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AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Notice of proposed information collection requests.

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 July 3, 2007. A regular clearance process is also beginning. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 27, 2007.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments regarding the emergency review should be addressed to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Nicole Cafarella, 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.

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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 Start Printed Page 35225requests 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.

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Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Review: Reinstatement.

Title: Hurricane Education Recovery Awards.

Abstract: Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Agricultural and Other Emergency Assistance for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2007, and for Other Purposes (Pub. L. 110-28) provides $30 million in awards to institutions of higher education, as defined in section 101 or section 102(c) of the HEA, that are located in an area in which a major disaster was declared in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act related to Hurricanes Katrina or Rita that were forced to close, relocate or significantly curtail their activities as a result of damage directly caused by the hurricanes. These Hurricane Education Recovery Awards can only be used to defray expenses, including expenses that would have been covered by revenue lost as a direct result of Hurricanes Katrina or Rita, expenses already incurred, and construction expenses directly related to damage resulting from Hurricanes Katrina or Rita and for payments to enable affected institutions to provide grants to students who attend such institutions for academic years beginning on or after July 1, 2006.

Additional Information: Congress continues to be concerned with the devastation caused in 2005 to several states and these additional appropriations were recently voted to help with necessary funding to help these communities get back to normal educational pursuits.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; Businesses or other for-profit; State, Local, or Tribal Gov't, SEAs or LEAs.

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

 Responses: 50.

 Burden Hours: 75.

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 3395. 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., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to the Internet address ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202-245-6623. 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.

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