2020-14432. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; HBCU Capital Financing Program Deferment Applications

AGENCY:

Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct an emergency review of a new information collection.

DATES:

Approval by the OMB has been requested by June 30, 2020. A regular clearance process is also hereby being initiated. Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 4, 2020.

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-2020-SCC-0108. 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. If the regulations.gov site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily accept comments at [e-mail]. Please include the docket ID number and the title of the information collection request when requesting documents or submitting comments. 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 Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave SW, LBJ, Room 6W208D, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Donald Watson, 202-453-6166.

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: HBCU Capital Financing Program Deferment Applications.

OMB Control Number: 1840-NEW.

Type of Review: New information collection

Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector; State, Local or Tribal Governments.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 50.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 50.

Abstract: In the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020), Congress provided authority for deferments due to a qualifying emergency. Generally, the CARES Act provides that the Secretary may grant a deferment to recipients of Program loans, regardless of whether the recipient is a public or private HBCU, for the duration of the coronavirus-related emergency. The Department has developed an application for HBCUs to seek a deferment of a Program loan under the CARES Act. This application will allow a Program participant to request the deferment and submit information for the Department's required report to Congress regarding its use of its CARES Act authority to grant the deferments.

Additional Information: An emergency clearance approval for the use of the system is described below due to the following conditions:

Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procedures established at 5 CFR 1320, ED requests that the following collection of information, HBCU Capital Financing Program Deferment Applications, be processed in accordance with section 1320.13 Emergency Processing. ED has determined that this information must be collected prior to the expiration of time periods established under Part 1320, and that this information is essential to the ED's ability to effectively implement the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020) and address the economic disruption posed by the Novel (new) Coronavirus (“2019-nCoV”).

Dated: June 30, 2020.

Kate Mullan,

PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.