[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 71 (Monday, April 14, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20867-20868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-08288]


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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2014-ICCD-0059]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Annual 
Progress Report for the Title III Alternative Financing Program Under 
the Assistive Technology Act of 1998

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services 
(OSERS), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an 
existing information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 13, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice should be 
submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ED-2014-ICCD-
0059 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the 
regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED 
will temporarily accept comments at [email protected]. Please note 
that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the 
comment period will not be accepted; ED will ONLY accept comments 
during the comment period in this mailbox when the regulations.gov site 
is not available. Written requests for information or comments 
submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the 
Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Mailstop L-OM-2-
2E319, Room 2E115, Washington, DC 20202.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Robert Groenendaal, 202-245-7393 
or Brian Bard, 202-245-7345.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The 
Department of Education is especially interested in public comment 
addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to 
the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, 
and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how

[[Page 20868]]

might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the 
respondents, including through the use of information technology. 
Please note that written comments received in response to this notice 
will be considered public records.
    Title of Collection: Annual Progress Report for the Title III 
Alternative Financing Program Under the Assistive Technology Act of 
1998.
    OMB Control Number: 1820-0662.
    Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 33.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 891.
    Abstract: The Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) of the 
U.S. Department of Education (ED) requests clearance for the renewal of 
a data collection instrument, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Control Number 1820-0662, to be completed by grantees under title III 
of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 as in effect prior to the 
amendments of 2004 (Public Law 105-394) (AT Act of 1998). Title III of 
the AT Act of 1998 authorized grants to public agencies to support the 
establishment and maintenance of alternative financing programs (AFPs) 
that feature one or more alternative financing mechanisms to enable 
individuals with disabilities and their family members, guardians, 
advocates, and authorized representatives to purchase assistive 
technology (AT). AFPs must operate and provide progress reports in 
perpetuity. Since 2000, grants have been awarded to 33 states to 
operate AFPs. The information collected through this data collection 
instrument is necessary for these grantees to comply with the reporting 
requirements of title III of the AT Act of 1998 and to satisfy 34 CFR 
75.720, which requires them to submit an annual performance report. In 
addition, section 307 of the AT Act of 1998 requires that RSA submit to 
Congress an annual report on the activities conducted under title III. 
In order to make these possible, states must provide annual progress 
reports to RSA that fulfill the section 307 reporting requirements. 
This data collection instrument has been developed to ensure that 
states report data in a consistent manner in alignment with these 
requirements.

    Dated: April 8, 2014.
Tomakie Washington,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2014-08288 Filed 4-11-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P