2011-2699. Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

ACTION:

Comment request .

SUMMARY:

The Department of Education (the Department), 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 and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden on the public and helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 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:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 11, 2011.

ADDRESSES:

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to [e-mail] or mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that Federal agencies provide interested parties an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, 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. 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.

Dated: February 2, 2011.

Darrin A. King,

Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management.

Office of Vocational and Adult Education

Type of Review: Extension.

Title of Collection: Adult Education and Family Literacy Act State Plan (Pub. L. 105-220).

OMB Control Number: 1830-0026.

Agency Form Number(s): N/A.

Frequency of Responses: Annually.

Affected Public: Businesses or other for-profit; State, Local, or Tribal Government, State Educational Agencies or Local Educational Agencies.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 59.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,655.

Abstract: The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA), Title II of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Public Law 105-220 provides formula funding to States to support adult education instruction at the State level. Section 224 of Public Law 105-220 required States submit to the Department their plan for how they address the requirements of the Act, including agreeing upon levels of performance identified in section 212. Congress did not enact new legislation prior to the expiration of the law in 2003; however, it continued to extend program appropriations for each additional year in each subsequent annual appropriation law.

Section 211(b)(1) of AEFLA requires that states have an approved State plan on file in order to receive their allotments of federal adult education funds. The Department is taking a targeted approach to ensure States not duplicate their efforts in submitting information. Office of Vocational and Adult Education's State Plan Guide for AEFLA emphasizes that the information requested is simply updating current original plans to reflect performance targets and any proposed new uses for program funds in upcoming years.

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 4499. 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 [e-mail] or faxed to 202-401-0920. Please specify the complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number when making your request.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.