[Federal Register: January 8, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 5)]
[Notices]
[Page 1441-1443]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr08ja01-86]
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Part III
Department of Education
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Rehabilitation Services Administration Recreational Program; Notice
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RIN 1820-ZA12
Rehabilitation Services Administration Recreational Program
AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of proposed priority for fiscal year (FY) 2001 and later
years.
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SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Recreational
Program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions
in FY 2001 and later years. We take this action to provide individuals
with disabilities recreational activities and related experiences to
aid in their employment, mobility, socialization, independence, and
community integration.
DATES: We must receive your comments on or before February 7, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Mary E.
Chambers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room
3320, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2649. If you prefer to
send your comments through the Internet, use the following address:
Mary_Chambers@ed.gov
You must include the term ``Recreational Program'' in the subject
line of your electronic message.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary E. Chambers. Telephone: (202)
205-8435 or via Internet:
Mary_Chambers@ed.gov
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) you may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Invitation To Comment
We invite you to submit comments regarding this proposed priority.
We invite you to assist us in complying with the specific requirements
of Executive Order 12866 and its overall requirement of reducing
regulatory burden that might result from this proposed priority. Please
let us know of any further opportunities we should take to reduce
potential costs or increase potential benefits while preserving the
effective and efficient administration of the program.
During and after the comment period, you may inspect all public
comments about this proposed priority in room 3420, Switzer Building,
330 C Street SW., Washington, DC, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30
p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday of each week except Federal
holidays.
Assistance to Individuals With Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record
On request, we will supply an appropriate aid, such as a reader or
print magnifier, to an individual with a disability who needs
assistance to review the comments or other documents in the public
rulemaking record for the proposed priority. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of aid, you may call (202) 205-8113 or (202)
260-9895. If you use a TDD, you may call the Federal Information Relay
Service at 1-800-877-8339.
We will announce the final priority in a notice in the Federal
Register. We will determine the final priority after considering
responses to this notice and other information available to the
Department. This notice does not preclude us from proposing or funding
additional priorities, subject to meeting applicable rulemaking
requirements.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which the Assistant Secretary chooses to use this proposed priority,
we invite applications through a notice in the Federal Register.
Priority
Background
Authority for the Recreational Program is contained in section 305
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (the Act) (29 U.S.C.
775). This proposed priority would support projects that provide
individuals with disabilities with recreational activities and
experiences that aid in their employment, mobility, socialization,
independence, and community integration.
Proposed Priority
Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) the Assistant Secretary proposes to give
an absolute preference to applications that meet the following
priority. The Assistant Secretary proposes to fund under this
competition only applications that meet this absolute priority.
Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with
disabilities. Recreational services include, but are not limited to,
vocational skills development, leisure education, leisure networking,
leisure resource development, physical education and sports, scouting
and camping, 4-H activities, music, dancing, handicrafts, art, and
homemaking. Recreational services do not include the construction of
facilities for aquatic rehabilitation therapy.
Projects must provide recreational services to individuals with
disabilities in settings with peers who are not individuals with
disabilities.
Statutory Requirements
All applicants seeking funding under this competition must--
(a) Describe the manner in which the applicant will address the
needs of individuals with disabilities from minority backgrounds
(section 21(c) of the Act);
(b) Describe the manner in which the findings and results of the
project to be funded under the grant, particularly information that
facilitates the replication of the results of that project, will be
made generally available (section 305(a)(4)(A) of the Act);
(c) Demonstrate ways in which recreational activities assist in
maximizing the independence and integration of individuals with
disabilities into community-based recreational programs (section
305(a)(1)(C) of the Act);
(d) Assure that the project will maintain, at a minimum, the same
level of services over the three-year project period (section 305(a)(5)
of the Act);
(e) Assure that the service program funded under the grant will be
continued after Federal assistance ends (section 305(a)(4)(B) of the
Act); and
(f) Provide non-Federal resources (in cash or in-kind) to pay the
non-Federal share cost of the project in year two at 25 percent of year
one Federal grant and year three at 50 percent of year one Federal
grant (section 305(a)(3)(B) of the Act).
National Education Goals
The eight National Education Goals focus the Nation's education
reform efforts and provide a framework for improving teaching and
learning.
This proposed priority would address the National Education Goal
that every American will possess the knowledge and skills necessary to
compete in a global economy
Executive Order 12866
This notice of proposed priority has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order the Assistant
Secretary has
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assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of proposed priority
are those resulting from statutory requirements and those we have
determined as necessary for administering this program effectively and
efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of proposed priority, we have
determined that the benefits of the proposed priority justify the
costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
Elsewhere in this notice we discuss the potential costs and
benefits of this proposed priority under the following heading:
Background.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is 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 early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the
following sites:
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at either of the preceding sites. If you have questions about
using PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free,
at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html
Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 775.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.128J Recreational
Program.)
Dated: December 1, 2000.
Judith E. Heumann,
Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
[FR Doc. 01-407 Filed 1-5-01; 8:45 am]
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