[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 146 (Thursday, July 30, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 45422-45423]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18726]


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

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Part 75


Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period; Regional 
Interpreter Education Centers for the Training of Interpreters for 
Individuals Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and Individuals Who Are 
Deaf-Blind

AGENCY: Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), Office of Special 
Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Final waiver and extension of the project period.

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

[Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.160A]

SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the requirements that generally prohibit 
project periods exceeding five years and extensions of project periods 
involving the obligation of additional Federal funds for five 60-month 
projects initially funded in fiscal year (FY) 2010. The Secretary also 
extends the project period for these projects for one year. This waiver 
and extension enables the currently funded Regional Interpreter 
Education Centers for the training of interpreters for individuals who 
are deaf or hard of hearing and individuals who are deaf-blind 
(Regional Centers) to receive funding through September 30, 2016.

DATES: The waiver and extension of the project period are effective 
July 30, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Rhinehart-Fernandez, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5027, Potomac 
Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-2800. Telephone: (202) 245-6103 or 
by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf or a text 
telephone, call the Federal Relay Service, toll-free, at 1-800-877-
8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  On April 17, 2015, the Department published 
a notice in the Federal Register (80 FR 21195) proposing an extension 
of the project period and a waiver of 34 CFR 75.250 and 34 CFR 
75.261(c)(2) (proposed waiver and extension) in order to--
    (1) Enable the Secretary to provide additional funds to the 
Regional Centers for an additional 12-month period, from September 30, 
2015, through September 30, 2016; and
    (2) Invite comments on the proposed waiver and extension.
    There are no substantive differences between the proposed waiver 
and extension and this final waiver and extension.
    Public Comment: In response to our invitation in the proposed 
waiver and extension, two parties submitted comments.
    Analysis of Comments and Changes: An analysis of the comments 
received in response to the proposed waiver and extension and of any 
changes in the waiver and extension since publication of the proposed 
waiver and extension follows.
    Comment: Two commenters supported extending the Regional Centers' 
project period for one year to avoid the loss of an essential source of 
training and training materials tailored to the needs of the five 
regions served.
    Discussion: We appreciate the commenters' support.
    Changes: None.

Final Waiver and Extension

    In the proposed waiver and extension, we discuss the background and 
purposes of the Regional Centers and our reasons for proposing the 
waiver and extension. For the reasons discussed there, we conclude that 
it would be contrary to the public interest to have a lapse in the 
provision of the training currently provided by the Regional Centers. 
Allowing funding to lapse before a new interpreter education delivery 
system can be implemented would leave individuals who are deaf or hard 
of hearing and individuals who are deaf-blind without necessary 
supports in the event that critical needs arise.
    The Secretary waives the requirements in 34 CFR 75.250, which 
prohibit project periods exceeding five years, and the requirements in 
34 CFR 75.261(c)(2), which limits the extension of a project period if 
the extension involves the obligation of additional Federal funds. This 
will allow the five current grantees to request and continue to receive 
Federal funding through September 30, 2016. With this waiver and 
extension of the project period, each Regional Center will be required 
to develop a plan to demonstrate how it will continue to carry out 
activities during the year of the continuation award consistent with 
the scope, goals, and objectives of the grantee's

[[Page 45423]]

application as approved in the 2010 competition. These plans must be 
submitted to RSA for review and approval by September 1, 2015.

Waiver of Delayed Effective Date

    The Administrative Procedure Act requires that a substantive rule 
must be published at least 30 days before its effective date, except as 
otherwise provided for good cause (5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3)). We have not 
made any substantive changes to the proposed waiver and extension. The 
Secretary has therefore determined to waive the delayed effective date 
to ensure timely continuation grants to the entities affected and 
continuation of the valuable services the Regional Centers provide.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

    The Secretary certifies that this final waiver and extension of the 
project period will not have a significant economic impact on a 
substantial number of small entities. The only entities that will be 
affected are the five current grantees receiving Federal funds to serve 
as the Regional Centers and any other potential applicants.
    The Secretary certifies that the waiver and extension will not have 
a significant economic impact on these entities because the extension 
of an existing project period imposes minimal compliance costs, and the 
activities required to support the additional year of funding will not 
impose additional regulatory burdens or require unnecessary Federal 
supervision.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    This final waiver and extension of the project period does not 
contain any information collection requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive 
intergovernmental review in order to make awards by the end of FY 2015.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) on request to the contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: 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 via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of this Department published in the Federal 
Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF 
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the 
site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: July 27, 2015.
Michael K. Yudin,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education andRehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2015-18726 Filed 7-29-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P