Rule2023-28375
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period With Funding for Innovative Rehabilitation Training Grants
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
December 27, 2023
Effective
December 27, 2023
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
The Secretary waives the requirements in the Education Department General Administrative Regulations that generally prohibit project periods exceeding five years and project period extensions involving the obligation of additional Federal funds. The waiver and extension enable seven projects under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.263C to receive funding for an additional period, not to exceed September 30, 2025.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 89305-89306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28375]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
34 CFR Chapter III
[ED-2023-OSERS-0177]
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period With Funding for
Innovative Rehabilitation Training Grants
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
(OSERS), Department of Education.
ACTION: Final waiver and extension of project period with funding.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Secretary waives the requirements in the Education
Department General Administrative Regulations that generally prohibit
project periods exceeding five years and project period extensions
involving the obligation of additional Federal funds. The waiver and
extension enable seven projects under Assistance Listing Number (ALN)
84.263C to receive funding for an additional period, not to exceed
September 30, 2025.
DATES: The waiver and extension of the project periods are effective
December 27, 2023.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Felipe Lulli, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 4A110, Washington, DC 20202.
Telephone: 202-987-0128. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bbfdded7d2cbde95f7ced7d7d2fbdedf95dcd4cd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="195f7c7570697c37556c757570597c7d377e766f">[email protected]</span></a>.
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:
Background
On October 3, 2023, the Department published a notice in the
Federal Register (84 FR 32135) proposing a waiver and extension of the
project period with funding in order to enable seven projects under
Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 84.263C to receive continuation funding
for an additional 12-month period, not to exceed September 30, 2025.
The proposed waiver and extension of the project period with funding
would allow the Department to align those dates with that of awards
funded under ALNs 84.263E and 84.263F, which will each receive their
final year of funding in FY 2024, and end on September 30, 2025. Due to
the overlapping goals of these three programs, the Department does not
believe that it would be in the public interest to run a competition
for ALN 84.263C in FY 2024. Rather, aligning the projects' periods of
performance end dates for ALNs 84.263C, 84.263E, and 84.263F would
reduce financial and administrative burden by allowing the Department
to conduct a single competition for all 84.263C, 84.263E, and 84.263F
grants in FY 2025, with a five-year performance period that would run
from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030.
There are no differences between the notice of proposed waiver and
extension of the project period with funding and this notice of final
waiver and extension of the project period with funding, as discussed
in the Analysis of Comments and Changes section of this document.
Public Comment
In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed waiver and
extension of the project period with funding, two parties submitted
comments.
Generally, we do not address technical and other minor changes or
suggested changes the law does not authorize us to make under the
applicable statutory authority. In addition, we do not address general
comments that raised concerns not directly related to the proposed
waiver and extension with funding.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
An analysis of the comments and of any changes in the priority
since publication of the notice of proposed waiver and extension of the
project period with funding follows.
Comment: One commenter expressed strong support for the proposed
waiver and extension of the project period with funding noting the
vital importance of the Innovation Rehabilitation Training projects to
the Vocational Rehabilitation field. The commenter described first-hand
experience serving on an advisory board of one of the Innovative
Rehabilitation Training grants and evaluating their products. The
commenter noted the value of the products to the vocational
rehabilitation field in meeting the needs of individuals with
disabilities.
Discussion: The Department appreciates support for the proposed
waiver and extension of the project period with funding for the
Innovative Rehabilitation Training grants.
Change: None.
Comment: One commenter analyzed whether the proposed waiver and
extension of the project period with funding would lead to more
efficient outcomes for the Innovative Rehabilitation Training program.
The commenter presented one argument that extending the project period
and providing additional funding would offer the Department streamlined
decision-making and grantee flexibility to ensure the delivery of
comprehensive, high-quality training that effectively meets the needs
of their target populations. The commenter presented a counterargument
that extending the project timeline might cause grantees to delay
project milestones if they know extensions are readily available,
leading to inefficiencies and prolonged timelines that do not guarantee
improved outcomes. The commenter recommended the Department implement
appropriate oversight procedures to alleviate possible risks and
safeguard the effectiveness of the waiver and extension of the project
period to alleviate financial and administrative burden.
Discussion: The Department appreciates the commenter's analysis of
arguments for and against the proposed notice of waiver and extension
of the project period with funding and carefully considered them in its
decision making. The Department will monitor grantees in accordance
with applicable regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 86,
97, 98, and 99; (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485; and (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements,
Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR
part 200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2
CFR part 3474. Additionally, the Department will assess grant
performance through annual reporting and tracking of expenditures to
ensure that project milestones for both the current budget period and
the additional budget period
[[Page 89306]]
are met in a timely and efficient manner, thus mitigating potential
program and financial risk.
Change: None.
Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period With Funding
The Department believes aligning the projects' period of
performance for ALNs 84.263C, 84.263E, and 84.263F is in the best
interest of the public, as the extension reduces the financial and
administrative burden by allowing the Department to conduct a single
competition for 84.263C, 84.263E, and 84.263F in FY 2025, with a five-
year performance period that would run from October 1, 2025, through
September 30, 2030.
Consequently, the Secretary waives the requirements in 34 CFR
75.250, which prohibit project periods exceeding five years, as well as
the requirements in 34 CFR 75.261(a) and (c)(2), which allow the
extension of a project period only if the extension does not involve
the obligation of additional Federal funds. This waiver allows the
Department to issue a one-year FY 2024 continuation award to each of
the seven currently funded FY 2019 84.263C projects. Any activities
carried out during the year of this continuation award must be
consistent with the scope, goals, and objectives of the grantees'
applications as approved in the FY 2019 competition. The requirements
for continuation awards are set forth in 34 CFR 75.253.
Regulatory Flexibility Act Certification
The Secretary certifies that the final waiver and extension of the
project period with funding would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities. The only entities
that would be affected by the final waiver and extension of the project
period with funding are the seven grants that were awarded in FY 2019
under ALN 84.263C.
The Secretary certifies that the final waiver and extension would
not have a significant economic impact on these entities, because the
extension of an existing project period imposes minimal compliance
costs, and the activities required to support the additional year of
funding would not impose additional regulatory burdens or require
unnecessary Federal supervision.
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
This notice of final waiver and extension of the project period
with funding does not contain any information collection requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
These programs are subject to Executive Order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism. The Executive order relies on processes developed by State
and local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides final notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under 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 <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. 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 documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Dant[eacute] Allen,
Commissioner, Rehabilitation Services Administration, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 2023-28375 Filed 12-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on December 27, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.