[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 4, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23142-23143]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8890]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Department of 
Education; Notice of Proposed Changes to Requirements

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education 
proposes to change certain requirements governing the Community 
Technology Centers (CTC) program that were established in 2004 and used 
for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 CTC competition. Specifically, the 
Assistant Secretary proposes to remove the following two requirements: 
(1) Novice and non-novice applicants in CTC competitions must be ranked 
and funded separately, and (2) at least 75 percent of the funds must be 
set aside for non-novice applicants and up to 25 percent of the funds 
must be set aside for novice applicants. The Assistant Secretary 
intends to make awards in FY 2005 from the list of unfunded applicants 
from the FY 2004 CTC competition.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before June 3, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about these proposed changes to the 
requirements to Inas El-Sabban, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., room 11055, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 
20202-7100. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, 
use the following address: [email protected].
    You must include the phrase ``CTC Comments'' in the subject line of 
your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inas El-Sabban. Telephone: (202) 245-
7736.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) 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 contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Invitation To Comment

    We invite you to submit comments regarding these proposed changes 
to the requirements that we established for the FY 2004 CTC 
competition. These changes will apply only to the awards we will make 
in FY 2005 based on the list of unfunded applications from the FY 2004 
competition.
    We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific

[[Page 23143]]

requirements of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of 
reducing regulatory burden that might result from this proposed 
regulatory action. Please let us know of any further opportunities we 
should take to reduce potential costs or increase potential benefits 
while preserving the effective and efficient administration of the 
program.
    During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public 
comments about this regulatory action at 550 12th Street, SW., room 
11089, Washington, DC, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal 
holidays.

Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the Rulemaking 
Record

    On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or 
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs 
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public 
rulemaking record for this regulatory action. If you want to schedule 
an appointment for this type of aid, please contact the person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Background

    In 2004, the Department held a CTC competition with FY 2004 funds, 
in which it used the requirements, priorities, and selection criteria 
that it had established through a notice of final requirements, 
priorities, and selection criteria for novice and non-novice applicants 
for the CTC program, published in the Federal Register on April 16, 
2004 (69 FR 20766). Under the requirements established and used in the 
FY 2004 competition, the Department ranked and funded separately two 
sets of applicants that met the established absolute priorities--novice 
applicants and non-novice applicants. The Department set aside 
approximately 75 percent of the funds for non-novice applicants and 
approximately 25 percent of the funds for novice applicants.
    Because of the separate ranking of novice and non-novice applicants 
and the set-aside requirements, a number of high-quality applications 
received through the FY 2004 CTC competition were not funded. 
Accordingly, the Department proposes to make awards for FY 2005 based 
on the list of unfunded applicants from the FY 2004 CTC competition 
without regard to the set-aside provisions, thereby continuing to 
support and create local technology programs that are among the 
strongest in the nation.

Discussion of Proposed Changes

    We will announce the final changes to these requirements in a 
notice in the Federal Register. We will determine the final 
requirements after considering responses to this notice and other 
information available to the Department.

Targeted Applicants

    We propose to change two of the requirements of the CTC competition 
held in 2004 so that the Department is no longer required to: (1) Rank 
and fund novice and non-novice applicants separately, and (2) set aside 
at least 75 percent of the funds for non-novice applicants and up to 25 
percent of the funds for novice applicants that met the absolute 
priorities.
    For FY 2005, we are proposing to make awards from the list of 
unfunded applicants from the FY 2004 competition in the highest-ranking 
order, using the same priorities and selection criteria and 
irrespective of the novice or non-novice status of applicants.

Rationale

    The Department received nearly 500 applications in response to the 
FY 2004 Notice Inviting Applications for the CTC program. With the $9.5 
million available, the Department awarded 25 grants. A number of high-
quality applications remained unfunded. The Assistant Secretary has 
determined the best way to expend the $4.9 million appropriated for FY 
2005 is to make awards from the list of unfunded applicants from the FY 
2004 CTC competition, without taking into account the novice or non-
novice status of the applicants. By making awards from the list of 
unfunded applicants from the FY 2004 competition in this manner, the 
Department will ensure that the highest-quality applications are 
funded.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of proposed changes to requirements has been reviewed 
in accordance with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, 
we have assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory 
action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed changes 
to requirements are those resulting from statutory requirements and 
those we have determined as necessary for administering this program 
effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed changes to requirements, we 
have determined that the benefits of the proposed change to the 
requirements governing the FY 2004 CTC competition justify the costs.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly 
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of 
their governmental functions.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to 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 the following site: 
http://www.ed.gov/news/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.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.



(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.341--Community 
Technology Centers Program)

    Dated: April 29, 2005.
Susan Sclafani,
Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education.
[FR Doc. 05-8890 Filed 5-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P