[Federal Register: January 6, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 3)]
[Notices]
[Page 454-456]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06ja09-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.
ACTION: Extension of time for submitting nominations for tribal
representatives for the No Child Left Behind Negotiated Rulemaking
Committee membership.
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SUMMARY: The Secretary of the Interior is extending the deadline from
December 8, 2008, to January 23, 2009, for tribes to nominate
individuals for membership on the No Child Left Behind Negotiated
Rulemaking Committee. This committee will work with the Department of
the Interior to develop recommendations for proposed regulations
regarding the BIE-funded school facilities as required by the No Child
Left Behind Act of 2001.
[[Page 455]]
DATES: Nominations from tribes for membership in the negotiated
rulemaking committee and comments on the establishment of this
committee, including additional interests other than those identified
in this notice, must be postmarked or faxed no later than January 23,
2009.
ADDRESSES: Send nominations and comments to the Designated Federal
Official, at the following address: Michele F. Singer, Director, Office
of Regulatory Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary--Indian
Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road, NW., Suite 312, Albuquerque, NM
87104. Or fax to (505) 563-3811.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michele F. Singer, Designated Federal
Official. Telephone: (505) 563-3805. Fax: (505) 563-3811.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 22, 2008, we published a notice
requesting nominations for a negotiated rulemaking committee. Pursuant
to the mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act, the committee will
prepare and submit to the Secretary of the Interior a report or reports
setting out:
A method for creating a catalog of school facilities;
The school replacement and new construction needs of the
interested parties, and a formula for the equitable distribution of
funds to address those needs;
The major and minor renovation needs of the interested
parties, and the formula for the equitable distribution of funds to
address such needs; and
Facilities standards for home-living (dormitory)
situations.
The Federal Register notice appeared at 73 FR 63008. In that notice
we invited nominations for committee membership from tribes whose
students attend BIE-funded schools, whether the school is operated by
the bureau or by the tribe through a contract or grant. To the maximum
extent possible, the proportional representation of tribes on the
committee will reflect the proportionate share of students from tribes
served by the BIE-funded school system. In addition, the Secretary will
consider the balance of representation with regard to geographical
location, size, and type of school and facility, as well as the
interests of parents, teachers, administrators, and school board
members, in selecting tribal committee representatives.
Because committee membership should reflect the diversity of tribal
interests, representatives of tribal and tribally operated schools
should nominate representatives and alternates who will:
Have knowledge of school facilities and their repair,
renovation, and construction (this may include knowledge and skills of
construction project management, school facilities operation and
management, construction cost estimation, education program space
needs, budgeting and appropriation, engineering);
Have relevant experience as past or present
superintendents, principals, facility managers, teachers, or school
board members or possess direct experience with school construction
projects;
Be able to coordinate, to the extent possible, with other
tribes and schools who may not be represented on the committee;
Be able to represent the tribe(s) with the authority to
embody tribal views, communicate with tribal constituents, and have a
clear means to reach agreement on behalf of the tribe(s);
Be able to negotiate effectively on behalf of the tribe(s)
represented;
Be able to commit the time and effort required to attend
and prepare for meetings; and
Be able to collaborate among diverse parties in a
consensus-seeking process.
In addition, in order for tribes and schools with too few students
to be represented under the proportional membership computation, the
Secretary invites nominations from the following parties who would be
affected by the final products of the committee, which may include
report(s) and/or proposed regulations:
Tribes served by BIE-funded schools not represented by the
tribes allocated seats according to share of student enrollment (please
refer to the Final Convening Report prepared by CBI, p. 38 at http://
ecr.gov/pdf/BIA_FinalConvRpt200803.pdf.);
Tribes who will help to increase the geographic diversity
of representation on the committee;
Representatives who will help to increase the diversity of
types of schools represented (e.g., off-reservation boarding schools,
dorms, and schools serving multiple tribes);
Representatives who might be nominated by multiple tribes
or regional tribal associations and have ability to coordinate and
represent a coalition or group of like-minded tribes and schools; and
Representatives of regional or national Indian education
organizations. Nominees of these interests, like the proportionate-
share nominees, must meet the criteria of this section.
There will be a facilitation team available to assist tribes or
groups of tribes in selecting nominees who can meet the nomination
criteria and represent the interests of multiple tribes and schools.
For such assistance, Tribes may contact Sarah Palmer, Senior Program,
Manager, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, 130
South Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701, Direct Telephone: (520) 901-8556,
e-mail: palmer@ecr.gov. Web site: http://www.ecr.gov.
We will consider nominations for tribal committee representatives
only if they are nominated through the process identified in this
notice and in the Federal Register notice at 72 FR 63008. We will not
consider any nominations that we receive in any other manner. We will
also not consider nominations for Federal representatives. Only the
Secretary may nominate Federal employees to the committee.
Nominations must include the following information about each
tribal nominee for membership on the No Child Left Behind negotiated
rulemaking committee:
(1) The nominee's name, tribal affiliation, job title, major job
duties, employer, business address, business telephone and fax numbers
(and business e-mail address, if applicable);
(2) The tribal interest(s) to be represented by the nominee (see
section V of the notice appeared at 73 FR63008) and whether the nominee
will represent other interest(s) related to this rulemaking, as the
tribe may designate;
(3) A resum[eacute] reflecting the nominee's qualifications and
experience in Indian education (including being a parent of a student
attending a BIE-funded school) and experience in any phase of school
facility construction (including master planning, project planning,
design, construction, and facility management), indicating that the
nominee can adequately represent the interest(s) identified in (2)
above; and
(4) A brief description of how they will represent tribal views,
communicate with tribal constituents, and have a clear means to reach
agreement on behalf of the tribe(s) they are representing.
Additionally, a statement as to whether the nominee is only
representing one tribe's views or whether the expectation is that the
nominee represents a group of tribes.
To be considered, nominations must be received by the close of
business on the date listed in the DATES section, at the location
indicated in the ADDRESSES section. Nominations and comments received
will be available for inspection at the address listed above from 8
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
[[Page 456]]
Dated: December 24, 2008.
George T. Skibine,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Economic Development.
[FR Doc. E8-31411 Filed 1-5-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P
