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U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Education

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Guidance documents represent the Department of Education’s (ED) current thinking on a topic. They do not create or confer any rights for or on any person and do not impose any requirements beyond those required under applicable law and regulations.

On January 18, 2007, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the “Final Bulletin for Agency Good Guidance Practices,” (GGP Bulletin) which became effective July 24, 2007. The GGP Bulletin established definitions of the different types of guidance documents, and established requirements for agencies to follow in developing and issuing significant guidance documents. Click here to view the GGP Bulletin’s definitions of the different types of guidance, including the definition of “significant guidance document.”

ED follows the definition of “significant guidance document” set forth in the GGP Bulletin and ED’s list of significant guidance documents can be found at the following link: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/significant-guidance3.docx.

## Public Comment on Significant Guidance Documents

Each significant guidance document provides an e-mail link that allows members of the public to submit questions or comments, including requests that ED revise the significant guidance document. We will take public comments into account in the course of developing new guidance or modifying existing guidance. Generally, we will not be making the public comments publicly available or providing formal responses to individual comments; however, for economically significant guidance documents we will post public comments on regulations.gov and we will post a written response-to-comments.

## Complaints

If you have a complaint regarding an ED significant guidance document or believe an ED employee is not following the guidance requirements of OMB’s GGP Bulletin, please contact ED’s Office of the General Counsel, Division of Regulatory Services, at GGBcomplaints@ed.gov. In order to ensure proper processing of your complaint, please include the words "SIGNIFICANT GUIDANCE: [Insert name of significant guidance document]" in the subject line of your email message. ED will review requests, complaints, and questions to determine whether any action is warranted and, if so, what action.

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