[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 9 (Thursday, January 14, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3141-3142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-00571]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2021-SCC-0006]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Higher 
Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Improper Payments Information 
Form

AGENCY: Department of Education (ED), Office of Postsecondary Education 
(OPE).

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: The Department is requesting emergency processing and OMB 
approval for this information collection by January 13, 2021; and 
therefore, the regular clearance process is hereby being initiated to 
provide the public with the opportunity to comment under the full 
comment period. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or 
before March 15, 2021.

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-2021-SCC-0006. 
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. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily 
accept comments at [email protected]. Please include the docket ID 
number and the title of the information collection request when 
requesting documents or submitting comments. 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 Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, 
LBJ, Room 6W208D, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Karen Epps, 202-453-6337.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), in 
accordance with the Paperwork

[[Page 3142]]

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 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: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) 
Improper Payments Information Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1840-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector; State, Local, and 
Tribal Governments.Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,138.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,138.
    Abstract: Under the CARES Act's Higher Education Emergency Relief 
Fund (HEERF), the Department has made over 12,000 awards to 
institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support emergency financial 
aid to students and institutional costs associated with significant 
changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus. This 
form will be used by institutions that have improperly drawn down funds 
from their award accounts to provide the Department with information 
regarding funds being returned to correct these improper payments.
    Additional Information: An emergency clearance approval for the use 
of the system is described below due to the following conditions: Under 
the current unprecedented national health emergency, Congress and the 
President have come together to offer relief to those individuals and 
industries affected by the COVID-19 virus under the Coronavirus Aid, 
Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act. Under the CARES 
Act's Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), the U.S. 
Department of Education (the Department) has made over 12,000 awards to 
institutions of higher education (IHEs) to support emergency financial 
aid to students and institutional costs associated with significant 
changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus. In the 
course of monitoring these grant awards, the Department has determined 
that over 700 IHEs have improperly drawn down funds from their award 
accounts, totaling over $202 million in funds that must now be 
returned. Furthermore, during the time that these funds have been drawn 
down, grantees are earning additional interest in excess of the $500 
annual cap prescribed by 2 CFR 200.305(b) of the Uniform Guidance. The 
Department is concerned that this excess interest, without an 
expeditious inventory and response by our grantees, may be difficult to 
account. Therefore, in order to process the return of these funds more 
efficiently and prevent any further earnings beyond the interest cap, 
we are requesting emergency approval of a short form that will allow 
the grantee to provide the Department with information regarding the 
funds being returned.

    Dated: January 8, 2021.
Kate Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer.
[FR Doc. 2021-00571 Filed 1-13-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P