[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 23 (Friday, February 2, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7317-7318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-02107]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

34 CFR Chapter VI

[Docket ID ED-2023-OPE-0123]


Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Announcement of Fourth Session 
of Committee Meetings--Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs, Student 
Debt Relief

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of intent to establish negotiated rulemaking committee; 
amendment.

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SUMMARY: On August 31, 2023, we announced our intention to establish 
the Student Debt Relief Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee) to 
develop proposed regulations related to the modification, waiver, 
release, or compromise of Federal student loans under the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). We now announce a fourth 
session of Committee negotiations on February 22 and 23, 2024.

DATES: The dates, times, and location of the fourth Committee meeting 
are set out in the Amended Schedule for Negotiation Sessions section 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about the content of 
this document, including information about the negotiated rulemaking 
process or the schedule for negotiations, please contact Rene 
Tiongquico. Telephone: (202) 453-7513. Email: [email protected].
    For information about negotiated rulemaking, see ``The Negotiated 
Rulemaking Process for Title IV Regulations--Frequently Asked 
Questions'' at https://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/hea08/neg-reg-faq.html.
    If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and 
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On August 31, 2023, we published in the 
Federal Register (88 FR 60163) an announcement of our intent to 
establish the Committee under section 492 of the HEA to develop 
proposed regulations related to section 432(a) of the HEA, which relate 
to the modification, waiver, or compromise of Federal

[[Page 7318]]

student loans by the Department. In that announcement, we set a 
schedule for Committee meetings and requested nominations for 
individual negotiators who represent key stakeholder constituencies for 
the issue to be negotiated to serve on the Committee. The Committee met 
on October 10-11, November 6-7, and December 11-12, 2023. During the 
negotiation sessions, the Committee discussed proposed regulations 
presented by the Department. At the end of the third negotiation 
session, the Committee took final consensus checks on each of the 
proposed regulations presented by the Department. In addition to the 
proposed regulations presented by the Department, the Committee 
discussed whether and how the Department could identify borrowers who 
are facing hardship but whose situations may not be reflected in either 
existing regulations or in the proposed regulations considered by the 
Committee.
    Based upon a continued review of information related to hardship, 
the Department will convene the Committee for a fourth session to 
discuss only proposed regulations relating to that issue. The Committee 
will not discuss the proposed regulations for which it already 
conducted final consensus checks.
    Amended Schedule for Negotiation Sessions: The Committee will meet 
for a fourth session on February 22-23, 2024.
    Session times will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 
with a public comment period from approximately 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., 
Eastern time on February 22, 2024. The Department will hold public 
comment only on February 22, 2024.
    This session will be conducted virtually and available for the 
public to view. Individuals who wish to observe the Committee meetings 
must register. We will post a registration link closer to the start of 
negotiations on our website at www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2023/index.html. The Department will also post recordings 
and transcripts of the meetings on that site.
    We will provide information on how to request time to speak on our 
website at www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2023/index.html.
    Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed 
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities 
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will 
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich 
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, 
braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc, or other accessible 
format.
    Electronic Access to this Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. 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 the 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.

Nasser H. Paydar,
Assistant Secretary, Office of Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2024-02107 Filed 2-1-24; 8:45 am]
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