[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 180 (Wednesday, September 17, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 48924-48925]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-24703]


      

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Part II





Department of Education





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34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303



IDEA Amendments of 1997; Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 180 / Wednesday, September 17, 1997 / 
Proposed Rules  

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303


IDEA Amendments of 1997

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary announces a series of seven public meetings to 
obtain public comment on the anticipated Notice of Proposed Rule Making 
(NPRM) for 34 CFR Parts 300, 301, and 303 to implement the statutory 
requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act 
Amendments of 1997 (IDEA Amendments of 1997), Pub. L. 105-17. In the 
alternative, should the NPRM not be published by the time a meeting or 
meetings are held, the Secretary will use the meeting or meetings as an 
opportunity to receive public comment on how to regulate to implement 
the statutory provisions of IDEA Amendments of 1997.

DATES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting dates.

ADDRESSES: See Supplementary Information section for meeting addresses.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For information regarding the statutory requirements of IDEA Amendments 
of 1997, call JoLeta Reynolds or Thomas Irvin at 202-205-5507. Persons 
wishing to obtain additional information regarding the regional 
meetings should call Laura Black Price at 202-205-8969 (voice) or 202-
205-5467 (TDD). Individuals who use a telecommunication device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday.
    Individuals who cannot attend the meetings are invited to send 
written comments. Comments on the NPRM should be directed to Thomas 
Irvin, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. 
Department of Education, Room 4607, MES Building, 330 C Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20202, or fax your comments to 202-260-0416. Comments 
should specifically reference the section or sections of the NPRM being 
referred to and must be received not later than 90 days after the 
publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department anticipates in the near 
future publishing a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for 34 CFR 
Parts 300, 301, and 303 to implement changes occasioned by the IDEA 
Amendments 1997. The purpose of the meetings is to take public comment 
on the NPRM, if it has been published by the date of the meeting or 
meetings, or, if the NPRM has not been published by that meeting date, 
to receive public comment on how to regulate to implement the statutory 
provisions of IDEA Amendments of 1997. This effort is part of a broader 
initiative to provide opportunities for full and open input from the 
various constituencies interested in the programs administered by the 
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

Regional Meetings

    Individuals who wish to make a statement at any of the regional 
meetings are encouraged to do so. Time allotted for each individual to 
testify will be limited and will depend on the number of speakers 
wishing to testify at each session. It is likely that each participant 
choosing to comment will be limited to four minutes. Persons interested 
in making oral public comment will be able to sign-up to make a 
statement on the day of the regional meeting at the Department's public 
meeting on-site registration desk on a first-come-first-served basis. 
If no time slots remain, then the Department will reserve a limited 
amount of additional time at the end of each hearing to accommodate 
those individuals. (Every effort will be made to have ample time to 
hear all individuals who wish to make a statement.)
    Any individual who will need accommodations for a disability in 
order to participate in a regional meeting (e.g., interpreting 
services, assistive listening devices, materials in alternate format) 
should notify Laura Black Price at 202-205-8969 (voice) 205-5465 (TDD), 
or 202-260-0416 (fax) by no later than 14 days prior to the meeting the 
individual will attend. We will attempt to meet requests received after 
this date, but cannot guarantee availability of the requested 
accommodation. All regional meeting sites are accessible to individuals 
with disabilities.
    The dates and location of the seven regional meeting appear below. 
The U.S. Department of Education is announcing these public meetings in 
advance of the publication of the NPRM so as to allow interested 
parties sufficient time to schedule travel and accommodations, as 
necessary. The Department has made arrangements for a limited number of 
rooms at a special government per diem room rate that participants may 
reserve at their own expense. All costs for these rooms will be the 
participant's own. To reserve a room at these rates you must inform the 
hotel that you are attending the regional meeting of the U.S. 
Department of Education and make reservations prior to the reservation 
expiration date indicated below. When making reservations, individuals 
must indicate the need for any special accommodations.
    Individuals from OSERS and other offices of the Department of 
Education will be available at the meetings to receive public comment 
on the NPRM, if it has been published by the date of the meeting, or if 
the NPRM has not been published by the date of the meeting, to receive 
public comment on how to regulate to implement the statutory 
requirements. Participants are particularly encouraged to express their 
support for or raise concerns about specific sections of the proposed 
regulations and, if possible, to provide recommendations for specific 
regulatory language. A copy of the IDEA Amendments of 1997 is available 
on the world wide web at (www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/OSEP/).

Dates, Time, and Location of Meetings:

Boston:
    Thursday, October 23, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Logan Ramada Hotel
    75 Service Road
    Logan International Airport
    Boston, MA 02128
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-272-6232 or 617-569-9300. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 1.
Atlanta:
    Monday, October 27, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Radisson Hotel Atlanta
    165 Courtland & International Blvd.
    Atlanta, GA 30303
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-833-8624 or 404-659-6500. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: September 26.
Dallas:
    Tuesday, October 28, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Radisson Hotel Dallas
    1893 West Mockingbird Lane
    Dallas, TX 75235
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-888-588-9846 or 214-634-8850. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 13.
Washington:
    Tuesday, November 4, 1997, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm.
    (No hotel rooms have been reserved for this regional meeting) 
Government Services Administration (GSA) Building, Auditorium, first 
floor, 7th & D Streets, SW (Use main entrance off D Street) Washington, 
DC 20407
    Contact Laura Black Price at 202-205-

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 8969 (voice), 205-5465 (TDD), or 202-260-0416 (fax) by Friday, October 
31 to place your name on the list of attendees for entrance into the 
building.
Denver:
    Tuesday, November 18, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Four Points Hotel
    3535 Quebec Street
    Denver, CO 80207
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-328-2268 or 303-333-7711. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 26.
San Francisco:
    Friday, November 24, 1997, 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Holiday Inn Select/Chinatown
    750 Kearny Street
    San Francisco, CA 84108
    415-433-6600
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-243-1135 or 415-433-6600. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: October 16.
Chicago:
    Monday, November 24, 1997 2:00 pm-7:00 pm.
    Sheraton North Shore
    933 Skokie Boulevard
    Northbrook, IL 60062
    Reservations: Call toll-free 1-800-535-9131 or 847-498-6500. Cut-
off date for discounted room rate: November 3.

    Dated: September 12, 1997.
Howard R. Moses,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 97-24703 Filed 9-16-97; 8:45 am]
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