[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 70 (Tuesday, April 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-8891]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: April 12, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 361

RIN 1820-AB12

 

The State Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of meetings and teleconferences.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary announces a series of meetings and 
teleconferences to discuss a preliminary draft of proposed regulations 
to implement certain provisions of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as 
amended by the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 and 1993 (the 
Act).
    The meetings and teleconferences will allow interested parties an 
opportunity to review and discuss the draft proposed regulations prior 
to the publication of a formal notice of proposed rulemaking in the 
Federal Register. This effort is part of a broader initiative to be 
more open to input from the various constituencies interested in the 
programs administered by the Office of Special Education and 
Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).
    The purpose of the meetings and teleconferences is to invite public 
comment on the draft proposed regulations, especially as these 
regulations interpret or clarify statutory requirements of the 
Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 and 1993.

DATES: The meetings in Washington, DC, will be held on April 19, 1994, 
May 12, 1994, and May 17, 1994. The meeting in Chicago, Illinois, will 
be held on April 26, 1994, and the meeting in Oakland, California, will 
be held on May 4, 1994. An additional meeting may be held on May 5, 
1994, in Oakland, California, if more individuals are interested in 
participating than can be accommodated at the May 4 meeting.
    The teleconferences are scheduled to be held on April 20, 1994, May 
13, 1994, and May 18, 1994.
    All written comments may be received on or before May 27, 1994.

ADDRESSES: The meetings will be held at the following locations:
    1. Washington, DC--Mary Switzer Building, room 3065, 330 C Street, 
SW., Washington, DC.
    2. Chicago, Illinois--Palmer House Hilton, Conference Center, 7th 
Floor, 17 E. Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois.
    3. Oakland, California--Parc Oakland Hotel, 1001 Broadway, Oakland, 
California.
    Individuals who cannot attend the meetings or teleconferences are 
invited to send in written comments regarding the draft proposed 
regulations and the issues identified in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this notice to Howard Moses, Acting Commissioner, 
Rehabilitation Services Administration, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 
3028, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2531.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Persons desiring to participate in the 
meetings or teleconferences or seeking additional information should 
contact Beverlee Stafford, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3028, Switzer 
Building, Washington, DC 20202-2531. Telephone: (202) 205-9331. 
Individuals who use a telecomunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call (202) 205-5538 for TDD services.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The draft proposed regulations would replace 
existing regulations under 34 CFR part 361 governing The State 
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program. These draft proposed 
regulations, however, do not include the provisions relating to order 
of selection under 34 CFR 361.36 that were published in the Federal 
Register for comment on July 16, 1993 (58 FR 38482). Final regulations 
relating to the order of selection requirement will be published as a 
separate document later this year. In addition, these draft proposed 
regulations do not implement section 106 of the Act relating to 
evaluation standards and performance indicators for The State 
Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program. Proposed regulations 
implementing section 106 will also be published separately for public 
comment.
    Staff from OSERS and other offices of the Department of Education 
will be available at the meetings and teleconferences to discuss the 
draft proposed regulations and provide technical assistance and 
clarification of the proposed provisions. Participants are particularly 
encouraged to express their support for or raise concerns about 
specific sections of the regulations and, if possible, to provide 
alternative language if they disagree with the wording in the draft 
proposed regulations.

Availability of Copies of the Draft Proposed Regulations

    The draft proposed regulations can be accessed through the RSA 
Bulletin Board System (BBS) by calling one of the following access 
numbers: (202) 205-5574 (low speed modems) or (202) 401-6147 (high 
speed modems, 9,600 bps or faster). If you experience any difficulty in 
accessing the BBS, please contact either John Chapman at (202) 205-9290 
or Teresa Darter at (202) 205-8444, co-system operators (sysops), for 
assistance. For those individuals unable to access the BBS, copies of 
the draft proposed regulations are available in regular print, large 
print, and computer diskette (WordPerfect 5.1 and ASCII formats) by 
calling (202) 205-5482. A limited number of copies in braille are also 
available.

Meeting and Teleconference Information

    The Assistant Secretary encourages interested parties to 
participate in one of the meetings or teleconferences. There will be 
three meetings held in Washington, DC. Additional meetings will be held 
in Chicago, Illinois, and Oakland, California. There will be three 
teleconferences to allow individuals to participate who cannot travel 
to the meeting sites. Individuals will have to reserve a space for the 
meetings or teleconferences. Reservations will be accepted on a first-
come, first-served basis. Both meeting space and teleconference lines 
are limited. Given the level of response expected, individuals should 
plan on participating in only one meeting or teleconference and should 
make reservations as soon as possible. When making reservations, 
individuals must indicate the need for any special accommodations, 
including sign language interpreters. The meeting rooms and proceedings 
will be accessible for individuals with disabilities.
    The meetings in Washington, DC, will be held on April 19, 1994, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; May 12, 1994, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon; and May 
17, 1994, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. The location for these three meetings 
is the Mary Switzer Building, room 3065, 330 C Street, SW., Washington, 
DC. For reservations for the meetings in Washington, DC, please call 
Beverlee Stafford at (202) 205-9331.
    The meeting in Chicago, Illinois, will be held on April 26, 1994, 
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Palmer House Hilton, Conference Center, 
7th Floor, 17 E. Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois. For reservations for 
the meeting in Chicago, Illinois, please call Terry Conour at (312) 
886-5372.
    The meeting in Oakland, California, will be held on May 4, 1994, 
from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Parc Oakland Hotel, 1001 Broadway, 
Oakland, California. For reservations for the meeting in Oakland, 
California, please call Jon Kissinger at (415) 556-3786.
    The teleconferences will be held on April 20, 1994, from 2 p.m. to 
3:30 p.m. (Eastern time); May 13, 1994, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. 
(Eastern time); and May 18, 1994, from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Eastern 
time). A total of 17 sites can be connected to each teleconference. 
Interested individuals are encouraged to gather at a single site and 
use a speaker phone to allow a maximum number of individuals to 
participate on each call. Interested individuals can call Beverlee 
Stafford at (202) 205-9331 to reserve a line for one of the three 
teleconferences. Information on how to access the teleconferences will 
be provided when reservations are made.

(Authority: 29 U.S.C. 701)

    Dated: April 8, 1994.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 94-8891 Filed 4-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P-M