Department of Education 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority to establish the Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to provide training and technical assistance (TA) to State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to improve services under the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program (VR program) and State Supported Employment Services program for individuals with disabilities, including those with the most significant disabilities, and to implement changes to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), signed into law on July 22, 2014.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

On June 10, 2015 the U.S. Department of Education published an Emergency Notice in the Federal Register Page 32944, Column 3; Page 32945, Column 1 and 2 for an information collection entitled, ``Borrower Defenses Against Loan Repayment''. ED is requesting a correction to include a 60-day comment period for public comment for the regular information collection. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 17, 2015. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ED-2015-ICCD-0076 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted; ED will ONLY accept comments during the comment period in this mailbox when the regulations.gov site is not available. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Mailstop L-OM-2-2E319, Room 2E103, Washington, DC 20202. The Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management, hereby issues a correction notice as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

This meeting notice is an update to the notice (59 FR 16369) published on March 27, 2015. This notice sets forth revisions to the agenda, specifically, the removal of the petition for approval of a State Agency for Vocational Education based on compliance report submitted by Puerto Rico State Agency for the Approval of Public Postsecondary Vocational, Technical Institutions and Programs (PRHRDC). This notice is required under Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and Section 114(d)(1)(B) of the Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1965, as amended.

The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement announces priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria under the Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grants to State Educational Agencies (SEAs). The Assistant Deputy Secretary may use one or more of these priorities, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years.

The Secretary amends the Impact Aid Program regulations to reflect changes made to title VIII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA or Act), as amended by various statutes, to delete obsolete provisions, to correct technical errors, and to incorporate relevant statutory and regulatory changes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and its implementing regulations. The Secretary makes minor technical, clarifying, and streamlining changes for the reader's convenience, including reordering the regulations that implement the section of the Act regarding local contribution rates that are based on generally comparable local educational agencies (LEAs).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection.

Overview Information: Investing in Innovation FundValidation grants. Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY) 2015. Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.411B (Validation grants).

The Secretary is publishing the following list of correspondence from the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to individuals during the previous quarter. The correspondence describes the Department's interpretations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) or the regulations that implement the IDEA. This list and the letters or other documents described in this list, with personally identifiable information redacted, as appropriate, can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/policy/speced/guid/idea/.

Pursuant to the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, this notice authorizes institutions of higher education and consortia of institutions of higher education that are grant recipients under the Centers for International Business Education (CIBE) Program (CFDA 84.220A), Language Resource Centers (LRC) Program (CFDA 84.229A), National Resource Centers (NRC) Program (CFDA 84.015A), and the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language (UISFL) Program (CFDA 84.016A) to make subgrants, subject to the limitations described in this notice. The subgrants must support project activities, including, but not limited to, the development of international business training programs, the development of area studies, international studies, and world language courses, teacher training workshops, the dissemination of instructional materials, faculty development opportunities, and outreach.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a reinstatement of a previously approved information collection.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice proposing an altered system of records entitled ``Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Tracking System.'' The Department also deletes the system of records entitled ``Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Case Files'' (18-04-01) from its existing inventory of systems of records subject to the Privacy Act. For the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Tracking System, this notice updates the system location and system of records notice (SORN) number, categories of individuals covered by the system, categories of records in the system, system managers and addresses, and routine uses. The Department identifies the system of records, Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Case Files (18-04-01), as published in the Federal Register on December 27, 1999 (64 FR 72384, 72385-72387) to be deleted because it has been consolidated and merged into the FOIA and PA Tracking System (18-05-20).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Experimental and Innovative Training program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an identified national need. We intend the priority to support a Training and Technical Assistance Center for Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance (PEQA).

The Secretary announces the annual updates to the tables used in the statutory Federal Need Analysis Methodology that determines a student's expected family contribution (EFC) for award year 2016-17 for these student financial aid programs. The intent of this notice is to alert the financial aid community and the broader public to these required annual updates used in the determination of student aid eligibility.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority to establish a topical Institute on Rehabilitation Issues (IRI). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to provide training and technical assistance (TA) to improve the capacity of State Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) agencies and their partners to equip individuals with disabilities with the skills and competencies necessary to help them obtain competitive integrated employment.

This notice sets forth the schedule and proposed agenda of an upcoming meeting of the National Board for Education Sciences (NBES). The notice also describes the functions of the Committee. Notice of this meeting is required by Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act and is intended to notify the public of their opportunity to attend the meeting.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

The Secretary proposes to amend the cash management regulations under subpart K and other sections of the Student Assistance General Provisions regulations issued under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). These proposed regulations are intended to ensure that students have convenient access to their title IV, HEA program funds, do not incur unreasonable and uncommon financial account fees on their title IV funds, and are not led to believe they must open a particular financial account to receive their Federal student aid. In addition, these proposed regulations update other provisions in the cash management regulations under subpart K and otherwise amend the Student Assistance General Provisions. We also propose to clarify how previously passed coursework is treated for title IV eligibility purposes and streamline the requirements for converting clock hours to credit hours.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Rehabilitation Training program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. This priority is designed to ensure that professionals working in State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies receive the technical assistance they need to provide youth with disabilities with services and supports that lead to postsecondary education and competitive integrated employment.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection.