[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]
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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]
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