[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 24, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54988-54989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22418]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service

7 CFR Chapter XXXIV


Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding Programs for 
the Hispanic-Serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities

AGENCY: Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, 
USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for stakeholder input.

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SUMMARY: The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service (CSREES) is requesting stakeholder input in developing 
regulations for identifying and certifying institutions as Hispanic-
serving Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs), which comprise 
a new group of cooperating educational institutions established in 
section 7101 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (FCEA) 
or Public Law 110-246. In addition, CSREES is requesting stakeholder 
input in developing regulations for the five new programs for HSACUs 
authorized under section 7129 of FCEA. By this notice, CSREES is 
designated to act on behalf of the Secretary of Agriculture in 
soliciting public comment from interested parties regarding the 
implementing regulations to be developed for identifying HSACUs and the 
new programs for HSACUs.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Sunday, October 12, 2008, from 3 
p.m. to 6:30 p.m. All comments not presented or submitted for the 
record at the meeting must be received by close of business Monday, 
October 27, 2008, to be considered.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Denver at 
Colorado Convention Center at 650 15th Street Denver, CO 80202. You may 
submit comments, identified by CSREES-2008-0004, by any of the 
following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    E-mail: [email protected]. Include CSREES-2008-0004 in the 
subject line of the message.
    Fax: (202) 720-2030.
    Mail: Paper, disk or CD-ROM submissions should be submitted to: 
John Miklozek; Multicultural Alliances, Science and Education Resources 
Development Unit; Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Mail Stop 2251; 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250-2251.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: HSACU; Multicultural Alliances, Science and 
Education Resources Development Unit; Cooperative State Research, 
Education, and Extension Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Room 
3253; Waterfront Centre; 800 9th Street, SW.; Washington, DC 20024.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and CSREES-2008-0004. All comments received will be posted to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Miklozek, (202) 720-1254 
(phone), (202) 720-2030 (fax), or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Additional Meeting and Comment Procedures

    Persons wishing to present oral comments at the October 12, 2008, 
meeting are requested to pre-register by contacting Mr. John Miklozek 
at (202) 720-1254, by fax at (202) 720-2030 or by e-mail to 
[email protected]. Participants may reserve one 5-minute comment 
period. More time may be available, depending on the number of people 
wishing to make a presentation and the time needed for questions 
following presentations. Reservations will be confirmed on a first-
come, first-served basis. Written comments may also be submitted for 
the record at the meeting. All other attendees may register at the 
meeting. All comments not presented or submitted for the record at the 
meeting must be received by close of business Monday, October 27, 2008, 
to be considered. All comments and the official transcript of the 
meeting, when they become available, may be reviewed on the CSREES Web 
page for six months. Participants who require a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should contact Mr. Miklozek 
as directed above. A Spanish language interpreter will be present.

[[Page 54989]]

Background and Purpose

    Section 7101 of the FCEA recently established a new group of 
cooperating educational institutions known as the Hispanic-serving 
Agricultural Colleges and Universities (HSACUs). Section 1404 of the 
National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 
1977 (``NARETPA'') (7 U.S.C. 3103) defines HSACUs as colleges or 
universities that qualify as Hispanic-serving institutions (as defined 
in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a) 
and that offer associate, bachelors, or other accredited degree 
programs in agriculture-related fields. HSACUs do not include 1862 
institutions (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601).
    The FCEA amends section 406(b) of the Agricultural Research, 
Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7626(b)) by 
expanding the eligibility for the CSREES Integrated Research, 
Education, and Extension Competitive Grants Programs to include HSACUs.
    In addition, section 7129 of the FCEA authorizes the following five 
new programs for HSACUs: The HSACU Endowment Fund, the HSACU Equity 
Grants Program, the HSACU Institutional Capacity-Building Grants 
Program, the HSACU Fundamental and Applied Research Grants Program, and 
the HSACU Extension Grants Program. The first four programs are 
authorized in section 1456 of NARETPA (7 U.S.C. 3243), and the fifth 
program is authorized in section 3(b)(4) of the Smith-Lever Act (7 
U.S.C. 343(b)(4)).
    CSREES is requesting stakeholder input in the identification and 
certification of institutions as HSACUs and on the implementation of 
the five new HSACU programs.

Implementation Plans

    CSREES plans to consider stakeholder input received from this 
public meeting, as well as other written comments, in developing an 
implementing regulation for the identification and certification of 
institutions as HSACUs by Spring 2009; with a separate implementing 
regulation for the new HSACU programs to follow.

    Done at Washington, DC, this 19th day of September, 2008.
Colien Hefferan,
Administrator, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension 
Service.
[FR Doc. E8-22418 Filed 9-23-08; 8:45 am]
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