[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 164 (Friday, August 25, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 40518-40519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-18104]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Chapter VI


Regulatory Reform; Public Hearings

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notification of public hearings.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with Executive Order 13777, ``Enforcing the 
Regulatory Reform Agenda,'' the Department of Education (Department) is 
seeking input on Department regulations related to postsecondary 
education that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or 
modification. We announce two public hearings at which interested 
parties may provide input.

DATES: The dates, times, and locations of the public hearings are 
listed under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this 
document contact: Wendy Macias, U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Ave. SW., Room 6C111, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 
203-9155 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  On February 24, 2017, President Trump 
signed Executive Order 13777, ``Enforcing the Regulatory Reform 
Agenda,'' which established a Federal policy ``to alleviate unnecessary 
regulatory burdens'' on the American people. Section 3(a) of the 
Executive Order directs Federal agencies to establish a Regulatory 
Reform Task Force (Task Force). One of the duties of an agency Task 
Force is to evaluate existing regulations and ``make recommendations to 
the agency head regarding their repeal, replacement, or modification.'' 
The Executive Order further asks that each Task Force ``attempt to 
identify regulations that:
    (i) Eliminate jobs, or inhibit job creation;
    (ii) Are outdated, unnecessary, or ineffective;
    (iii) Impose costs that exceed benefits;
    (iv) Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with 
regulatory reform initiatives and policies;
    (v) Are inconsistent with the requirements of section 515 of the 
Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, 2001 (44 U.S.C. 
3516 note), or the guidance issued pursuant to that provision, in 
particular those regulations that rely in whole or in part on data, 
information, or methods that are not publicly available or that are 
insufficiently transparent to meet the standard for reproducibility; or
    (vi) Derive from or implement Executive Orders or other 
Presidential directives that have been subsequently rescinded or 
substantially modified.''
    Section 3(e) of the Executive Order calls on each Task Force to 
``seek input and other assistance, as permitted by law, from entities 
significantly affected by Federal regulations, including State, local, 
and tribal governments, small businesses, consumers, non-governmental 
organizations, and trade associations'' on regulations that meet some 
or all of the criteria above. A ``regulation'' for this purpose ``means 
an agency statement of general or particular applicability and future 
effect designed to implement, interpret, or prescribe law or policy or 
to describe the procedure or practice requirements of an agency. . . 
.'' See Executive Order 13771, section 4.
    On June 22, 2017, the Department published a notice in the Federal 
Register (82 FR 28431) soliciting written comments from the public to 
inform its Task Force's evaluation of all of the Department's existing 
regulations and guidance, including regulations and

[[Page 40519]]

guidance related to postsecondary education programs, that have a 
policy impact. We are now announcing two public hearings that will 
supplement this effort by seeking public input on Department 
regulations and guidance specific to postsecondary education programs 
that may be appropriate for repeal, replacement, or modification. This 
includes regulations and guidance for the Federal Student Aid programs 
authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended, as well as regulations and guidance for the institutional 
service, international and foreign language education, and student 
service programs.

Public Hearings

    We will hold two public hearings:
     September 26, 2017, at Salt Lake Community College--Miller 
Campus, 9750 South 300 West, Karen Gail Miller Conference Center, 
Copper Creek Room A&B, Sandy, Utah 84070.
     October 4, 2017, at the U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Ave. SW., Barnard Auditorium, Washington, DC 20202.
    The public hearings will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., local 
time.
    Individuals who would like to present comments at the public 
hearings must register by sending an email to 
[email protected]. The email should include the name of the 
presenter along with the public hearing at which the individual would 
like to speak, the general topic(s) the individual would like to 
address, and a general timeframe during which the individual would like 
to speak (for example, a presenter could indicate morning or afternoon, 
or before 11:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m.). We will attempt to 
accommodate each speaker's preference, but, if we are unable to do so, 
we will make the determination on a first-come first-served basis, 
based on the time and date the email was received. It is likely that 
each participant will be limited to five minutes. The Department will 
notify registrants of the location and time slot reserved for them. An 
individual may make only one presentation at the public hearings. If we 
receive more registrations than we are able to accommodate, the 
Department reserves the right to reject the registration of an entity 
or individual that is affiliated with an entity or individual that is 
already scheduled to present comments, and to select among registrants 
to ensure that a broad range of entities and individuals is allowed to 
present. We will accept walk-in registrations for any remaining time 
slots on a first-come first-served basis, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on the 
day of the public hearing at the Department's on-site registration 
table. Registration is not required to observe the public hearings; 
however, space may be limited.
    The Department will post transcripts of the hearings to https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/reform/2017/index.html. Although the 
Department will not be videoing the hearings, as this is a public 
meeting, speakers should be aware that they may be filmed or recorded 
by members of the public.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) or register to present comments by 
contacting Wendy Macias, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland 
Ave. SW., Room 6C111, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 203-9155 
or by email: [email protected].
    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 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.
    Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1098a.

    Dated: August 22, 2017.
Kathleen A. Smith,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2017-18104 Filed 8-24-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P