[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 145 (Monday, July 29, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49014-49015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-19078]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Extension of Project Period and Waiver

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

ACTION: Notice of extension of project period and waiver.

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SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the requirements in Education Department 
General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR), at 34 CFR 75.250 and 
75.261(a), that generally prohibit project periods exceeding 5 years 
and project extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal 
funds to enable the Technical Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers to 
receive funding from October 1, 2002 until March 31, 2003.

EFFECTIVE DATE: August 28, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Debra 
Sturdivant or Donna Fluke, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Avenue, SW., room 3527, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2641. 
Telephone: (202) 205-8038 and 205-9161, respectively. FAX: (202) 205-
8105. If you prefer to use the Internet, use the following address: 
[email protected], or [email protected].
    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 this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the above-listed contact persons.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In order to foster more efficient use of the 
Federal funds, the Secretary intends to redesign the technical 
assistance component of the Training and Information for Parents of 
Children with Disabilities program and provide funding in fiscal year 
2003.
    However, the grant for the current technical assistance provider, 
the Technical Assistance Alliance for Parent Centers will expire, after 
a 5-year project period, on September 30, 2002. Technical assistance is 
provided on an ongoing basis to parent centers, and it would be 
contrary to the public interest to have any service lapses for the 
parent centers being served by the current grantee. This would also 
include planning for, and conducting a scheduled annual National 
conference to be held in January 2003. The conference provides a forum 
for all of the parent centers to network, and participate in topical 
workshops and attend plenary sessions to learn about current research 
and best practices from National experts.
    To avoid any lapse in service for the intended beneficiaries before 
the redesigned technical assistance component can be implemented, the 
Secretary has decided to fund this project until March 31, 2003. 
However, to do so, the Secretary has waived the requirements in 34 CFR 
75.250 and 75.261(c)(2), which prohibit project periods exceeding 5 
years and period extensions that involve the obligation of additional 
Federal funds.

Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking

    In accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553), 
it is the practice of the Secretary to offer interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on proposed rulemaking. However, the waiver of 
the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250 and 75.261 applicable to the maximum 
project period and extension of the project period for this grant on a 
one-time only basis is procedural and does not establish new 
substantive policy. Therefore, under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A), proposed 
rulemaking is not required.
    In addition, given the fact that the additional period of funding 
is only for a six-month period, the Secretary has determined that 
proposed rulemaking on this waiver is unnecessary and impracticable. 
Thus, proposed rulemaking also is not required under 5 U.S.C. 
553(b)(B).

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    The Secretary certifies that the waiver and extension of the 
project period will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The only small entity that would 
be affected is the PACER Center, Inc., which operates the Technical 
Assistance ALLIANCE for Parent Centers project.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

    This extension and waiver does not contain any information 
collection requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order 
12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of 
the Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a 
strengthened federalism. The Executive order relies on processes 
developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of 
proposed Federal financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.

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 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.




[[Page 49015]]


(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.328, Training and 
Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities)
    Dated: July 19, 2002.
Robert H. Pasternack,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 02-19078 Filed 7-26-02; 8:45 am]
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