[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 7 (Thursday, January 10, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 1410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-622]



[[Page 1409]]

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Part II





Department of Education





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Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services



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34 CFR Part 303



Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers With Disabilities 
and Reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act; 
Proposed Rule and Notice

  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 7 / Thursday, January 10, 2002 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 1410]]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 303

RIN 1820-AB53


Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with 
Disabilities

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, 
Department of Education.

ACTION: Withdrawal of notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary withdraws the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking 
(NPRM) for the Early Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with 
Disabilities under Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act (IDEA) that was published on September 5, 2000. This 
action is taken because of the pending reauthorization of Part C of 
IDEA. All relevant comments received under the NPRM will be considered 
in developing the Administration's legislative proposal on IDEA, along 
with new comments submitted as part of the reauthorization process.

DATES: The NPRM published on September 5, 2000 at 65 FR 53808 is 
withdrawn as of January 10, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: JoLeta Reynolds or Thomas Irvin (202) 
205-5507. If you use a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD), you 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-
8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain the document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to Katie Mincey, Director of the Alternate Format 
Center. Telephone: (202) 205-8113.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 5, 2000, the Secretary 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal 
Register (65 FR 53808) to amend the regulations governing the Early 
Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (34 CFR 
part 303). In the NPRM, we requested comments and recommendations on a 
number of provisions, including those related to the provision of early 
intervention services in ``natural environments,'' State financing of 
early intervention services, and proposed new provisions to address the 
use of public and private insurance by States.
    The number and quality of comments received on the NPRM 
demonstrated an intense interest in these and other provisions in the 
Part C regulations. However, because Part C of IDEA expires on 
September 30, 2002 and must be reauthorized, we believe that any 
changes to the existing regulations before the statute is 
reauthorized--especially given the relatively brief period that these 
regulations would remain in effect--would be counterproductive.
    We believe that it would be more efficient and effective to delay 
the issuance of any new regulations for the Part C program until after 
the IDEA is reauthorized. This will add stability to the implementation 
of Part C, and ensure the development of more comprehensive and 
complete regulations for the early intervention program that should 
remain in effect, without change, for an extended period of time.
    For the reasons we have described in the preceding paragraphs, the 
Secretary withdraws the NPRM for the Early Intervention Program for 
Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities that was published on September 
5, 2000.
    In developing the Administration's proposal regarding the 
reauthorization of IDEA, we will consider all relevant comments 
received in response to the NPRM published on September 5, 2000, 
together with new comments submitted as part of the reauthorization 
process.
    The Secretary is publishing in this issue of the Federal Register a 
Notice of request for public comment on the Individuals with 
Disabilities Education Act and its implementation. We encourage you to 
submit additional comments regarding the Early Intervention Program 
under Part C and to address any of the questions raised in the 
accompanying Notice.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
    To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available 
free at this site. 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

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.181 Early 
Intervention Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities)

List of Subjects in 34 CFR Part 303

    Education of individuals with disabilities, Grant programs--
education, Infants and toddlers, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements.

    Dated: December 28, 2001.
Loretta L. Petty,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative 
Services.
[FR Doc. 02-622 Filed 1-9-02; 8:45 am]
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