Emergency Memo

United States Department of Education

August 14, 2020

MEMORANDUM

TO: Lindsay Abate

Office of Management and Budget Desk Officer

FROM: Hilary Malawer

Deputy General Counsel

RE: Emergency request for Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) approval

Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) procedures established at 5 CFR 1320, ED requests that the following collection of information, CARES Act 18004(a)(3) Discretionary Grant Application, 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 ED’s ability to effectively implement the CARES Act, Pub. L. No. 116-136 (March 27, 2020) and address the economic disruption posed by the Novel (new) Coronavirus (“2019-nCoV”).

Section 18004(a)(3) of the CARES Act authorizes the Secretary to allocate funds for part B of Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, for institutions of higher education that the Secretary determines have the greatest unmet needs related to coronavirus. This collection includes application materials that will be used by institutions competing for discretionary grant funding under this section.

If this emergency collection is not approved, the Department will be unable to issue these awards in a timely manner. These awards are particularly needed by IHEs that have experienced the greatest economic and educational disruptions caused by 2019-nCoV in order to support their recovery.

Given the short timeframe, ED is unable to consult with the public prior to issuing the forms. However, ED has ample experience designing other similar forms in a way that is clear and minimizes burden. We estimate that the form will require 75 hours to complete.

The Department is requesting an emergency clearance from OMB by August 18 and will publish an emergency notice with a 30 day comment period as required by 5 CFR 1320.8(d) to solicit public comments on the regular information collection.

400 MARYLAND AVE. SW, WASHINGTON, DC 20202

www.ed.gov

The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.