[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30921-30922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-10818]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2022-SCC-0066]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Higher 
Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) (a)(2) Construction, 
Renovation, & Real Property Projects Prior Approval Request Form

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

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 requested emergency processing from OMB for this 
information collection request on May 16, 2022. As a result, the 
Department is providing the public with the opportunity to comment 
under the full comment period. Interested persons are invited to submit 
comments on or before July 19, 2022.

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-2022-SCC-0066. 
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 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) 
(a)(2) Construction, Renovation, & Real Property Projects Prior 
Approval Request Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1840-0861.
    Type of Review: A new information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; 
Private Sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 1,200.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 600.
    Abstract: The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022 (Pub. L. 117-
103) signed by the President on March 15, 2022, provides new 
flexibilities and

[[Page 30922]]

requirements around using HEERF (a)(2) grant funds for construction, 
renovation, and real property projects as a result of Congress 
expanding the allowable uses of funds under the HEERF (a)(2) programs. 
This collection includes the required prior approval form that must be 
completed by eligible institutions seeking to use (a)(2) funds for this 
purpose.
    The Department requested emergency processing to be able to process 
the prior approval requests institutions are required to submit to 
commence a construction, renovation or real property project in a 
timely manner. Due to the potential lengthened timeline associated with 
the construction, renovation, and real property projects, the 
Department has determined that it is necessary to obtain the required 
information from the institutions to use the (a)(2) funding stream for 
this purpose as required by Uniform Guidance. Without approval of the 
HEERF (a)(2) Prior Approval Request Form, institutions will be forced 
to delay the construction, renovation and real property projects which 
``prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.'' Any delay in the 
submission of requests could jeopardize the timelines as institutions 
will not have sufficient time to complete the construction, renovation, 
and real property projects prior to Account Closing Regulation, which 
is September 30, 2028. This means all remaining funds unspent by 
institutions must be returned to the U.S. Department of Treasury.

    Dated: May 16, 2022.
Kun Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2022-10818 Filed 5-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P