[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 47 (Monday, March 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13451-13452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04792]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2017-ICCD-0021]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Consolidated State Plan

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Department 
of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction of 1995, ED is 
requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct an 
emergency review of a new information collection.

DATES: Approval by the OMB has been requested by 3/13/2017. A regular 
clearance process is also hereby being initiated. Interested persons 
are invited to submit comments on or before May 12, 2017.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2017-ICCD-
0021. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments 
submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period 
will not be accepted. 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, Room 226-62, 
Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Melissa Siry, 202-260-0926.

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 13452]]

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: Consolidated State Plan.
    OMB Control Number: 1810-0576.
    Type of Review: A revision to an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 52.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 108,155.
    Abstract: Section 8302 of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), 
permits each SEA, in consultation with the Governor, to apply for 
program funds through submission of a consolidated State plan or a 
consolidated State application (in lieu of individual program State 
plans). The purpose of consolidated State plans as defined in ESEA is 
to improve teaching and learning by encouraging greater cross-program 
coordination, planning, and service delivery; to enhance program 
integration; and to provide greater flexibility and less burden for 
State educational agencies.
    Additional Information: This is a request for an emergency 
clearance to enable Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) 
to collect critical information for the Consolidated State Plan, the 
instrument through which State educational agencies (SEAs) apply for 
funding under the following programs:

Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)
Title I, Part A Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational 
Agencies
Title I, Part B, Section 1201 Grants for State Assessments and Related 
Activities
Title I, Part C Education of Migratory Children
Title I, Part D Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and 
Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk
Title II, Part A Supporting Effective Instruction
Title III, Part A English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, 
and Academic Achievement
Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
Title IV, Part B 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Title VI, Part B, Subpart 2: Rural and Low-Income School Program 
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987
Title VII, Subtitle B Education for Homeless Children and Youths 
Program

    On December 10, 2015, the programs above were reauthorized by the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by 
the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). On November 29, 2016, the 
Department received information collection clearance approval for a 
Consolidated State Plan aligned to the Notice of Final Regulations for 
Accountability and State Plans published in the Federal Register at 81 
FR 86076. Congress is currently considering a joint resolution of 
disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) (5 U.S.C. 801-808) 
to overturn these regulations. If a resolution of disapproval is 
enacted, these regulations ``shall have no force or effect.''
    Pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.13, the Department requests that OMB review 
this collection under its emergency procedures. This request for 
emergency clearance is based on two factors: (1) The joint resolution 
of disapproval under the CRA presents an unanticipated event beyond the 
Department's control; and (2) further uncertainty of the requirements 
for submission of consolidated State plans would prevent States from 
implementing the new ESSA requirements in school year 2017-2018.
    Section 8302 of the ESEA, as amended by the ESSA, permits each SEA, 
in consultation with the Governor, to apply for program funds through 
submission of a consolidated State plan (in lieu of individual program 
State plans). The purpose of Consolidated State Plans as defined in 
ESEA is to improve teaching and learning by encouraging greater cross-
program coordination, planning, and service delivery; to enhance 
program integration; and to provide greater flexibility and less burden 
for SEAs. The Department will use the information from the Consolidated 
State Plan as the basis for approving funding under the included 
programs for the duration of the reauthorization. Failure to collect 
this information in a timely manner will bar the Department from 
receiving the comprehensive data and information that is necessary to 
fulfill its fiduciary and oversight responsibilities, and endanger the 
missions of the individual programs.

    Dated: March 7, 2017.
Stephanie Valentine,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of 
the Chief Privacy Officer (OCPO), Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2017-04792 Filed 3-10-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P