[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 12 (Thursday, January 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4800-4801]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1528]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[CFDA No.: 84.128G]


Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program; Notice Inviting 
Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2001

    Purpose of Program: To provide grants for vocational rehabilitation 
services to individuals with disabilities who are migrant or seasonal 
farmworkers, as determined in accordance with rules prescribed by the 
Secretary of Labor, and to the family members who are residing with 
those individuals (whether or not those family members are individuals 
with disabilities).
    Eligible Applicants: A State designated agency; nonprofit agencies 
working in collaboration with a State agency; and a local agency 
working in collaboration with a State agency.
    Applications Available: January 30, 2001.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: March 30, 2001.
    Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: May 30, 2001.
    Estimated Available Funds: $528,000.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$170,000.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $165,000.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 3.

    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this 
notice.

    Reasonable Accommodations: We will consider, and may fund, requests 
for additional funding as an addendum to an application to reflect the 
costs of reasonable accommodations necessary to allow individuals with 
disabilities to be employed on the project as personnel on project 
activities.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.
    Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 
81, 82, 85, and 86.

    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to applicants 
except federally recognized Indian tribes.


    Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of 
higher education only.

    Priority: This competition focuses on projects designed to meet the 
priority in the notice of final competitive preference for this 
program, published in the Federal Register on November 22, 2000 (65 FR 
70408). Under 34 CFR 75.105 (c)(2)(i) the Assistant Secretary adds a 
competitive preference to applications that are otherwise eligible for 
funding under this program.
    The maximum score under the selection criteria for this program is 
100 points; however, we will also use the following competitive 
preference so that up to an additional 10 points may be earned by an 
applicant for a total possible score of 110 points.
    Up to 10 points may be earned based on the extent to which an 
application includes effective strategies for employing and advancing 
in employment qualified individuals with disabilities as project 
employees in projects awarded under this program. In determining the 
effectiveness of those strategies, we will consider the applicant's 
prior success, as described in the application, in employing and 
advancing in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.
    Therefore, within this competitive preference, applicants can be 
awarded up to a total of 10 points in addition to those awarded under 
the published selection criteria for this program (The selection 
criteria to be used for this competition will be provided in the 
application package for this competition). That is, an applicant 
meeting this competitive preference could earn a maximum total of 110 
points.
    Application Procedures:

    Note: Some of the procedures in these instructions for 
transmitting applications differ from those in the Education 
Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) (34 CFR 
75.102). Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the 
Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to 
comment on proposed regulations. However, these amendments make 
procedural changes only and do not establish new substantive policy. 
Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), the Secretary has determined 
that proposed rulemaking is not required.

Pilot Project for Electronic Submission of Applications

    The U.S. Department of Education is expanding its pilot project of 
electronic submission of applications to include certain formula grant 
programs, as well as additional discretionary grant competitions. The 
Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program (CFDA 84.128G) is one of the 
programs included in the pilot project. If you are an applicant under 
the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program, you may submit your 
application to us in either electronic or paper format.
    The pilot project involves the use of the Electronic Grant 
Application System (e-APPLICATION, formerly e-GAPS) portion of the 
Grant Administration and Payment System (GAPS). We request your 
participation in this pilot project. We shall continue to evaluate its 
success and solicit suggestions for improvement.
    If you participate in this e-APPLICATION pilot, please note the 
following:
     Your participation is voluntary.
     You will not receive any additional point value or penalty 
because you submit a grant application in electronic or paper format.
     You can submit all documents electronically, including the 
Application for Federal Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-
Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and 
certifications.

[[Page 4801]]

     Fax a signed copy of the Application for Federal 
Assistance (ED 424) after following these steps:
    1. Print ED 424 from the e-APPLICATION system.
    2. Make sure that the institution's Authorizing Representative 
signs this form.
    3. Before faxing this form, submit your electronic application via 
the e-APPLICATION system. You will receive an automatic 
acknowledgement, which will include a PR/Award number (an identifying 
number unique to your application).
    4. Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of ED 
424.
    5. Fax ED 424 to the Application Control Center within three 
working days of submitting your electronic application. We will 
indicate a fax number in e-APPLICATION at the time of your submission.
     We may request that you give us original signatures on all 
other forms at a later date. You may access the electronic grant 
application for the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers Program at: http://e-grants.ed.gov.
    We have included additional information about the e-APPLICATION 
pilot project (see Parity Guidelines between Paper and Electronic 
Applications) in the application package.
    For Applications Contact: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), 
P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-
7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734.
    You may also contact ED Pubs via its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html.
    Or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: 
[email protected].
    If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify 
this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.128G.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application 
package in an alternative format by contacting the Grants and Contracts 
Services Team (GCST), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. 
Telephone: (202) 205-8351. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service 
(FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. However, the Department is not able to 
reproduce in an alternative format the standard forms included in the 
application package.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary E. Chambers, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3322, Switzer Building, 
Washington, DC 20202-2647. Telephone (202) 205-8435. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of this document in 
an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or 
computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the 
preceding paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet 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 Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions 
about using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll 
free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-
1530.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 774.

    Dated: January 12, 2001.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 01-1528 Filed 1-17-01; 8:45 am]
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