[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]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P