[Federal Register: December 21, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 246)]
[Notices]
[Page 65939-65940]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21de01-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed information collection requests.
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SUMMARY: The Leader, Regulatory Information Management, Office of the
Chief Information Officer, invites comments on the proposed information
collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: An emergency review has been requested in accordance with the
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 3507 (j)), since public harm is reasonably
likely to result if normal clearance procedures are followed. Approval
by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been requested by
January 2, 2002. A regular clearance process is also beginning.
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before February
19, 2002.
ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,
Attention: Karen Lee, Desk Officer: Department of Education, Office of
Management and Budget; 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10235, New Executive
Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or should be electronically
mailed to the internet address KFLee@omb.eop.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Director of OMB
provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity
to comment on information collection requests. The Office of Management
and Budget (OMB) may amend or waive the requirement for public
consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval
process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate
State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's
ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Leader, Information
Management Group, Office of the Chief Information Officer, publishes
this notice containing proposed information collection requests at the
beginning of the Departmental review of the information collection.
Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the
following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g., new, revision,
extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the
collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the
information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6)
Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. ED invites public comment. 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 respondents,
including through the use of information technology.
Dated: December 17, 2001.
John Tressler, Leader,
Regulatory Information Management, Office of the Chief Information
Officer.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Type of Review: New.
Title: Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for Applicants.
Abstract: To ensure equal opportunity for all applicants including
small community-based, faith-based and religious groups, it is
essential to collect information that allows Federal agencies to
determine the level of participation of such organizations in Federal
grant programs while ensuring that such information is not used in
grant-making decisions.
Additional Information: The Department requests emergency
processing for the ``Survey on Ensuring Equal Opportunity for
Applicants'' which tracks the participation level of faith-based and
community organizations in grant programs. The ability to utilize this
form immediately is critical to the implementation of President's
Bush's Faith-based and Community Initiative established by an Executive
Order dated January 29, 2001 and to carry out the mandate of Section
3(b) of that order. As Congress may enact authorizing and appropriating
legislation for the U.S. Department of Education in mid December 2001,
it will be necessary to roll out grant application materials as soon as
possible to expeditiously fund much needed social programs in Fiscal
Year 2002. Since this form must be included in grant application
packages, delay in the approval of this form could delay the funding of
grant programs. Since this unanticipated event, the Department has
consulted with the Office of Management and Budget, the White House
Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives as well as the four
Centers for Faith-based and Community Initiatives at the Department of
Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, Department of Housing
and Urban Development, and the Department of Justice. The Department
requests approval by January 2, 2002.
Frequency: Annually.
Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or
Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.
Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:
Responses: 17,000,
Burden Hours: 1,360.
Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request
should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Department of Education, 400
Maryland Avenue, SW., Room 4050, Regional Office Building 3,
Washington, DC 20202-4651, or should be electronically mailed to the
internet address OCIO.RIMG@ed.gov, or should be faxed to 202-708-9346.
Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity
requirements, contact Kathy Axt at (540) 776-7742 or via her internet
address Kathy.Axt@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
[[Page 65940]]
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
[FR Doc. 01-31441 Filed 12-20-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P