2015-31484. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; The Secretary of the Department of Education's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, and the ...

AGENCY:

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 14, 2016.

ADDRESSES:

To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2015-ICCD-0114. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 2E103, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Herman Bounds, 202-219-7039.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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 the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: The Secretary of the Department of Education's Recognition of Accrediting Agencies, and the Comparability of Medical and Veterinary Medical Programs.

OMB Control Number: 1840-0788.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 127.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 828.

Abstract: In compliance with Title 34 CFR part 602.10 and 603.24 (for state agencies approval of vocational education and nurse education), the information collected consists of petitions, reports, and accreditation notifications. The information collected is required to determine if accrediting agencies or foreign medical and foreign veterinary medical programs comply and are comparable to the Secretary of Education's criteria for recognition outlined in 34 CFR 600.55 and CFR 600.56. The information is used to allow the Secretary to make determinations on new, extension and/or continuing recognition or comparability status. Only postsecondary institutions and countries deemed to be using comparable standards obtain Title IV funding for its students.

Kate Mullan,

Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.