Regional Resource and Federal Center Programs

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to waive the requirements in EDGAR at

34 CFR 75.261 as applied to the currently-funded Regional Resource

Centers and to require the Centers to carry out certain additional

activities. Section 75.261 sets forth the conditions for extending a

project period, including the general prohibition against extending

projects that involve the obligation of additional Federal funds. The

Secretary proposes to issue continuation awards to the Regional

Resource Center Programs in order to ensure the most efficient use of

Federal funds. The Department is therefore soliciting public comment on

the proposed waiver and the new activities that the RRCs would

undertake.

DATES: Comments must be received on April 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: All comments concerning this proposal should be addressed to

Debra Sturdivant or Marie Roane, U.S. Department of Education, 600

Independence Avenue, SW., Room 3527, Switzer Building, Washington, DC

20202-2641.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Sturdivant, Telephone: (202)

205-8038, or Marie Roane, Telephone: (202) 205-8451. Individuals who

use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8:00 A.M.

and 8:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday.

Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an

alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer

diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding

paragraph.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On December 14, 1992, the Department issued

a Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards under the Regional

Resource Center Program for Fiscal Year 1992. In this notice the

Department announced that it would make six awards of up to 60 months

under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) and the Individuals with Disabilities

Education Act (IDEA), which directed the Secretary to support the

establishment of Regional Centers that provide consultation, technical

assistance and training to State educational agencies and, through

those State educational agencies, to local educational agencies and to

other appropriate public agencies providing special education and

related services and early intervention services.

The grant period for the six centers ends May 31, 1998. In order to

carry out activities relating to implementation of the IDEA Amendments

of 1997 as stated by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its report

accompanying the Department's fiscal year 1998 appropriations act, it

is necessary to issue continuation awards to the existing grantees.

Specifically, the Senate report states that the Secretary should

provide training and disseminate information to State and local

administrators, teachers, related services personnel, parents of

children with disabilities, and other appropriate parties on the

implementation of the 1997 amendments.

The Department is utilizing a number of strategies to carry out

this directive. Because the Regional Resource Centers (RRCs) have a

primary role in assisting States in implementing the IDEA Amendments of

1997, these organizations are well-positioned to play a key part in

this training and information effort. In particular, the Secretary

plans for the RRCs to conduct a series of regional institutes for

educational excellence. The purposes of the regional institutes are:

(1) To ensure that State education agency personnel, local school

personnel and parents receive high-quality, accurate training on the

IDEA Amendments of 1997 in order to improve results for students with

disabilities through improved teaching and learning;

(2) To build field support as part of the implementation of the

IDEA Amendments of 1997 that is community-based and grounded in the

context of improving schooling and results for children; and

(3) To ensure the involvement of State education agencies, local

school personnel, parents, Office of Special Education and

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS)--supported technical assistance and

dissemination services, State technical assistance providers, and

topical research centers in the development of strategies and models to

implement the IDEA Amendments of 1997.

Because the regional institutes would be held during the summer of

1998, the project period for the current Regional Resource Centers must

be extended to enable the RRCs to both plan and conduct the institutes.

The Secretary believes that it is essential that the RRCs conduct the

institutes given the RRCs technical assistance expertise and experience

in carrying out similar activities.

Based on the foregoing, the Secretary believes that it makes the

most programmatic sense and is the most efficient use of Federal funds

to issue continuation awards. However, to do so, the Department must

waive the requirements in EDGAR at 34 CFR 75.261 as well as provide for

the new activities stated in this notice. That provision includes a

prohibition against project period extensions that involve the

obligation of additional Federal funds.

Reasons

There is an immediate need to provide training and information to

the populations that will be targeted by the regional institutes.

Waiting until after a new RRC competition to hold the institutes would

severely hinder the Department's efforts to address the critical needs

that are now present in the regions. The current RRCs have already

conducted extensive training and information activities related to

State implementation of the Amendments and are best suited to conduct

the regional institutes.

Therefore, the Department proposes to issue continuation awards to

the current grantees for four (4) months.

Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification

The Secretary certifies that the proposed waiver and additional

activities would not have a significant economic impact on a

substantial number of small entities.

The small entities that would be affected by this proposal are the

six Centers currently receiving Federal funds. However, the proposal

would not have a significant economic impact on the Centers because the

waiver and additional activities would not impose excessive regulatory

burdens or require unnecessary Federal supervision. The proposal would

impose minimal requirements to ensure the proper expenditure of program

funds, including requirements that are standard to continuation awards.

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980

This proposal has been examined under the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1980 and have been found to contain no information collection

requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

This program is subject to the requirements of Executive Order

12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. The objective of the

Executive order is to foster an intergovernmental

[[Page 14791]]

partnership and a strengthened federalism by relying on processes

developed by State and local governments for coordination and review of

proposed Federal financial assistance.

In accordance with the order, this document is intended to provide

early notification of the Department's specific plans and actions for

this program.

Invitation To Comment

Interested persons are invited to submit comments and

recommendations regarding this proposed waiver and additional

activities.

All comments submitted in response to this proposal will be

available for public inspection, during and after the comment period,

in room 3521, 300 ``C'' Street, S.W., Washington, D.C., between the

hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday of each week

except Federal holidays.

Electronic Access to This Document

Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of

Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or

portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the

following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/news.html

To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with

Search, which is available free at either of the preceding sites. If

you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government

Printing Office toll free at 1-888-293-6498.

Anyone may also view these documents in text copy only on an

electronic bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511

or, toll free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option

G--Files/Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

Note: The official version of this document is the document

published in the Federal Register.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 84.028, Technical

Assistance and Dissemination to Improve Services and Results for

Children with Disabilities)

Dated: March 20, 1998.

Curtis L. Richards,

Acting Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative

Services.

[FR Doc. 98-7831 Filed 3-25-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4000-01-P