fiscal data.
3 These fiscal data are reported in the following
sections of the IDEA Part C Application: (1) Section
III: Use of Federal IDEA Part C Funds for the State
LA and the Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC);
and (2) Section IV.B: Restricted Indirect Cost Rate/
Cost Allocation Plan data, which the Department
collects, inter alia, under section 618(a)(3) of IDEA.
4 These assurances are provided in Section II.B.,
items 13 and 24. The assurance numbers are from
the FFY 2019 IDEA Part C Annual State
Application, which can be accessed at https://
osep.grads360.org/#communities/pdc/documents/
17654.
5 This is certification number 3 in Section II.C. of
the application, and it is provided, under IDEA
section 640 and 34 CFR 303.202, in Section II.C. It
can be accessed at https://osep.grads360.org/
#communities/pdc/documents/17654.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
are accurate and can be reported to the
Department and the public.2
Accurately collecting and reporting
valid and reliable IDEA Part B fiscal
data is critically important for States
and LEAs. Failure of a State to report
accurate data on MFS may result in a
reduction of IDEA Part B section 611
funds. Failure of an LEA to meet LEA
MOE may result in repayment by the
SEA of non-Federal funds to the
Department. In addition, accurate fiscal
information is needed for States to make
informed decisions on the use of their
IDEA Part B funds. Finally, valid and
reliable fiscal data allow OSEP to better
protect the Federal interest in the
approximately $13.2 billion of IDEA
Part B grants made available to States by
the Department in Federal fiscal year
(FFY) 2019 by ensuring that States and
LEAs meet their obligation to collect
and report accurate data on IDEA’s MFS
and LEA MOE requirements.
TA on collecting, reporting,
analyzing, and using other IDEA Part B
and Part C data reported under sections
616 and 618 of IDEA would be provided
by the National Technical Assistance
Center to Improve State Capacity to
Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use
Accurate IDEA Part B Data, CFDA
number 84.373Y, and the National
Technical Assistance Center to Improve
State Capacity to Collect, Report,
Analyze, and Use Accurate Early
Childhood IDEA Data, CFDA number
84.373Z, for which notices of final
priority and requirements (NFP) were
published in the Federal Register on
August 12, 2019 (84 FR 39736 and 84
FR 39727).
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
67397
direct services, as well as costs
attributable to other State agencies, due
to confusion regarding the fiscal
certification, and fiscal assurances
regarding the payor of last resort, system
of payments, methods, and related fiscal
coordination requirements.
OSEP’s review of the fiscal data in
Section III of the IDEA Part C
application (use of funds) indicates that
States need TA in this area. This review
has identified inconsistencies in data
across categories of expenses (including
direct and indirect costs) and between
the fiscal data reported by the State and
the related fiscal assurances and
certification regarding funding needed
or provided by other State agencies (and
any methods, such as interagency
agreements or other appropriate written
mechanisms) and the State’s related
application requirements, including its
system of payments policies. States’
fiscal data reflect confusion with the
fiscal requirements not only under the
IDEA Part C statute and regulations, but
also the fiscal requirements under the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and
Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,
codified in 2 CFR part 200 (OMB
Uniform Guidance).
Specifically, OSEP has identified
issues with, and States have raised
questions about, how to report IDEA
Part C fiscal data regarding the amount
of IDEA Part C funds to be used for: (1)
Administrative costs, such as positions
partially or wholly funded by IDEA Part
C funds, and the amount of fringe
benefits (reported in Section III.A.); (2)
maintenance and implementation
activities for the LA and the State
Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC)
(including any costs that require prior
approval by OSEP, such as equipment,
rent, and participant support costs for
trainings and conferences) (reported in
Section III.B.); (3) direct services
(disaggregated by the type of service and
expended consistently with IDEA’s
payor-of-last-resort and system of
payments requirements) (reported in
Section III.C.); and (4) activities by other
State agencies (reported in Section
III.D.). The fiscal data in each of these
categories reflects a need for TA on the
requirements in the OMB Uniform
Guidance as they apply to IDEA Part C
LAs and EIS providers.
OSEP has also found that States need
TA with Section III use of funds grant
amendment requests after the grant is
issued to comply with fiscal
requirements and in order to expend
unused IDEA Part C funds prior to those
funds lapsing. These fiscal requirements
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
67398
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
are also codified in the OMB Uniform
Guidance.
In Section IV.B. of the IDEA Part C
application, the LA must report on
whether the State plans to charge
indirect costs to the IDEA Part C grant
through the use of a restricted indirect
cost rate agreement or a cost allocation
plan that is approved by the LA’s
Federal cognizant agency and provide
appropriate documentation.
Sections III.F.6 and IV.B also require
States to indicate that, if indirect costs
are being charged to the IDEA Part C
grant, the State must indicate the total
amount of the overall Federal IDEA Part
C grant funds that will be charged for
restricted indirect costs and provide
appropriate approval documentation. If
the State charges indirect costs to its
IDEA Part C grant, then, under 34 CFR
303.225(c), an LA may charge them
through either: (1) A restricted indirect
cost rate agreement that meets the
requirements in 34 CFR 76.560 through
76.569; or (2) a cost allocation plan that
meets the non-supplanting requirements
in 34 CFR 303.225(b) and 34 CFR part
76.6 OSEP has worked with LAs when
it identifies large amounts of IDEA Part
C funding being reserved for
administrative or indirect costs and
believes that LAs need TA both on
reporting indirect cost data to the
Department in the application and on
applying indirect costs and related
Federal requirements to the IDEA Part C
grant. This is particularly relevant to
LAs that have a cognizant Federal
agency other than the Department and
to ensure that States and LAs meet
requirements in Education Department
General Administrative Regulations and
the OMB Uniform Guidance, which
require indirect costs for IDEA Part C
grants to be calculated on a restricted
basis due to IDEA Part C’s
nonsupplanting requirement.7 The
Fiscal Data Center would support States
in appropriately applying their
previously negotiated or provisionally
approved indirect cost rate agreements
or a cost allocation plan as described
6 Approximately three quarters of States have a
department of health or social services as the LA
for Part C. In those cases, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services is the cognizant
Federal agency for indirect cost purposes. For
certain territories, the U.S. Department of the
Interior is the cognizant Federal agency for indirect
cost purposes. For LAs that are also SEAs, the
Department is the cognizant agency for approving
the LA’s restricted indirect cost rate or cost
allocation plan. If an LA has a cognizant Federal
agency other than the Department for determining
the LA’s restricted indirect cost rate or approving
its cost allocation plan, the LA must attach a copy
of the approved restricted indirect cost rate
agreement or cost allocation plan to the Department
in the IDEA Part C Annual Application.
7 Appendix VI and Appendix VII to 2 CFR 200.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
above. The Fiscal Data Center would not
support LAs in negotiating an indirect
cost rate agreement with their cognizant
agencies.
States need TA in reporting valid and
reliable IDEA Part C fiscal data,
understanding the underlying
requirements in Section III and Section
IV of the IDEA Part C Annual State
Application, and optimally using and
analyzing the data submitted to the
Department.
Indirect Costs Charged by the Fiscal
Data Center to the Grant
In addition, we propose for this
priority to include an indirect cost cap
that is the lesser of the grantee’s actual
indirect costs as determined by the
grantee’s negotiated indirect cost rate
agreement with its cognizant Federal
agency and 40 percent of the grantee’s
modified total direct cost (MTDC) base.
We believe this cap is appropriate as it
maximizes the availability of funds for
the primary TA purposes of this
priority. The Department has done an
analysis of the indirect cost rates for all
current TA centers funded under the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination
and Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection programs as well as other
grantees that are large, midsize, and
small businesses and small nonprofit
organizations and has found that, in
general, total indirect costs charged on
these grants by these entities were at or
below 35 percent of total direct costs
(TDC). We recognize that, dependent on
the structure of the investment and
activities, the MTDC base could be
much smaller than the TDC, which
would imply a higher indirect cost rate
than those calculated here. The
Department arrived at a 40 percent rate
to address some of that variation. This
would account for a 12 percent variance
between TDC and MTDC. However, we
note that, in the absence of a cap,
certain entities would likely charge
indirect cost rates in excess of 40
percent of MTDC. Based on our
analysis, it appears that those entities
would likely be larger for-profit and
nonprofit organizations, but these
organizations appear to be outliers when
compared to the majority of other large
businesses as well as the entirety of
OSEP’s grantees. Setting an indirect cost
rate cap of 40 percent would be in line
with the majority of applicants’ existing
negotiated rates with the cognizant
Federal agency.
This proposed priority aligns with
two priorities from the Secretary’s Final
Supplemental Priorities and Definitions
for Discretionary Grant Programs,
published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096): Priority 2:
PO 00000
Frm 00018
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
Promoting Innovation and Efficiency,
Streamlining Education With an
Increased Focus on Student Outcomes,
and Providing Increased Value to
Students and Taxpayers; and Priority 5:
Meeting the Unique Needs of Students
and Children with Disabilities and/or
Those With Unique Gifts and Talents.
The Fiscal Data Center must be
operated in a manner consistently with
nondiscrimination requirements
contained in the U.S. Constitution and
the Federal civil rights laws.
Proposed Priority: The purpose of this
proposed priority is to fund a
cooperative agreement to establish and
operate the National Technical
Assistance Center to Improve State
Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze,
and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part
C Fiscal Data (Fiscal Data Center).
The Fiscal Data Center will provide
TA to improve the capacity of States to
meet the IDEA Part B and C fiscal data
collection requirements under IDEA
section 618 and increase States’
knowledge of the underlying IDEA fiscal
requirements and calculations necessary
to submit valid and reliable data for the
following collections: (1) MFS in
Section V of the IDEA Part B Annual
State Application; (2) LEA MOE/CEIS;
(3) Description of Use of Federal IDEA
Part C Funds for the LA and the ICC in
Section III of the IDEA Part C Annual
State Application; and (4) Restricted
Indirect Cost Rate/Cost Allocation Plan
Information in Sections III and IV of the
IDEA Part C Annual State Application.
States will also receive TA from the
Fiscal Data Center on the underlying
fiscal requirements of IDEA related to
these collections and how they impact
the States’ ability to meet IDEA fiscal
data collection requirements.
Note: The Fiscal Data Center may
neither provide TA to States on
negotiating indirect cost rate agreements
with their cognizant Federal agencies
nor act as an agent or representative of
States in such negotiations.
The Fiscal Data Center must be
designed to achieve, at a minimum, the
following outcomes:
(a) Increased capacity of States to
collect, report, analyze, and use highquality IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal
data;
(b) Increased State knowledge of
underlying statutory and regulatory
fiscal requirements and the calculations
necessary to submit valid and reliable
fiscal data under IDEA Part B and Part
C;
(c) Improved fiscal infrastructure (e.g.,
sample interagency agreements,
standard operating procedures and
templates) by coordinating and
promoting communication and effective
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
fiscal data collection and reporting
strategies among relevant State offices,
including SEAs, other State agencies,
LEAs, schools, LAs, and early
intervention service (EIS) programs or
providers;
(d) Increased capacity of States to
submit accurate and timely fiscal data to
enhance current State validation
procedures to prevent errors in Statereported IDEA data;
(e) Increased capacity of States to
train personnel to meet the IDEA fiscal
data collection and reporting
requirements under section 618 of IDEA
through development of effective tools
and resources (e.g., templates, tools,
calculators, and documentation of State
data processes); and providing
opportunities for in-person and virtual
cross-State collaboration about IDEA
fiscal data collection and reporting
requirements (required under section
618 of IDEA);
(f) Improved capacity of SEAs, LEAs,
LAs, and EIS programs or providers to
collect and use IDEA fiscal data to
identify issues and address those issues
through monitoring, TA, and
stakeholder involvement; and
(g) Improved IDEA fiscal data
validation using results from data
reviews conducted by the Department to
work with States and generate tools that
can be used by States to accurately
communicate fiscal data to local
consumers (e.g., parents, LEAs, EIS
programs or providers, the general
public) and lead to improvements in the
validity and reliability of fiscal data
required by IDEA.
Types of Priorities: When inviting
applications for a competition using one
or more priorities, we designate the type
of each priority as absolute, competitive
preference, or invitational through a
notice in the Federal Register. 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 (1) awarding additional
points, depending on the extent to
which the application meets the priority
(34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2) selecting
an application that meets the 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
priority. However, we do not give an
application that meets the priority a
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
preference over other applications (34
CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Proposed Requirements: The
Assistant Secretary proposes the
following requirements for this program.
We may apply one or more of these
proposed requirements in any year in
which this program is in effect.
Applicants must—
(a) Describe, in the narrative section
of the application under ‘‘Significance,’’
how the proposed project will—
(1) Use knowledge of how SEAs, LAs,
LEAs, and EIS programs and providers
are meeting IDEA Part B and Part C
fiscal data collection and reporting
requirements and the underlying
statutory and regulatory fiscal
requirements, as well as knowledge of
State and local data collection systems,
as appropriate;
(2) Examine applicable national,
State, and local data to determine the
current capacity needs of SEAs, LAs,
LEAs, and EIS programs and providers
to meet IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal
data collection and reporting
requirements;
(3) Train SEAs and LAs on how to use
IDEA section 618 fiscal data as a means
of both improving data quality and
identifying programmatic strengths and
areas for improvement; and
(4) Disseminate information regarding
how SEAs and LAs are currently
meeting IDEA fiscal data collection and
reporting requirements and are using
IDEA section 618 data as a means of
both improving data quality and
identifying programmatic strengths and
areas for improvement.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of project services,’’ how the
proposed project will—
(1) Ensure equal access and treatment
for members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented
based on race, color, national origin,
gender, age, or disability. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
describe how it will—
(i) Identify the needs of the intended
recipients for TA and information; and
(ii) Ensure that services and products
meet the needs of the intended
recipients of the grant;
(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and
intended outcomes. To meet this
requirement, the applicant must
provide—
(i) Measurable intended project
outcomes; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model
(as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by which
the proposed project will achieve its
intended outcomes that depicts, at a
minimum, the goals, activities, outputs,
PO 00000
Frm 00019
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
67399
and intended outcomes of the proposed
project;
(3) Use a conceptual framework to
develop project plans and activities,
describing any underlying concepts,
assumptions, expectations, beliefs, or
theories, as well as the presumed
relationships or linkages among these
variables, and any empirical support for
this framework. Include a copy of the
conceptual framework in Appendix A;
Note: The following websites provide
more information on logic models and
conceptual frameworks:
www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel
and www.osepideasthatwork.org/
resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/
tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptualframework.
(4) Be based on current research and
make use of evidence-based practices
(EBPs).8 To meet this requirement, the
applicant must describe—
(i) The current research on fiscal data
management and data system
integration, and related EBPs; and
(ii) How the proposed project will
incorporate current research and EBPs
in the development and delivery of its
products and services;
(5) Develop products and provide
services that are of high quality and
sufficient intensity and duration to
achieve the intended outcomes of the
proposed project. To address this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(i) How it proposes to identify or
develop the knowledge base on fiscal
data management and data system
integration and the underlying fiscal
requirements of IDEA;
(ii) Its proposed approach to
universal, general TA,9 which must
identify the intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services under this approach;
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted,
specialized TA,10 which must identify—
8 For the purposes of this priority, ‘‘evidencebased’’ means the proposed project component is
supported, at a minimum, by evidence that
demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR
77.1), where a key project component included in
the project’s logic model is informed by research or
evaluation findings that suggest the project
component is likely to improve relevant outcomes.
9 ‘‘Universal, general TA’’ means TA and
information provided to independent users through
their own initiative, resulting in minimal
interaction with TA center staff and including onetime, invited or offered conference presentations by
TA center staff. This category of TA also includes
information or products, such as newsletters,
guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded
from the TA center’s website by independent users.
Brief communications by TA center staff with
recipients, either by telephone or email, are also
considered universal, general TA.
10 ‘‘Targeted, specialized TA’’ means TA services
based on needs common to multiple recipients and
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
Continued
10DEP1
67400
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
(A) The intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services under this approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to measure
the readiness of potential TA recipients
to work with the project, assessing, at a
minimum, their current infrastructure,
available resources, and ability to build
capacity at the State and local levels;
and
(C) The process by which the
proposed project will collaborate with
OSEP-funded centers and other
federally funded TA centers to develop
and implement a coordinated TA plan
when such other centers are involved in
a State; and
(iv) Its proposed approach to
intensive, sustained TA,11 which must
identify—
(A) The intended recipients,
including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products
and services under this approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to
addressing States’ challenges reporting
high-quality IDEA fiscal data to the
Department and the public, which
should, at a minimum, include
providing on-site consultants to the SEA
or LA to—
(1) Assess all 57 IDEA Part C
programs to determine LA
organizational structure and their
capacity to submit valid and reliable
IDEA Part C fiscal data;
(2) Assess all 60 entities that receive
IDEA Part B grants to determine their
capacity to submit valid and reliable
IDEA Part B fiscal data;
(3) Identify and document model
practices for data management and data
system integration policies, procedures,
processes, and activities within the
State;
(4) Develop and adapt tools and
provide technical solutions to meet
State-specific data needs; and
(5) Develop a sustainability plan for
the State to continue the data
not extensively individualized. A relationship is
established between the TA recipient and one or
more TA center staff. This category of TA includes
one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating
strategic planning or hosting regional or national
conferences. It can also include episodic, less laborintensive events that extend over a period of time,
such as facilitating a series of conference calls on
single or multiple topics that are designed around
the needs of the recipients. Facilitating
communities of practice can also be considered
targeted, specialized TA.
11 ‘‘Intensive, sustained TA’’ means TA services
often provided on-site and requiring a stable,
ongoing relationship between the TA center staff
and the TA recipient. ‘‘TA services’’ are defined as
negotiated series of activities designed to reach a
valued outcome. This category of TA should result
in changes to policy, program, practice, or
operations that support increased recipient capacity
or improved outcomes at one or more systems
levels.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
management and data system
integration work in the future;
(C) Its proposed approach to measure
the readiness of SEAs and LAs to work
with the project, including their
commitment to the initiative, alignment
of the initiative to their needs, current
infrastructure, available resources, and
ability to build capacity at the State and
local levels;
(D) Its proposed plan to prioritize
States with the greatest need for
intensive TA to receive products and
services;
(E) Its proposed plan for assisting
SEAs and LAs to build or enhance
training systems that include
professional development based on
adult learning principles and coaching;
(F) Its proposed plan for working with
appropriate levels of the education
system (e.g., SEAs, regional TA
providers, districts, local programs,
families) to ensure that there is
communication between each level and
that there are systems in place to
support the collection, reporting,
analysis, and use of high-quality IDEA
fiscal data as well as fiscal data
management and data system
integration; and
(G) The process by which the
proposed project will collaborate with
OSEP-funded centers and other
federally funded TA centers to develop
and implement a coordinated TA plan
when they are involved in a State;
(6) Develop products and implement
services that maximize efficiency. To
address this requirement, the applicant
must describe—
(i) How the proposed project will use
technology to achieve the intended
project outcomes;
(ii) With whom the proposed project
will collaborate and the intended
outcomes of this collaboration; and
(iii) How the proposed project will
use non-project resources to achieve the
intended project outcomes.
(c) In the narrative section of the
application under ‘‘Quality of the
project evaluation,’’ include an
evaluation plan for the project
developed in consultation with and
implemented by a third-party
evaluator.12 The evaluation plan must—
(1) Articulate formative and
summative evaluation questions,
including important process and
outcome evaluation questions. These
12 A ‘‘third-party’’ evaluator is an independent
and impartial program evaluator who is contracted
by the grantee to conduct an objective evaluation
of the project. This evaluator must not have
participated in the development or implementation
of any project activities, except for the evaluation
activities, nor have any financial interest in the
outcome of the evaluation.
PO 00000
Frm 00020
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
questions should be related to the
project’s proposed logic model required
in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of these
requirements;
(2) Describe how progress in and
fidelity of implementation, as well as
project outcomes, will be measured to
answer the evaluation questions.
Specify the measures and associated
instruments or sources for data
appropriate to the evaluation questions.
Include information regarding reliability
and validity of measures where
appropriate;
(3) Describe strategies for analyzing
data and how data collected as part of
this plan will be used to inform and
improve service delivery over the course
of the project and to refine the proposed
logic model and evaluation plan,
including subsequent data collection;
(4) Provide a timeline for conducting
the evaluation and include staff
assignments for completing the plan.
The timeline must indicate that the data
will be available annually for the
Annual Performance Report (APR); and
(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each
budget year to cover the costs of
developing or refining the evaluation
plan in consultation with a third-party
evaluator, as well as the costs associated
with the implementation of the
evaluation plan by the third-party
evaluator.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Adequacy of resources,’’ how—
(1) The proposed project will
encourage applications for employment
from persons who are members of
groups that have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color,
national origin, gender, age, or
disability, as appropriate;
(2) The proposed key project
personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors have the qualifications
and experience to carry out the
proposed activities and achieve the
project’s intended outcomes;
(3) The applicant and any key
partners have adequate resources to
carry out the proposed activities;
(4) The proposed costs are reasonable
in relation to the anticipated results and
benefits, and funds will be spent in a
way that increases their efficiency and
cost-effectiveness, including by
reducing waste or achieving better
outcomes; and
(5) The applicant will ensure that it
will recover the lesser of: (i) Its actual
indirect costs as determined by the
grantee’s negotiated indirect cost rate
agreement with its cognizant Federal
agency; and (ii) 40 percent of its
modified total direct cost (MTDC) base
as defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
Note: The MTDC is different from the
total amount of the grant. Additionally,
the MTDC is not the same as calculating
a percentage of each or a specific
expenditure category. If the grantee is
billing based on the MTDC base, the
grantee must make its MTDC
documentation available to the program
office and the Department’s Indirect
Cost Unit. If a grantee’s allocable
indirect costs exceed 40 percent of its
MTDC as defined in 2 CFR 200.68, the
grantee may not recoup the excess by
shifting the cost to other grants or
contracts with the U.S. Government,
unless specifically authorized by
legislation. The grantee must use nonFederal revenue sources to pay for such
unrecovered costs.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative
section of the application under
‘‘Quality of the management plan,’’
how—
(1) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the project’s intended
outcomes will be achieved on time and
within budget. To address this
requirement, the applicant must
describe—
(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for
key project personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors, as applicable; and
(ii) Timelines and milestones for
accomplishing the project tasks;
(2) Key project personnel and any
consultants and subcontractors will be
allocated and how these allocations are
appropriate and adequate to achieve the
project’s intended outcomes;
(3) The proposed management plan
will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality,
relevant, and useful to recipients; and
(4) The proposed project will benefit
from a diversity of perspectives,
including those of families, educators,
TA providers, researchers, and policy
makers, among others, in its
development and operation.
(f) Address the following application
requirements:
(1) Include, in Appendix A,
personnel-loading charts and timelines,
as applicable, to illustrate the
management plan described in the
narrative;
(2) Include, in the budget, attendance
at the following:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off
meeting in Washington, DC, after receipt
of the award, and an annual planning
meeting in Washington, DC, with the
OSEP project officer and other relevant
staff during each subsequent year of the
project period.
Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the
award, a post-award teleconference
must be held between the OSEP project
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
officer and the grantee’s project director
or other authorized representative;
(ii) A two and one-half day project
directors’ conference in Washington,
DC, during each year of the project
period; and
(iii) Three annual two-day trips to
attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and
other meetings, as requested by OSEP;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item
for an annual set-aside of 5 percent of
the grant amount to support emerging
needs that are consistent with the
proposed project’s intended outcomes,
as those needs are identified in
consultation with, and approved by, the
OSEP project officer. With approval
from the OSEP project officer, the
project must reallocate any remaining
funds from this annual set-aside no later
than the end of the third quarter of each
budget period;
(4) Maintain a high-quality website,
with an easy-to-navigate design, that
meets government or industryrecognized standards for accessibility;
(5) Include, in Appendix A, an
assurance to assist OSEP with the
transfer of pertinent resources and
products and to maintain the continuity
of services to States during the
transition to this new award period and
at the end of this award period, as
appropriate; and
(6) Budget at least 50 percent of the
grant award for providing intensive,
sustained TA.
Final Priority and Requirements: We
will announce the final priority and
requirements in a document in the
Federal Register. We will determine the
final priority and requirements after
considering public comments and other
information available to the Department.
This document does not preclude us
from proposing additional priorities or
requirements, subject to meeting
applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This document does not solicit
applications. In any year in which we choose
to use this proposed priority and one or more
of these proposed requirements, we invite
applications through a notice in the Federal
Register.
Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and
13771
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Under Executive Order 12866, OMB
determines whether this regulatory
action is ‘‘significant’’ and, therefore,
subject to the requirements of the
Executive order and subject to review by
OMB. Section 3(f) of Executive Order
12866 defines a ‘‘significant regulatory
action’’ as an action likely to result in
a rule that may—
PO 00000
Frm 00021
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
67401
(1) Have an annual effect on the
economy of $100 million or more, or
adversely affect a sector of the economy,
productivity, competition, jobs, the
environment, public health or safety, or
State, local, or Tribal governments or
communities in a material way (also
referred to as an ‘‘economically
significant’’ rule);
(2) Create serious inconsistency or
otherwise interfere with an action taken
or planned by another agency;
(3) Materially alter the budgetary
impacts of entitlement grants, user fees,
or loan programs or the rights and
obligations of recipients thereof; or
(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues
arising out of legal mandates, the
President’s priorities, or the principles
stated in the Executive order.
OMB has determined that this
proposed regulatory action is not a
significant regulatory action subject to
review by OMB under section 3(f) of
Executive Order 12866.
Under Executive Order 13771, for
each new rule that the Department
proposes for notice and comment or
otherwise promulgates that is a
significant regulatory action under
Executive Order 12866 and that imposes
total costs greater than zero, it must
identify two deregulatory actions. For
FY 2020, any new incremental costs
associated with a new rule must be fully
offset by the elimination of existing
costs through deregulatory actions.
Because the proposed regulatory action
is not significant, the requirements of
Executive Order 13771 do not apply.
We have also reviewed this proposed
regulatory action under Executive Order
13563, which supplements and
explicitly reaffirms the principles,
structures, and definitions governing
regulatory review established in
Executive Order 12866. To the extent
permitted by law, Executive Order
13563 requires that an agency—
(1) Propose or adopt regulations only
upon a reasoned determination that
their benefits justify their costs
(recognizing that some benefits and
costs are difficult to quantify);
(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the
least burden on society, consistent with
obtaining regulatory objectives and
taking into account—among other things
and to the extent practicable—the costs
of cumulative regulations;
(3) In choosing among alternative
regulatory approaches, select those
approaches that maximize net benefits
(including potential economic,
environmental, public health and safety,
and other advantages; distributive
impacts; and equity);
(4) To the extent feasible, specify
performance objectives, rather than the
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
67402
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 237 / Tuesday, December 10, 2019 / Proposed Rules
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with PROPOSALS
behavior or manner of compliance a
regulated entity must adopt; and
(5) Identify and assess available
alternatives to direct regulation,
including economic incentives—such as
user fees or marketable permits—to
encourage the desired behavior, or
provide information that enables the
public to make choices.
Executive Order 13563 also requires
an agency ‘‘to use the best available
techniques to quantify anticipated
present and future benefits and costs as
accurately as possible.’’ The Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of
OMB has emphasized that these
techniques may include ‘‘identifying
changing future compliance costs that
might result from technological
innovation or anticipated behavioral
changes.’’
We are issuing the proposed priority
and requirements only on a reasoned
determination that their benefits justify
their costs. In choosing among
alternative regulatory approaches, we
selected those approaches that
maximize net benefits. Based on the
analysis that follows, the Department
believes that this regulatory action is
consistent with the principles in
Executive Order 13563.
We also have determined that this
regulatory action would not unduly
interfere with State, local, and Tribal
governments in the exercise of their
governmental functions.
In accordance with both Executive
orders, the Department has assessed the
potential costs and benefits, both
quantitative and qualitative, of this
regulatory action. The potential costs
are those resulting from statutory
requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for
administering the Department’s
programs and activities.
In addition, we have considered the
potential benefits of this regulatory
action and have noted these benefits in
the background section of this
document.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
The proposed priority and
requirements contain information
collection requirements that are
approved by OMB under OMB control
number 1894–0006; the proposed
priority and requirements do not affect
the currently approved data collection.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
Certification: The Secretary certifies that
this proposed regulatory action would
not have a significant economic impact
on a substantial number of small
entities. The U.S. Small Business
Administration Size Standards define
‘‘small entities’’ as for-profit or
VerDate Sep<11>2014
16:46 Dec 09, 2019
Jkt 250001
nonprofit institutions with total annual
revenue below $7,000,000 or, if they are
institutions controlled by small
governmental jurisdictions (that are
comprised of cities, counties, towns,
townships, villages, school districts, or
special districts), with a population of
less than 50,000.
The small entities that this proposed
regulatory action would affect are SEAs;
LEAs, including charter schools that
operate as LEAs under State law;
institutions of higher education; other
public agencies; private nonprofit
organizations; freely associated States
and outlying areas; Indian Tribes or
Tribal organizations; and for-profit
organizations. We believe that the costs
imposed on an applicant by the
proposed priority and requirements
would be limited to paperwork burden
related to preparing an application and
that the benefits of this proposed
priority and these proposed
requirements would outweigh any costs
incurred by the applicant.
Participation in the Technical
Assistance on State Data Collection
program is voluntary. For this reason,
the proposed priority and requirements
would impose no burden on small
entities unless they applied for funding
under the program. We expect that in
determining whether to apply for
Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection program funds, an eligible
entity would evaluate the requirements
of preparing an application and any
associated costs, and weigh them
against the benefits likely to be achieved
by receiving a Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection program grant. An
eligible entity would probably apply
only if it determines that the likely
benefits exceed the costs of preparing an
application.
We believe that the proposed priority
and requirements would not impose any
additional burden on a small entity
applying for a grant than the entity
would face in the absence of the
proposed action. That is, the length of
the applications those entities would
submit in the absence of the proposed
regulatory action and the time needed to
prepare an application would likely be
the same.
This proposed regulatory action
would not have a significant economic
impact on a small entity once it receives
a grant because it would be able to meet
the costs of compliance using the funds
provided under this program. We invite
comments from small eligible entities as
to whether they believe this proposed
regulatory action would have a
significant economic impact on them
and, if so, request evidence to support
that belief.
PO 00000
Frm 00022
Fmt 4702
Sfmt 4702
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.
Accessible Format: Individuals with
disabilities can obtain this document in
an accessible format (e.g., braille, large
print, audiotape, or compact disc) on
request to the program contact person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document:
The official version of this document is
the document published in the Federal
Register. You may access the official
edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations at
www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can
view this document, as well as all other
documents of this Department
published in the Federal Register, in
text or Portable Document Format
(PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the
Department published in the Federal
Register by using the article search
feature at www.federalregister.gov.
Specifically, through the advanced
search feature at this site, you can limit
your search to documents published by
the Department.
Mark Schultz,
Delegated the authority to perform the
functions and duties of the Assistant
Secretary for the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019–26477 Filed 12–9–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
39 CFR part 3050
[Docket No. RM2020–2; Order No. 5336]
Periodic Reporting
Postal Regulatory Commission.
Notice of proposed rulemaking.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
The Commission is
acknowledging a recent filing requesting
the Commission initiate a rulemaking
proceeding to consider changes to
analytical principles relating to periodic
reports (Proposal Ten). This document
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\10DEP1.SGM
10DEP1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67395-67402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-26477]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter III
[Docket ID ED-2019-OSERS-0134]
Proposed Priority and Requirements--Technical Assistance on State
Data Collection--National Technical Assistance Center To Improve State
Capacity To Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and
Part C Fiscal Data
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Proposed priority and requirements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The mission of the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) is to improve early childhood,
educational, and employment outcomes and raise expectations for all
people with disabilities, their families, their communities, and the
Nation. As such, the Department of Education (Department) proposes a
funding priority and requirements under the Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection program. The Department may use the proposed
priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2020 and later years. We
take this action to focus attention on an identified national need to
provide technical assistance (TA) to improve the capacity of States to
meet the data collection requirements under Parts B and C of the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The National
Technical Assistance Center to Improve State Capacity to Collect,
Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal Data
(Fiscal Data Center) would support States in collecting, reporting, and
determining how to best analyze and use their IDEA Part B and C fiscal
data to establish and meet high expectations for each child with a
disability and would customize its TA to meet each State's specific
needs.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 24, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit your comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal
or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. We will not
accept comments submitted by fax or by email or those submitted after
the comment period. To ensure that we do not receive duplicate copies,
please submit your comments only once. In addition, please include the
Docket ID at the top of your comments.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to
submit your comments electronically. Information on using
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site
under ``Help.''
Postal Mail, Commercial Delivery, or Hand Delivery: If you
mail or deliver your comments, address them to Charles Kniseley, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5133, Potomac
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-5076.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make all comments
received from members of the public available for public viewing in
their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include
in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly
available.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Kniseley, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 5133, Potomac Center Plaza,
Washington, DC 20202-5076. Telephone: (202) 245-7322. Email:
[email protected].
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.373F.]
Invitation to Comment: We invite you to submit comments regarding
the proposed priority and requirements. To ensure that your comments
have maximum effect in developing the notice of final priority and
requirements we urge you to clearly identify the specific topic that
each comment addresses.
We are particularly interested in comments about whether the
proposed priority or any of the proposed requirements would be
challenging for new applicants to meet and, if so, how the proposed
priority or requirements could be revised to address potential
challenges.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific
requirements of Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 13771 and their
overall requirement of reducing regulatory burden that might result
from this proposed priority and these proposed requirements. Please let
us know of any further ways we could 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 the proposed priority and requirements by accessing
Regulations.gov. You may also inspect the comments in person in room
5133, 550 12th Street SW, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC, between
the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 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 provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for the proposed priority and requirements. If
you want to schedule an appointment for this type of accommodation or
auxiliary aid, please contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection program is to improve the capacity of States to
meet IDEA data collection and reporting requirements. Funding for the
program is authorized under section 611(c)(1) of IDEA, which gives the
Secretary the authority to reserve not more than one-half of 1 percent
of the amounts appropriated under Part B for each fiscal year to
provide TA activities authorized under section 616(i), where needed, to
improve the capacity of States to meet the data collection requirements
under Parts B and C of IDEA. The maximum amount the Secretary may
reserve under this set-aside for any fiscal year is
[[Page 67396]]
$25,000,000, cumulatively adjusted by the rate of inflation. Section
616(i) of IDEA requires the Secretary to review the data collection and
analysis capacity of States to ensure that data and information
determined necessary for the implementation of section 616 of IDEA are
collected, analyzed, and accurately reported to the Secretary. It also
requires the Secretary to provide TA (from funds reserved under section
611(c)(1)), where needed, to improve the capacity of States to meet the
data collection requirements under Parts B and C of IDEA, which include
the data collection and reporting requirements in sections 616 and 618
of IDEA. Additionally, the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2019 gives the Secretary the authority to use funds
reserved under section 611(c) to ``administer and carry out other
services and activities to improve data collection, coordination,
quality, and use under parts B and C of the IDEA.'' Department of
Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019; Div.
B, Title III of Public Law 115-245; 132 Stat. 3100 (2018).
To help ensure this program meets State needs, we invited the
public to provide input on the Technical Assistance on State Data
Collection program from April 24, 2018, through May 24, 2018, on the
ED.gov OSERS Blog.\1\ In response to this invitation, we received 63
relevant responses, all of which we considered in our development of
this document. Sixty-two supported our continuing to fund TA centers;
only one supported one of the other options we presented, specifically,
to invite State educational agencies (SEAs) and State lead agencies
(LAs) to directly apply for funds reserved under section 611(c) to
purchase TA to improve their capacity to meet their IDEA Part B and
Part C data collection requirements. A few commenters noted some
concerns regarding overlap between TA centers and a need for cross-
State collaboration TA opportunities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See https://sites.ed.gov/osers/2018/04/use-of-part-b-program-funds-for-technical-assistance-to-states-on-idea-data-collection/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We address these concerns in the proposed priority by (1) including
a requirement for the Fiscal Data Center to offer cross-State
collaboration TA opportunities; and (2) clarifying that the scope of
the Fiscal Data Center will be distinct from the scope of two separate
centers that will provide TA on other non-fiscal data: The National
Technical Assistance Center to Improve State Capacity to Collect,
Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B Data, CFDA number
84.373Y, and the National Technical Assistance Center to Improve State
Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate Early Childhood
IDEA Data, CFDA number 84.373Z, for which the notices of final priority
and requirements (NFP) were published in the Federal Register on August
12, 2019 (84 FR 39736 and 84 FR 39727).
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1411(c), 1416(i), 1418(c), and 1442;
the Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act,
2019; Div. B, Title III of Public Law 115-245, Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2019; 132 Stat. 3100 (2018).
Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR 300.702.
Proposed Priority: The Assistant Secretary proposes the following
priority for this program. We may apply this proposed priority in any
year in which this program is in effect.
National Technical Assistance Center To Improve State Capacity To
Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C
Fiscal Data
Background: The purpose of this proposed priority is to establish a
Fiscal Data Center to provide States with TA to assist them in meeting
their fiscal data collection and reporting obligations under IDEA.
Under Part B of IDEA, State educational agencies (SEAs) are required to
submit fiscal data to the Department in (1) the IDEA Part B local
educational agency (LEA) Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Reduction and
Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) (LEA MOE/CEIS) Data
Collection; and (2) Section V of the IDEA Part B Annual Application.
Under IDEA Part C, State lead agencies (LAs) are also required to
report fiscal data to the Department in (1) Section III of the IDEA
Part C Annual Application (use of funds); and (2) Section IV of the
IDEA Part C Annual Application (indirect costs).
In reviewing the data submitted by States, the Department finds
that States continue to need support to build their capacity to submit
valid and reliable IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data. It is important
for these data to be accurate so that States can use them to more
effectively manage all available funding resources for services for
children with disabilities and ensure that IDEA funds are used as a
payor of last resort. In addition, under IDEA Part B, States may suffer
significant monetary consequences as a result of inaccurate data
reporting or noncompliance identified through these data collections.
Data Under IDEA Part B
In FY 2014 the Department funded the Technical Assistance on State
Data Collection--IDEA Fiscal Data Center, which provided TA to improve
the capacity of States to meet the following IDEA Part B fiscal data
collection requirements under section 618 of IDEA: (1) Maintenance of
State Financial Support (MFS) for special education and related
services; and (2) LEA MOE/CEIS.
Since that time, the Department added new data elements to the LEA
MOE/CEIS data collection based on the final LEA MOE regulations that
were published in the Federal Register on April 28, 2015 (80 FR 23644),
and States will need to ensure that the data they submit under those
new elements are valid and reliable. In addition, the Department
continues to identify errors in States' Part B LEA MOE/CEIS data
submissions through its annual review process. Finally, based on the
Office of Special Education Programs' (OSEP) monitoring visits and
subsequent fiscal findings in several States, OSEP has determined that
States continue to need support in understanding the requirements
relating to the data elements reported under the LEA MOE/CEIS data
collection.
For example, OSEP has identified noncompliance in the methodologies
used by some States to calculate the amounts of their LEAs' IDEA Part B
subgrants. This type of noncompliance has broader implications for LEAs
and States that receive increased or decreased funding for special
education and related services. As an illustration of the potential
impact of fiscal noncompliance, an error in calculating the amount of
an LEA's IDEA Part B allocation affects the amounts the LEA may expend
to meet other fiscal requirements, such as LEA MOE reduction under 34
CFR 300.205, voluntary CEIS under 34 CFR 300.226(a), comprehensive CEIS
under 34 CFR 300.646(d), and proportionate share for parentally placed
private school children with disabilities under 34 CFR 300.133. Based
on the complexities and high stakes involved in reporting valid and
reliable IDEA Part B fiscal data, the Department determined that States
continue to need TA to improve their data collection capacity, their
ability to analyze and use that data, and their ability to ensure data
[[Page 67397]]
are accurate and can be reported to the Department and the public.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ The Department's FY 2014 notice of proposed priority (79 FR
24661) provided information on the challenges States face in
understanding, submitting, analyzing and using IDEA Part B fiscal
data.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Accurately collecting and reporting valid and reliable IDEA Part B
fiscal data is critically important for States and LEAs. Failure of a
State to report accurate data on MFS may result in a reduction of IDEA
Part B section 611 funds. Failure of an LEA to meet LEA MOE may result
in repayment by the SEA of non-Federal funds to the Department. In
addition, accurate fiscal information is needed for States to make
informed decisions on the use of their IDEA Part B funds. Finally,
valid and reliable fiscal data allow OSEP to better protect the Federal
interest in the approximately $13.2 billion of IDEA Part B grants made
available to States by the Department in Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2019
by ensuring that States and LEAs meet their obligation to collect and
report accurate data on IDEA's MFS and LEA MOE requirements.
TA on collecting, reporting, analyzing, and using other IDEA Part B
and Part C data reported under sections 616 and 618 of IDEA would be
provided by the National Technical Assistance Center to Improve State
Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B
Data, CFDA number 84.373Y, and the National Technical Assistance Center
to Improve State Capacity to Collect, Report, Analyze, and Use Accurate
Early Childhood IDEA Data, CFDA number 84.373Z, for which notices of
final priority and requirements (NFP) were published in the Federal
Register on August 12, 2019 (84 FR 39736 and 84 FR 39727).
Data Under IDEA Part C
In its review of State submissions of IDEA Part C fiscal data, the
Department found that States need support to submit accurate, valid,
and reliable data in two areas: (1) Use of IDEA Part C funds; and (2)
indirect costs.\3\ In its reviews, OSEP found inconsistencies within
the fiscal data reported by a State LA and between the fiscal data
reported and the related fiscal certification and assurances that the
State must provide in its IDEA Part C Annual Application.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ These fiscal data are reported in the following sections of
the IDEA Part C Application: (1) Section III: Use of Federal IDEA
Part C Funds for the State LA and the Interagency Coordinating
Council (ICC); and (2) Section IV.B: Restricted Indirect Cost Rate/
Cost Allocation Plan data, which the Department collects, inter
alia, under section 618(a)(3) of IDEA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In its IDEA Part C Annual Application, each LA must provide several
fiscal-related assurances and a fiscal-related certification.
Specifically, each LA must--(1) ensure its statewide system has a
single line of responsibility, including: (a) The identification and
coordination of all available resources for early intervention services
within the State, including those from Federal, State, local, and
private sources, consistent with subpart F of 34 CFR part 303; and (b)
the assignment of financial responsibility in accordance with subpart F
of 34 CFR part 303 and specifically ensure IDEA Part C funds are used
as payor of last resort (including any method under IDEA section 640);
(2) coordinate all available funding sources for IDEA Part C services
(including its system of payments); (3) use IDEA Part C funds to
supplement, not supplant, the level of State and local funds expended
for infants and toddlers with disabilities; and (4) charge
administrative direct and indirect costs to the Part C grant consistent
with applicable Federal fiscal requirements.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ These assurances are provided in Section II.B., items 13 and
24. The assurance numbers are from the FFY 2019 IDEA Part C Annual
State Application, which can be accessed at https://osep.grads360.org/#communities/pdc/documents/17654.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition, each LA must certify that the arrangements to
establish financial responsibility for the provision of Part C services
among appropriate public agencies under 34 CFR 303.511 and the lead
agency's contracts with early intervention service (EIS) providers
regarding financial responsibility for the provision of Part C services
meet the requirements in 34 CFR 303.500 through 303.521 and are current
as of the date of submission of the certification.\5\ Fiscal data
related to this certification may need to also be reported in Section
III of the IDEA Part C Annual State Application under funding for other
State agencies to the extent Federal IDEA Part C funds are used in
conjunction with State funding or other support provided by State
agencies other than the State lead agency.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ This is certification number 3 in Section II.C. of the
application, and it is provided, under IDEA section 640 and 34 CFR
303.202, in Section II.C. It can be accessed at https://osep.grads360.org/#communities/pdc/documents/17654.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
In several instances, States' reporting of IDEA Part C fiscal data
in their applications indicates that there is confusion related to the
implementation of underlying Part C fiscal requirements. Many States
need support in understanding the administrative costs that may be
charged to IDEA Part C grants as direct and indirect costs.
Additionally, in their annual application numerous States are unable to
identify or disaggregate the costs for direct services, as well as
costs attributable to other State agencies, due to confusion regarding
the fiscal certification, and fiscal assurances regarding the payor of
last resort, system of payments, methods, and related fiscal
coordination requirements.
OSEP's review of the fiscal data in Section III of the IDEA Part C
application (use of funds) indicates that States need TA in this area.
This review has identified inconsistencies in data across categories of
expenses (including direct and indirect costs) and between the fiscal
data reported by the State and the related fiscal assurances and
certification regarding funding needed or provided by other State
agencies (and any methods, such as interagency agreements or other
appropriate written mechanisms) and the State's related application
requirements, including its system of payments policies. States' fiscal
data reflect confusion with the fiscal requirements not only under the
IDEA Part C statute and regulations, but also the fiscal requirements
under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Uniform Administrative
Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal
Awards, codified in 2 CFR part 200 (OMB Uniform Guidance).
Specifically, OSEP has identified issues with, and States have
raised questions about, how to report IDEA Part C fiscal data regarding
the amount of IDEA Part C funds to be used for: (1) Administrative
costs, such as positions partially or wholly funded by IDEA Part C
funds, and the amount of fringe benefits (reported in Section III.A.);
(2) maintenance and implementation activities for the LA and the State
Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) (including any costs that
require prior approval by OSEP, such as equipment, rent, and
participant support costs for trainings and conferences) (reported in
Section III.B.); (3) direct services (disaggregated by the type of
service and expended consistently with IDEA's payor-of-last-resort and
system of payments requirements) (reported in Section III.C.); and (4)
activities by other State agencies (reported in Section III.D.). The
fiscal data in each of these categories reflects a need for TA on the
requirements in the OMB Uniform Guidance as they apply to IDEA Part C
LAs and EIS providers.
OSEP has also found that States need TA with Section III use of
funds grant amendment requests after the grant is issued to comply with
fiscal requirements and in order to expend unused IDEA Part C funds
prior to those funds lapsing. These fiscal requirements
[[Page 67398]]
are also codified in the OMB Uniform Guidance.
In Section IV.B. of the IDEA Part C application, the LA must report
on whether the State plans to charge indirect costs to the IDEA Part C
grant through the use of a restricted indirect cost rate agreement or a
cost allocation plan that is approved by the LA's Federal cognizant
agency and provide appropriate documentation.
Sections III.F.6 and IV.B also require States to indicate that, if
indirect costs are being charged to the IDEA Part C grant, the State
must indicate the total amount of the overall Federal IDEA Part C grant
funds that will be charged for restricted indirect costs and provide
appropriate approval documentation. If the State charges indirect costs
to its IDEA Part C grant, then, under 34 CFR 303.225(c), an LA may
charge them through either: (1) A restricted indirect cost rate
agreement that meets the requirements in 34 CFR 76.560 through 76.569;
or (2) a cost allocation plan that meets the non-supplanting
requirements in 34 CFR 303.225(b) and 34 CFR part 76.\6\ OSEP has
worked with LAs when it identifies large amounts of IDEA Part C funding
being reserved for administrative or indirect costs and believes that
LAs need TA both on reporting indirect cost data to the Department in
the application and on applying indirect costs and related Federal
requirements to the IDEA Part C grant. This is particularly relevant to
LAs that have a cognizant Federal agency other than the Department and
to ensure that States and LAs meet requirements in Education Department
General Administrative Regulations and the OMB Uniform Guidance, which
require indirect costs for IDEA Part C grants to be calculated on a
restricted basis due to IDEA Part C's nonsupplanting requirement.\7\
The Fiscal Data Center would support States in appropriately applying
their previously negotiated or provisionally approved indirect cost
rate agreements or a cost allocation plan as described above. The
Fiscal Data Center would not support LAs in negotiating an indirect
cost rate agreement with their cognizant agencies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\6\ Approximately three quarters of States have a department of
health or social services as the LA for Part C. In those cases, the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is the cognizant
Federal agency for indirect cost purposes. For certain territories,
the U.S. Department of the Interior is the cognizant Federal agency
for indirect cost purposes. For LAs that are also SEAs, the
Department is the cognizant agency for approving the LA's restricted
indirect cost rate or cost allocation plan. If an LA has a cognizant
Federal agency other than the Department for determining the LA's
restricted indirect cost rate or approving its cost allocation plan,
the LA must attach a copy of the approved restricted indirect cost
rate agreement or cost allocation plan to the Department in the IDEA
Part C Annual Application.
\7\ Appendix VI and Appendix VII to 2 CFR 200.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
States need TA in reporting valid and reliable IDEA Part C fiscal
data, understanding the underlying requirements in Section III and
Section IV of the IDEA Part C Annual State Application, and optimally
using and analyzing the data submitted to the Department.
Indirect Costs Charged by the Fiscal Data Center to the Grant
In addition, we propose for this priority to include an indirect
cost cap that is the lesser of the grantee's actual indirect costs as
determined by the grantee's negotiated indirect cost rate agreement
with its cognizant Federal agency and 40 percent of the grantee's
modified total direct cost (MTDC) base. We believe this cap is
appropriate as it maximizes the availability of funds for the primary
TA purposes of this priority. The Department has done an analysis of
the indirect cost rates for all current TA centers funded under the
Technical Assistance and Dissemination and Technical Assistance on
State Data Collection programs as well as other grantees that are
large, midsize, and small businesses and small nonprofit organizations
and has found that, in general, total indirect costs charged on these
grants by these entities were at or below 35 percent of total direct
costs (TDC). We recognize that, dependent on the structure of the
investment and activities, the MTDC base could be much smaller than the
TDC, which would imply a higher indirect cost rate than those
calculated here. The Department arrived at a 40 percent rate to address
some of that variation. This would account for a 12 percent variance
between TDC and MTDC. However, we note that, in the absence of a cap,
certain entities would likely charge indirect cost rates in excess of
40 percent of MTDC. Based on our analysis, it appears that those
entities would likely be larger for-profit and nonprofit organizations,
but these organizations appear to be outliers when compared to the
majority of other large businesses as well as the entirety of OSEP's
grantees. Setting an indirect cost rate cap of 40 percent would be in
line with the majority of applicants' existing negotiated rates with
the cognizant Federal agency.
This proposed priority aligns with two priorities from the
Secretary's Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions for
Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal Register on
March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096): Priority 2: Promoting Innovation and
Efficiency, Streamlining Education With an Increased Focus on Student
Outcomes, and Providing Increased Value to Students and Taxpayers; and
Priority 5: Meeting the Unique Needs of Students and Children with
Disabilities and/or Those With Unique Gifts and Talents.
The Fiscal Data Center must be operated in a manner consistently
with nondiscrimination requirements contained in the U.S. Constitution
and the Federal civil rights laws.
Proposed Priority: The purpose of this proposed priority is to fund
a cooperative agreement to establish and operate the National Technical
Assistance Center to Improve State Capacity to Collect, Report,
Analyze, and Use Accurate IDEA Part B and Part C Fiscal Data (Fiscal
Data Center).
The Fiscal Data Center will provide TA to improve the capacity of
States to meet the IDEA Part B and C fiscal data collection
requirements under IDEA section 618 and increase States' knowledge of
the underlying IDEA fiscal requirements and calculations necessary to
submit valid and reliable data for the following collections: (1) MFS
in Section V of the IDEA Part B Annual State Application; (2) LEA MOE/
CEIS; (3) Description of Use of Federal IDEA Part C Funds for the LA
and the ICC in Section III of the IDEA Part C Annual State Application;
and (4) Restricted Indirect Cost Rate/Cost Allocation Plan Information
in Sections III and IV of the IDEA Part C Annual State Application.
States will also receive TA from the Fiscal Data Center on the
underlying fiscal requirements of IDEA related to these collections and
how they impact the States' ability to meet IDEA fiscal data collection
requirements.
Note: The Fiscal Data Center may neither provide TA to States on
negotiating indirect cost rate agreements with their cognizant Federal
agencies nor act as an agent or representative of States in such
negotiations.
The Fiscal Data Center must be designed to achieve, at a minimum,
the following outcomes:
(a) Increased capacity of States to collect, report, analyze, and
use high-quality IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data;
(b) Increased State knowledge of underlying statutory and
regulatory fiscal requirements and the calculations necessary to submit
valid and reliable fiscal data under IDEA Part B and Part C;
(c) Improved fiscal infrastructure (e.g., sample interagency
agreements, standard operating procedures and templates) by
coordinating and promoting communication and effective
[[Page 67399]]
fiscal data collection and reporting strategies among relevant State
offices, including SEAs, other State agencies, LEAs, schools, LAs, and
early intervention service (EIS) programs or providers;
(d) Increased capacity of States to submit accurate and timely
fiscal data to enhance current State validation procedures to prevent
errors in State-reported IDEA data;
(e) Increased capacity of States to train personnel to meet the
IDEA fiscal data collection and reporting requirements under section
618 of IDEA through development of effective tools and resources (e.g.,
templates, tools, calculators, and documentation of State data
processes); and providing opportunities for in-person and virtual
cross-State collaboration about IDEA fiscal data collection and
reporting requirements (required under section 618 of IDEA);
(f) Improved capacity of SEAs, LEAs, LAs, and EIS programs or
providers to collect and use IDEA fiscal data to identify issues and
address those issues through monitoring, TA, and stakeholder
involvement; and
(g) Improved IDEA fiscal data validation using results from data
reviews conducted by the Department to work with States and generate
tools that can be used by States to accurately communicate fiscal data
to local consumers (e.g., parents, LEAs, EIS programs or providers, the
general public) and lead to improvements in the validity and
reliability of fiscal data required by IDEA.
Types of Priorities: When inviting applications for a competition
using one or more priorities, we designate the type of each priority as
absolute, competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in
the Federal Register. 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 (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i)); or (2)
selecting an application that meets the 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 priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (34 CFR 75.105(c)(1)).
Proposed Requirements: The Assistant Secretary proposes the
following requirements for this program. We may apply one or more of
these proposed requirements in any year in which this program is in
effect.
Applicants must--
(a) Describe, in the narrative section of the application under
``Significance,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Use knowledge of how SEAs, LAs, LEAs, and EIS programs and
providers are meeting IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data collection and
reporting requirements and the underlying statutory and regulatory
fiscal requirements, as well as knowledge of State and local data
collection systems, as appropriate;
(2) Examine applicable national, State, and local data to determine
the current capacity needs of SEAs, LAs, LEAs, and EIS programs and
providers to meet IDEA Part B and Part C fiscal data collection and
reporting requirements;
(3) Train SEAs and LAs on how to use IDEA section 618 fiscal data
as a means of both improving data quality and identifying programmatic
strengths and areas for improvement; and
(4) Disseminate information regarding how SEAs and LAs are
currently meeting IDEA fiscal data collection and reporting
requirements and are using IDEA section 618 data as a means of both
improving data quality and identifying programmatic strengths and areas
for improvement.
(b) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of project services,'' how the proposed project will--
(1) Ensure equal access and treatment for members of groups that
have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. To meet this requirement, the
applicant must describe how it will--
(i) Identify the needs of the intended recipients for TA and
information; and
(ii) Ensure that services and products meet the needs of the
intended recipients of the grant;
(2) Achieve its goals, objectives, and intended outcomes. To meet
this requirement, the applicant must provide--
(i) Measurable intended project outcomes; and
(ii) In Appendix A, the logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1) by
which the proposed project will achieve its intended outcomes that
depicts, at a minimum, the goals, activities, outputs, and intended
outcomes of the proposed project;
(3) Use a conceptual framework to develop project plans and
activities, describing any underlying concepts, assumptions,
expectations, beliefs, or theories, as well as the presumed
relationships or linkages among these variables, and any empirical
support for this framework. Include a copy of the conceptual framework
in Appendix A;
Note: The following websites provide more information on logic
models and conceptual frameworks: www.osepideasthatwork.org/logicModel
and www.osepideasthatwork.org/resources-grantees/program-areas/ta-ta/tad-project-logic-model-and-conceptual-framework.
(4) Be based on current research and make use of evidence-based
practices (EBPs).\8\ To meet this requirement, the applicant must
describe--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\8\ For the purposes of this priority, ``evidence-based'' means
the proposed project component is supported, at a minimum, by
evidence that demonstrates a rationale (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1),
where a key project component included in the project's logic model
is informed by research or evaluation findings that suggest the
project component is likely to improve relevant outcomes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(i) The current research on fiscal data management and data system
integration, and related EBPs; and
(ii) How the proposed project will incorporate current research and
EBPs in the development and delivery of its products and services;
(5) Develop products and provide services that are of high quality
and sufficient intensity and duration to achieve the intended outcomes
of the proposed project. To address this requirement, the applicant
must describe--
(i) How it proposes to identify or develop the knowledge base on
fiscal data management and data system integration and the underlying
fiscal requirements of IDEA;
(ii) Its proposed approach to universal, general TA,\9\ which must
identify the intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services under this
approach;
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\9\ ``Universal, general TA'' means TA and information provided
to independent users through their own initiative, resulting in
minimal interaction with TA center staff and including one-time,
invited or offered conference presentations by TA center staff. This
category of TA also includes information or products, such as
newsletters, guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded from the
TA center's website by independent users. Brief communications by TA
center staff with recipients, either by telephone or email, are also
considered universal, general TA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(iii) Its proposed approach to targeted, specialized TA,\10\ which
must identify--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ ``Targeted, specialized TA'' means TA services based on
needs common to multiple recipients and not extensively
individualized. A relationship is established between the TA
recipient and one or more TA center staff. This category of TA
includes one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating
strategic planning or hosting regional or national conferences. It
can also include episodic, less labor-intensive events that extend
over a period of time, such as facilitating a series of conference
calls on single or multiple topics that are designed around the
needs of the recipients. Facilitating communities of practice can
also be considered targeted, specialized TA.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 67400]]
(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services under this
approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to measure the readiness of potential TA
recipients to work with the project, assessing, at a minimum, their
current infrastructure, available resources, and ability to build
capacity at the State and local levels; and
(C) The process by which the proposed project will collaborate with
OSEP-funded centers and other federally funded TA centers to develop
and implement a coordinated TA plan when such other centers are
involved in a State; and
(iv) Its proposed approach to intensive, sustained TA,\11\ which
must identify--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ ``Intensive, sustained TA'' means TA services often
provided on-site and requiring a stable, ongoing relationship
between the TA center staff and the TA recipient. ``TA services''
are defined as negotiated series of activities designed to reach a
valued outcome. This category of TA should result in changes to
policy, program, practice, or operations that support increased
recipient capacity or improved outcomes at one or more systems
levels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) The intended recipients, including the type and number of
recipients, that will receive the products and services under this
approach;
(B) Its proposed approach to addressing States' challenges
reporting high-quality IDEA fiscal data to the Department and the
public, which should, at a minimum, include providing on-site
consultants to the SEA or LA to--
(1) Assess all 57 IDEA Part C programs to determine LA
organizational structure and their capacity to submit valid and
reliable IDEA Part C fiscal data;
(2) Assess all 60 entities that receive IDEA Part B grants to
determine their capacity to submit valid and reliable IDEA Part B
fiscal data;
(3) Identify and document model practices for data management and
data system integration policies, procedures, processes, and activities
within the State;
(4) Develop and adapt tools and provide technical solutions to meet
State-specific data needs; and
(5) Develop a sustainability plan for the State to continue the
data management and data system integration work in the future;
(C) Its proposed approach to measure the readiness of SEAs and LAs
to work with the project, including their commitment to the initiative,
alignment of the initiative to their needs, current infrastructure,
available resources, and ability to build capacity at the State and
local levels;
(D) Its proposed plan to prioritize States with the greatest need
for intensive TA to receive products and services;
(E) Its proposed plan for assisting SEAs and LAs to build or
enhance training systems that include professional development based on
adult learning principles and coaching;
(F) Its proposed plan for working with appropriate levels of the
education system (e.g., SEAs, regional TA providers, districts, local
programs, families) to ensure that there is communication between each
level and that there are systems in place to support the collection,
reporting, analysis, and use of high-quality IDEA fiscal data as well
as fiscal data management and data system integration; and
(G) The process by which the proposed project will collaborate with
OSEP-funded centers and other federally funded TA centers to develop
and implement a coordinated TA plan when they are involved in a State;
(6) Develop products and implement services that maximize
efficiency. To address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) How the proposed project will use technology to achieve the
intended project outcomes;
(ii) With whom the proposed project will collaborate and the
intended outcomes of this collaboration; and
(iii) How the proposed project will use non-project resources to
achieve the intended project outcomes.
(c) In the narrative section of the application under ``Quality of
the project evaluation,'' include an evaluation plan for the project
developed in consultation with and implemented by a third-party
evaluator.\12\ The evaluation plan must--
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ A ``third-party'' evaluator is an independent and impartial
program evaluator who is contracted by the grantee to conduct an
objective evaluation of the project. This evaluator must not have
participated in the development or implementation of any project
activities, except for the evaluation activities, nor have any
financial interest in the outcome of the evaluation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Articulate formative and summative evaluation questions,
including important process and outcome evaluation questions. These
questions should be related to the project's proposed logic model
required in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of these requirements;
(2) Describe how progress in and fidelity of implementation, as
well as project outcomes, will be measured to answer the evaluation
questions. Specify the measures and associated instruments or sources
for data appropriate to the evaluation questions. Include information
regarding reliability and validity of measures where appropriate;
(3) Describe strategies for analyzing data and how data collected
as part of this plan will be used to inform and improve service
delivery over the course of the project and to refine the proposed
logic model and evaluation plan, including subsequent data collection;
(4) Provide a timeline for conducting the evaluation and include
staff assignments for completing the plan. The timeline must indicate
that the data will be available annually for the Annual Performance
Report (APR); and
(5) Dedicate sufficient funds in each budget year to cover the
costs of developing or refining the evaluation plan in consultation
with a third-party evaluator, as well as the costs associated with the
implementation of the evaluation plan by the third-party evaluator.
(d) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Adequacy of resources,'' how--
(1) The proposed project will encourage applications for employment
from persons who are members of groups that have traditionally been
underrepresented based on race, color, national origin, gender, age, or
disability, as appropriate;
(2) The proposed key project personnel, consultants, and
subcontractors have the qualifications and experience to carry out the
proposed activities and achieve the project's intended outcomes;
(3) The applicant and any key partners have adequate resources to
carry out the proposed activities;
(4) The proposed costs are reasonable in relation to the
anticipated results and benefits, and funds will be spent in a way that
increases their efficiency and cost-effectiveness, including by
reducing waste or achieving better outcomes; and
(5) The applicant will ensure that it will recover the lesser of:
(i) Its actual indirect costs as determined by the grantee's negotiated
indirect cost rate agreement with its cognizant Federal agency; and
(ii) 40 percent of its modified total direct cost (MTDC) base as
defined in 2 CFR 200.68.
[[Page 67401]]
Note: The MTDC is different from the total amount of the grant.
Additionally, the MTDC is not the same as calculating a percentage of
each or a specific expenditure category. If the grantee is billing
based on the MTDC base, the grantee must make its MTDC documentation
available to the program office and the Department's Indirect Cost
Unit. If a grantee's allocable indirect costs exceed 40 percent of its
MTDC as defined in 2 CFR 200.68, the grantee may not recoup the excess
by shifting the cost to other grants or contracts with the U.S.
Government, unless specifically authorized by legislation. The grantee
must use non-Federal revenue sources to pay for such unrecovered costs.
(e) Demonstrate, in the narrative section of the application under
``Quality of the management plan,'' how--
(1) The proposed management plan will ensure that the project's
intended outcomes will be achieved on time and within budget. To
address this requirement, the applicant must describe--
(i) Clearly defined responsibilities for key project personnel,
consultants, and subcontractors, as applicable; and
(ii) Timelines and milestones for accomplishing the project tasks;
(2) Key project personnel and any consultants and subcontractors
will be allocated and how these allocations are appropriate and
adequate to achieve the project's intended outcomes;
(3) The proposed management plan will ensure that the products and
services provided are of high quality, relevant, and useful to
recipients; and
(4) The proposed project will benefit from a diversity of
perspectives, including those of families, educators, TA providers,
researchers, and policy makers, among others, in its development and
operation.
(f) Address the following application requirements:
(1) Include, in Appendix A, personnel-loading charts and timelines,
as applicable, to illustrate the management plan described in the
narrative;
(2) Include, in the budget, attendance at the following:
(i) A one and one-half day kick-off meeting in Washington, DC,
after receipt of the award, and an annual planning meeting in
Washington, DC, with the OSEP project officer and other relevant staff
during each subsequent year of the project period.
Note: Within 30 days of receipt of the award, a post-award
teleconference must be held between the OSEP project officer and the
grantee's project director or other authorized representative;
(ii) A two and one-half day project directors' conference in
Washington, DC, during each year of the project period; and
(iii) Three annual two-day trips to attend Department briefings,
Department-sponsored conferences, and other meetings, as requested by
OSEP;
(3) Include, in the budget, a line item for an annual set-aside of
5 percent of the grant amount to support emerging needs that are
consistent with the proposed project's intended outcomes, as those
needs are identified in consultation with, and approved by, the OSEP
project officer. With approval from the OSEP project officer, the
project must reallocate any remaining funds from this annual set-aside
no later than the end of the third quarter of each budget period;
(4) Maintain a high-quality website, with an easy-to-navigate
design, that meets government or industry-recognized standards for
accessibility;
(5) Include, in Appendix A, an assurance to assist OSEP with the
transfer of pertinent resources and products and to maintain the
continuity of services to States during the transition to this new
award period and at the end of this award period, as appropriate; and
(6) Budget at least 50 percent of the grant award for providing
intensive, sustained TA.
Final Priority and Requirements: We will announce the final
priority and requirements in a document in the Federal Register. We
will determine the final priority and requirements after considering
public comments and other information available to the Department. This
document does not preclude us from proposing additional priorities or
requirements, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.
Note: This document does not solicit applications. In any year
in which we choose to use this proposed priority and one or more of
these proposed requirements, we invite applications through a notice
in the Federal Register.
Executive Orders 12866, 13563, and 13771
Regulatory Impact Analysis
Under Executive Order 12866, OMB determines whether this regulatory
action is ``significant'' and, therefore, subject to the requirements
of the Executive order and subject to review by OMB. Section 3(f) of
Executive Order 12866 defines a ``significant regulatory action'' as an
action likely to result in a rule that may--
(1) Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more,
or adversely affect a sector of the economy, productivity, competition,
jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or
Tribal governments or communities in a material way (also referred to
as an ``economically significant'' rule);
(2) Create serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an
action taken or planned by another agency;
(3) Materially alter the budgetary impacts of entitlement grants,
user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients
thereof; or
(4) Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal
mandates, the President's priorities, or the principles stated in the
Executive order.
OMB has determined that this proposed regulatory action is not a
significant regulatory action subject to review by OMB under section
3(f) of Executive Order 12866.
Under Executive Order 13771, for each new rule that the Department
proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates that is a
significant regulatory action under Executive Order 12866 and that
imposes total costs greater than zero, it must identify two
deregulatory actions. For FY 2020, any new incremental costs associated
with a new rule must be fully offset by the elimination of existing
costs through deregulatory actions. Because the proposed regulatory
action is not significant, the requirements of Executive Order 13771 do
not apply.
We have also reviewed this proposed regulatory action under
Executive Order 13563, which supplements and explicitly reaffirms the
principles, structures, and definitions governing regulatory review
established in Executive Order 12866. To the extent permitted by law,
Executive Order 13563 requires that an agency--
(1) Propose or adopt regulations only upon a reasoned determination
that their benefits justify their costs (recognizing that some benefits
and costs are difficult to quantify);
(2) Tailor its regulations to impose the least burden on society,
consistent with obtaining regulatory objectives and taking into
account--among other things and to the extent practicable--the costs of
cumulative regulations;
(3) In choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, select
those approaches that maximize net benefits (including potential
economic, environmental, public health and safety, and other
advantages; distributive impacts; and equity);
(4) To the extent feasible, specify performance objectives, rather
than the
[[Page 67402]]
behavior or manner of compliance a regulated entity must adopt; and
(5) Identify and assess available alternatives to direct
regulation, including economic incentives--such as user fees or
marketable permits--to encourage the desired behavior, or provide
information that enables the public to make choices.
Executive Order 13563 also requires an agency ``to use the best
available techniques to quantify anticipated present and future
benefits and costs as accurately as possible.'' The Office of
Information and Regulatory Affairs of OMB has emphasized that these
techniques may include ``identifying changing future compliance costs
that might result from technological innovation or anticipated
behavioral changes.''
We are issuing the proposed priority and requirements only on a
reasoned determination that their benefits justify their costs. In
choosing among alternative regulatory approaches, we selected those
approaches that maximize net benefits. Based on the analysis that
follows, the Department believes that this regulatory action is
consistent with the principles in Executive Order 13563.
We also have determined that this regulatory action would not
unduly interfere with State, local, and Tribal governments in the
exercise of their governmental functions.
In accordance with both Executive orders, the Department has
assessed the potential costs and benefits, both quantitative and
qualitative, of this regulatory action. The potential costs are those
resulting from statutory requirements and those we have determined as
necessary for administering the Department's programs and activities.
In addition, we have considered the potential benefits of this
regulatory action and have noted these benefits in the background
section of this document.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
The proposed priority and requirements contain information
collection requirements that are approved by OMB under OMB control
number 1894-0006; the proposed priority and requirements do not affect
the currently approved data collection.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification: The Secretary certifies
that this proposed regulatory action would not have a significant
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. The U.S.
Small Business Administration Size Standards define ``small entities''
as for-profit or nonprofit institutions with total annual revenue below
$7,000,000 or, if they are institutions controlled by small
governmental jurisdictions (that are comprised of cities, counties,
towns, townships, villages, school districts, or special districts),
with a population of less than 50,000.
The small entities that this proposed regulatory action would
affect are SEAs; LEAs, including charter schools that operate as LEAs
under State law; institutions of higher education; other public
agencies; private nonprofit organizations; freely associated States and
outlying areas; Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; and for-profit
organizations. We believe that the costs imposed on an applicant by the
proposed priority and requirements would be limited to paperwork burden
related to preparing an application and that the benefits of this
proposed priority and these proposed requirements would outweigh any
costs incurred by the applicant.
Participation in the Technical Assistance on State Data Collection
program is voluntary. For this reason, the proposed priority and
requirements would impose no burden on small entities unless they
applied for funding under the program. We expect that in determining
whether to apply for Technical Assistance on State Data Collection
program funds, an eligible entity would evaluate the requirements of
preparing an application and any associated costs, and weigh them
against the benefits likely to be achieved by receiving a Technical
Assistance on State Data Collection program grant. An eligible entity
would probably apply only if it determines that the likely benefits
exceed the costs of preparing an application.
We believe that the proposed priority and requirements would not
impose any additional burden on a small entity applying for a grant
than the entity would face in the absence of the proposed action. That
is, the length of the applications those entities would submit in the
absence of the proposed regulatory action and the time needed to
prepare an application would likely be the same.
This proposed regulatory action would not have a significant
economic impact on a small entity once it receives a grant because it
would be able to meet the costs of compliance using the funds provided
under this program. We invite comments from small eligible entities as
to whether they believe this proposed regulatory action would have a
significant economic impact on them and, if so, request evidence to
support that belief.
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.
Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print,
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the program contact person
listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published
in the Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To
use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at
the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Mark Schultz,
Delegated the authority to perform the functions and duties of the
Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2019-26477 Filed 12-9-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P