[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 55261]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-23408]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Children and Families


Native American Program (NAP)

AGENCY: Office of Child Support Enforcement, Administration for 
Children and Families, Department of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice of open consultations.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given for the dates, locations and hotel 
sites for two of the four Tribal consultations on the Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making for direct Federal funding of Tribal child support 
enforcement (CSE) programs and the interim final rule for funding of 
comprehensive Tribal CSE programs that are currently operating. On 
August 21, 2000, the Federal Register published (65 FR 50785 and 65 FR 
50800) a notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) and an interim final 
rule that will implement direct child support enforcement program 
funding to Federally recognized Indian tribes and tribal organizations. 
In the interest of providing Tribes and Tribal organizations and the 
public adequate time to review and comment on the NPRM, we modified the 
standard 60-day comment period by extending it to 120-days. The Federal 
Office of Child Support Enforcement will be sponsoring a total of four 
consultations with federally recognized Indian Tribes and the public 
Tribal organizations during the 120-day notice and comment period to 
receive public comment on the proposed rules. This notification 
provides specific information for the initial two consultations.

DATES: The initial two consultations will be held October 3-5, 2000 in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota and October 24-26, 2000 in Anchorage, Alaska. 
The consultations will begin promptly at 8:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. 
on the first two days. The final half-day session will begin promptly 
at 8:00 am and end at 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The first consultations, October 3-5, 2000, will be held at 
the Four Points Hotel, 1330 Industrial Boulevard, Minneapolis, 
Minnesota 55413. The telephone numbers for reservations are 1 (800) 
325-3535 or (612) 331-1900. The second consultation, October 24-26, 
2000, will be held at the Holiday Inn-Downtown Anchorage, 239 West 4th 
Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska 99501. The telephone number for reservations 
is 1 (907) 279-8671. All interested parties are invited to attend these 
public consultations. Seating may be limited and will be available on a 
first-come, first-serve basis. Persons needing special assistance, such 
as sign language interpretation or other special accommodation, should 
contact the Deputy Director of the Native American Child Support 
Enforcement Program, Office of Child Support Enforcement, at the 
address listed below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Virginia Apodaca, Deputy Director, 
Native American Child Support Enforcement Program, Office of Child 
Support Enforcement, Fourth Floor East, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, 
Washington, DC 20447 (telephone (202) 401-9376; fax (202) 401-5559; e-
mail: [email protected]). These are not toll-free numbers. The 
date, locations and times for the remaining two consultations will be 
announced in advance in the Federal Register. However, it is expected 
there will be only four consultations.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these consultations will be 
to provide an overview of the proposed regulations and the interim 
final rule to attendees. In addition, public comment will be elicited 
on the proposed regulation and interim final rule. Federal officials 
will explain both the proposed rules and interim final rules. Persons 
who attend the consultations may make oral presentations and/or provide 
written comments for the record at the consultations, at their option. 
We encourage persons who make oral presentations at the consultations 
to submit written comments in support of their presentations.

Agenda

    In order to obtain the broadest public participation possible on 
these proposed rules, the Office of Child Enforcement plans to conduct 
four public consultations during the 120-day comment period. These 
consultations are intended to further solicit public comment, Native 
American and Tribal input on the Native American child support 
enforcement direct Federal funding proposed rule. The agenda for these 
consultations consists of two full days where public comments on the 
proposed rule will be elicited. There will also be a one-half day 
review of the interim funding application process for those Tribes and 
Tribal organizations with currently existing comprehensive child 
support enforcement programs wishing to submit applications for interim 
funding of their programs.

Public Participation

    Members of the public wishing to present oral statements at the 
consultations should send their requests to Ms. Virginia Apodaca, 
Deputy Director of the Native American Child Support Enforcement 
Program, as soon as possible or they may register on site at the 
beginning of each consultation. Such requests should be made by 
telephone, fax machine, or mail, as shown above. The Deputy Director of 
the Native American Program will accommodate all such requests on site 
by reserving time for presentations. The order of persons making such 
presentations will be assigned in the order in which the requests are 
received. Members of the public are encouraged to limit oral statements 
to five minutes, but extended written statements may be submitted for 
the record. Members of the public also may submit written statements 
for inclusion in the public record without presenting oral statements. 
Such written statements should be sent to the Native American Child 
Support Enforcement Program Deputy Director, as shown above, by mail or 
fax at least five business days before each meeting.
    Minutes of all public meetings and other documents will be 
available for public inspection and copying at the Department of Health 
and Human Services (DHHS) fourteen days after the conclusion of each 
consultation. At DHHS, these documents will be available at the Deputy 
Director, Native American Child Support Enforcement Program, Office of 
Child Support Enforcement (OCSE), Administration for Children and 
Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Aerospace 
Building, Fourth Floor--East, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW, Washington, 
DC from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Questions regarding the availability of 
documents from DHHS should be directed to Virginia Apodaca, OCSE 
(telephone (202) 401-9376). This is not a toll-free number. Any written 
comments on the minutes should be directed to Ms. Virginia Apodaca, 
Deputy Director of the Native American Child Support Enforcement 
Program, as shown above.

    Dated: September 7, 2000.
David Gray Ross,
Commissioner, Office of Child Support Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 00-23408 Filed 9-12-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4184-01-M