[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 157 (Friday, August 14, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 43866]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-21890]



[[Page 43865]]

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Part VI





Department of Education





_______________________________________________________________________



34 CFR Part 303



Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Part C of the 
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997; 
Proposed Rule

  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 157 / Friday, August 14, 1998 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 43866]]



DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 303


Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Part C 
of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Amendments of 
1997

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Reopening of the comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education (Secretary) reopens the comment 
period for receiving advice and recommendations from the public on 
whether to develop new regulations implementing the Early Intervention 
Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities under Part C of the 
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

DATES: The comment period will be open until 30 days following the 
future publication of the final regulations implementing part B of IDEA 
(34 CFR part 300), and containing conforming changes to Part C of IDEA 
(34 CFR part 303). A separate document announcing the specific closing 
date will be published after publication of those final regulations.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Thomas Irvin, Office of 
Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of 
Education, Room 3090, Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C St., SW., 
Washington, DC 20202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: JoLeta Reynolds or Thomas Irvin. 
Telephone: (202) 205-5507. Individuals who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call (202) 205-5465 or the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 a.m. 
and 8:00 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this notice in 
an alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to Katie Mincey, Director of the Alternate Formats 
Center. Telephone: (202) 205-8113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On April 14, 1998, the Secretary published in the Federal Register 
(63 FR 18290) final regulations governing Part H of IDEA, the Early 
Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (34 CFR 
part 303). Those final regulations made technical changes to part 303 
to incorporate the statutory amendments to Part H that were added by 
the IDEA Amendments of 1997. The regulations became effective on July 
1, 1998, and at that time, the Part H program was renamed ``Part C.''
    In the same (April 14) issue of the Federal Register (63 FR 18297), 
the Secretary also published a notice soliciting advice and 
recommendations from the public--including persons with disabilities 
and their representatives, parents, members of interagency coordinating 
councils, service providers, program administrators, and Federal and 
State administrators--as to whether to develop new regulations 
implementing Part C. That comment period ended on July 31, 1998.

Invitation to Comment

    The Secretary is reopening the comment period for the Part 303 
regulations to further elicit the views of interested parties on 
whether additional revisions to those regulations are needed to 
implement the requirements of Part C of IDEA. In addition to 
considering further regulatory changes based on the IDEA Amendments of 
1997, the Secretary also invites comments on whether to revise the 
regulations in areas unaffected by the statutory amendments.
    If the Department regulates, it will do so consistent with its 
Principles for Regulating, under which the Department considers whether 
regulations are needed to promote quality and equality in educational 
opportunity, whether a demonstrated problem requires the issuance of 
regulations, whether regulations are needed to resolve ambiguity, and 
whether a uniform approach to a situation is appropriate. In developing 
regulations, the Department's policy is to provide flexibility and 
minimize burden to the extent consistent with ensuring the 
implementation of the Early Intervention Program for Infants and 
Toddlers with Disabilities, Part C of IDEA. The Department is 
particularly interested in public input on any areas in which the 
statutory changes in Part C of IDEA may need clarification.
    The Secretary requests that each commenter identify her or his role 
in early intervention, special education, or regular education, if any, 
and the perspective from which she or he views the early intervention 
system--either as a representative of persons with disabilities or of 
an association, agency, type of service provider (public or private), 
or as an individual person with a disability, parent, or private 
citizen. The Secretary urges commenters to be specific regarding their 
comments, including identifying clearly the section or sections of the 
regulations (or of Part C of IDEA, if appropriate) that each comment 
addresses.
    All comments submitted in response to this notice will be available 
for public inspection during and after the comment period in Room 3090, 
Mary E. Switzer Building, 330 C St., SW., Washington, DC, between the 
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week 
except Federal holidays.

Electronic Access to This Document:

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you 
have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government Printing 
Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an 
electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 
or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option 
G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins, and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of a document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.027, Assistance to 
States for Education of Children with Disabilities)

    Dated: August 10, 1998.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 98-21890 Filed 8-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P