[Federal Register: November 26, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 229)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72034-72035]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26no08-62]                         

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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 IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management 
Services, Office of Management, 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 December 
22, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding the emergency review should be 
addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, 
Attention: Bridget C. Dooling, Desk Officer, Department of Education, 
Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Room 10222, New 
Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503 or faxed to (202) 395-
6974.

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 IC Clearance 
Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of 
Management, 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: November 21, 2008.
Angela C. Arrington,
IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, 
Office of Management.

Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

    Type of Review: New.
    Title: Emergency Clearance of Homeless Education Disaster 
Assistance Application.
    Abstract: The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and 
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 provides 15 million dollars to ED 
to award to local educational agencies (LEAs) that had an increase in 
children and youth made homeless by Federally-declared major natural 
disasters in calendar year 2008 to partially compensate them for 
serving the educational and related needs of all homeless students in 
their district consistent with section 723(d) of the McKinney-Vento 
Homeless Assistance Act (McKinney-Vento Act). The information is 
collected in the form of a single electronic application submitted by 
LEAs. ED plans to award grants to applicants (LEAs and consortia of 
LEAs) based on verifiable counts of increases in homeless student 
enrollment in kindergarten through grade twelve directly tied to 
natural disasters in calendar year 2008.
    Additional Information: The Homeless Education Disaster Assistance 
program (HEDA) was established in the ``Consolidated Security, Disaster 
Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009,'' which the 
President signed into law on September 30, 2008 (Pub. L. 110-329) and 
which stipulates that ED should award HEDA funds to LEAs within 120 
days. The Department is requesting emergency processing with a 
requested approval date of December 22, 2008. Using the regular 
clearance process would put ED well past the 120-day mark for awarding 
the HEDA funds that is specified in the Act, which would clearly go 
against Congress's intent. In sum, not approving this emergency request 
would cause

[[Page 72035]]

harm to many LEAs and the homeless students they serve and would delay 
ED's ability to award the funds well passed 120 days. ED intends to 
publish the Federal Register application notice on or about January 5, 
2009 with an application deadline on February 4, 2009.
    Frequency: One time.
    Affected Public: State, local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.
    Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 500.
Burden Hours: 10,000.

    Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request 
may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ``Browse 
Pending Collections'' link and by clicking on link number 3914. When 
you access the information collection, click on ``Download 
Attachments'' to view. Written requests for information should be 
addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically 
mailed to the Internet address ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202-401-
0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection 
when making your request.
    Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be electronically mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. 
Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

[FR Doc. E8-28117 Filed 11-25-08; 8:45 am]

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