67950 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 3, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 

1 88 FR 63527. 

2The emailed comments have been posted to the 

docket folder. These comments are accessible at: 

www.regulations.gov/docket/USCG-2023-0466/ 

comments. 3 15 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. 

Timothy J. List, 

Captain, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of the 

Port, Sector North Carolina. 

[FR Doc. 2023–21751 Filed 10–2–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Coast Guard 

33 CFR Part 165 

[Docket Number USCG–2023–0466] 

RIN 1625–AA00 

Safety Zone; Wilmington River, 

Savannah, GA 

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. 

ACTION: Temporary interim rule and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is revising a 

temporary safety zone encompassing the 

Causton Bluff Bridge, on the 

Wilmington River, Savannah, GA. This 

action is necessary to provide for the 

safety of life on these navigable waters 

for the planned demolition and removal 

of structural components of the original 

bridge, in preparation of the 

construction of a new span. This 

rulemaking would prohibit persons and 

vessels from being in the safety zone 

unless authorized by the Captain of the 

Port Savannah or a designated 

representative. 

DATES: This temporary interim rule is 

effective without actual notice from 

October 3, 2023 through November 30, 

2023. For the purposes of enforcement, 

actual notice will be used from October 

2, 2023, until October 3, 2023. 

Comments and related material must 

reach the Coast Guard on or before 

October 18, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

identified by docket number USCG– 

2023–0466 using the Federal DecisionMaking Portal at https://

www.regulations.gov. See the ‘‘Public 

Participation and Request for 

Comments’’ portion of the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for 

further instructions on submitting 

comments. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If 

you have questions on this rule, call or 

email LTJG Anthony Harris, Office of 

Waterways Management, Marine Safety 

Unit Savannah, U.S. Coast Guard; 

telephone 912–652–4353 ext. 240, 

Anthony.E.Harris@uscg.mil. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Table of Abbreviations 

CFR Code of Federal Regulations 

DHS Department of Homeland Security 

ESA Endangered Species Act 

FR Federal Register 

GA DOT Georgia Department of 

Transportation 

NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking 

TIR Temporary Interim Rule 

§ Section 

U.S.C. United States Code 

II. Background Information and 

Regulatory History 

On September 15, 2023, the Coast 

Guard published a temporary interim 

rule (TIR) 1 with requests for comment. 

The TIR established a temporary safety 

zone encompassing the Causton Bluff 

Bridge, on the Wilmington River, 

Savannah, GA. When the rule was 

published, the Coast Guard immediately 

began receiving comments on the safety 

zone posted on the docket and emails 

sent directly to the Coast Guard.2 In 

order to address the concerns raised by 

the commenters, the Coast Guard made 

the determination not to enforce the 

original TIR until an updated 

enforcement schedule could be 

published through a new TIR. This new 

TIR takes into consideration the 23 

comments received thus far and revises 

the existing safety zone to provide the 

public with a schedule that equitably 

balances the needs of the Georgia 

Department of Transportation (GA DOT) 

and the waterway users. 

The Coast Guard is issuing this TIR 

without prior notice and opportunity to 

comment pursuant to authority under 

section 4(a) of the Administrative 

Procedure Act (APA) (5 U.S.C. 553(b)). 

This provision authorizes an agency to 

issue a rule without prior notice and 

opportunity to comment when the 

agency for good cause finds that those 

procedures are ‘‘impracticable, 

unnecessary, or contrary to the public 

interest.’’ Under 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B), the 

Coast Guard finds that good cause exists 

for not publishing a notice of proposed 

rulemaking (NPRM) with respect to this 

TIR because doing so would be 

impracticable. This revised safety zone 

must be established by October 2, 2023, 

in order to protect vessels and waterway 

users from the potential hazards 

associated with demolition operations 

on the Causton Bluff Bridge. We lack 

sufficient time to provide a reasonable 

comment period and then to consider 

those comments before issuing the rule. 

Under 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3), the Coast 

Guard finds that good cause exists for 

making this TIR effective less than 30 

days after publication in the Federal 

Register. Delaying the effective date of 

this TIR would be contrary to the 

public’s interest because we must 

ensure the protection of vessels and 

waterway users during the demolition 

operations. 

We are soliciting comments on this 

rulemaking. If we determine that 

changes to this rulemaking action are 

necessary, the Coast Guard will consider 

comments received in a subsequent TIR 

or temporary final rule. 

III. Legal Authority and Need for Rule 

The Coast Guard is issuing this rule 

under authority in 46 U.S.C. 70034. The 

Captain of the Port Savannah (COTP) 

has determined that potential hazards 

associated with the demolition 

operations of the Causton Bluff Bridge. 

This rule is needed to protect personnel, 

vessels, and the marine environment in 

the navigable waters within the safety 

zone while the demolition project 

continues. 

IV. Discussion of Comments, Changes 

and the Rule 

As noted above, we received 23 

comment submissions on our TIR that 

published in the Federal Register on 

September 15, 2023. The commenters 

expressed concerns regarding the timing 

and duration of the demolition 

operations, the restrictions on daylight 

hour transit for recreational and 

commercial vessel traffic and related 

economic impacts, potential dangers to 

recreational vessels in the designated 

anchorage area during tropical storms 

and hurricanes, and the Coast Guard’s 

notification process. These concerns are 

discussed below. 

Several commenters expressed 

concerns about the timing of the 

demolition project, particularly about 

scheduling the work during peak 

‘‘snowbird’’ season, when seasonal 

recreational boaters transit from 

northern states to warmer southern 

states, and the economic impact on 

recreational vessel owners, along with 

other economic impacts to shoreside 

docks and marinas. 

The project sponsor and the Coast 

Guard are unable to further delay the 

project, as proposed by the commenters 

because of restrictions related to the 

Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) 3

and related Georgia State regulations. 

The project location coincides with the 

habitat of the Atlantic sturgeon and 

shortnose sturgeon, which are protected 

as an Endangered species by the Federal 

ESA. The National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 3, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 67951 

and Georgia State regulations prevent 

in-water work, which would be required 

for this project, from December 1 

through April 30, which is the 

combined spawning migration season 

for the Atlantic sturgeon and the 

shortnose sturgeon. Therefore, the 

bridge project must occur before that 

date. 

Several commenters expressed 

concerns about restrictions on daylight 

hour transit for recreational and 

commercial vessel traffic through the 

safety zone, and where particularly 

concerned with congestion and delays 

transiting the waterway, limits of 

designated anchorage areas where 

vessels may safely wait for vessel traffic 

to clear, and challenges of navigating 

the safety zone at night. The Coast 

Guard is taking significant actions to 

minimize, to the extent possible, the 

impact on commercial and recreational 

waterway use. The restrictions on vessel 

traffic through the safety zone is 

intended to facilitate the performance of 

the demolition project, mitigate the 

dangers associated with the project, and 

to protect personnel, vessels, and the 

marine environment in these navigable 

waters while the demolition project 

continues. To address this concern, the 

Coast Guard has modified the 

enforcement period to allow three hours 

a day for vessels to transit during 

daylight. 

Two commenters inquired about the 

dangers tropical storms and hurricanes 

would pose to the temporary safety 

zone. The COTP Savannah has the 

authority to enact swift and detailed 

requirements during tropical storms and 

hurricanes to safeguard the safety of all 

vessel traffic and ensure the safe transit 

of the waterway. 

Several commenters expressed 

concerns about prior notice. In section 

II. Background Information and 

Regulatory History, the Coast Guard 

explains its legal basis for issuing this 

TIR without prior notice and 

opportunity to comment pursuant to 

authority under section 4(a) of the APA 

(5 U.S.C. 553(b)). The Coast Guard has 

the authority to publish TIRs to address 

situations like this. At all times we were 

acting within the scope of authority and 

are making the changes here to address 

this concern. 

Demolition operations will take place 

Monday through Sunday during 

daylight hours. Periodically while the 

safety zone is implemented, all vessel 

traffic will be permitted as reflected in 

Table 1 below. Notwithstanding the 

below table, all commercial traffic, with 

width clearances greater than 40 feet 

will be permitted passage outside the 

prescribed windows listed in Table 1 

below with prior coordination with the 

demolition project contractor. 

TABLE 1 

Open times Width clearance 

limitations 

10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m Vessels 40 feet or less. 

12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m ... No limitations. 

4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m ..... Vessels 40 feet or less. 

7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m ..... No limitations. 

The existing safety zone in 33 CFR 

165.T07–0466 is being revised to 

include Table 1 in the regulatory text. 

No further changes are being made to 

the safety zone regulations. 

The duration of the revised safety 

zone is intended to protect personnel, 

vessels, and the marine environment in 

these navigable waters while the 

demolition project continues. No vessel 

or person will be permitted to enter the 

safety zone without obtaining 

permission from the COTP or a 

designated representative. 

V. Regulatory Analyses 

We developed this rule after 

considering numerous statutes and 

Executive orders related to rulemaking. 

Below we summarize our analyses 

based on a number of these statutes and 

Executive orders, and we discuss First 

Amendment rights of protestors. 

A. Regulatory Planning and Review 

Executive Orders 12866 and 13563 

direct agencies to assess the costs and 

benefits of available regulatory 

alternatives and, if regulation is 

necessary, to select regulatory 

approaches that maximize net benefits. 

This rule has not been designated a 

‘‘significant regulatory action,’’ under 

section 3(f) of Executive Order 12866, as 

amended by Executive Order 14094 

(Modernizing Regulatory Review). 

Accordingly, this rule has not been 

reviewed by the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB). 

This regulatory action determination 

is based on the size, location, and 

duration of the safety zone. The 

duration of the zone is intended to 

ensure the safety of vessels through the 

duration of the vessel’s inbound and 

outbound transit and offload. Moreover, 

the Coast Guard will issue a Broadcast 

Notice to Mariners via VHF–FM marine 

channel 16 about the zone, and the rule 

would allow vessels to seek permission 

to enter the zone. 

B. Impact on Small Entities 

The Regulatory Flexibility Act of 

1980, 5 U.S.C. 601–612, as amended, 

requires Federal agencies to consider 

the potential impact of regulations on 

small entities during rulemaking. The 

term ‘‘small entities’’ comprises small 

businesses, not-for-profit organizations 

that are independently owned and 

operated and are not dominant in their 

fields, and governmental jurisdictions 

with populations of less than 50,000. 

The Coast Guard certifies under 5 U.S.C. 

605(b) that this rule will not have a 

significant economic impact on a 

substantial number of small entities. 

While some owners or operators of 

vessels intending to transit the safety 

zone may be small entities, for the 

reasons stated in section V.A above, this 

rule will not have a significant 

economic impact on any vessel owner 

or operator. 

Under section 213(a) of the Small 

Business Regulatory Enforcement 

Fairness Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104–121), 

we want to assist small entities in 

understanding this rule. If the rule 

would affect your small business, 

organization, or governmental 

jurisdiction and you have questions 

concerning its provisions or options for 

compliance, please call or email the 

person listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section. 

Small businesses may send comments 

on the actions of Federal employees 

who enforce, or otherwise determine 

compliance with, Federal regulations to 

the Small Business and Agriculture 

Regulatory Enforcement Ombudsman 

and the Regional Small Business 

Regulatory Fairness Boards. The 

Ombudsman evaluates these actions 

annually and rates each agency’s 

responsiveness to small business. If you 

wish to comment on actions by 

employees of the Coast Guard, call 1– 

888–REG–FAIR (1–888–734–3247). The 

Coast Guard will not retaliate against 

small entities that question or complain 

about this rule or any policy or action 

of the Coast Guard. 

C. Collection of Information 

This rule will not call for a new 

collection of information under the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 

U.S.C. 3501–3520). 

D. Federalism and Indian Tribal 

Governments 

A rule has implications for federalism 

under Executive Order 13132, 

Federalism, if it has a substantial direct 

effect on the States, on the relationship 

between the National Government and 

the States, or on the distribution of 

power and responsibilities among the 

various levels of government. We have 

analyzed this rule under that Order and 

have determined that it is consistent 

with the fundamental federalism 

principles and preemption requirements 

described in Executive Order 13132. 


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Also, this rule does not have tribal 

implications under Executive Order 

13175, Consultation and Coordination 

with Indian Tribal Governments, 

because it does not have a substantial 

direct effect on one or more Indian 

tribes, on the relationship between the 

Federal Government and Indian tribes, 

or on the distribution of power and 

responsibilities between the Federal 

Government and Indian tribes. 

E. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act 

of 1995 (2 U.S.C. 1531–1538) requires 

Federal agencies to assess the effects of 

their discretionary regulatory actions. In 

particular, the Act addresses actions 

that may result in the expenditure by a 

State, local, or tribal government, in the 

aggregate, or by the private sector of 

$100,000,000 (adjusted for inflation) or 

more in any one year. Though this rule 

will not result in such an expenditure, 

we do discuss the effects of this rule 

elsewhere in this preamble. 

F. Environment 

We have analyzed this rule under 

Department of Homeland Security 

Directive 023–01, Rev. 1, associated 

implementing instructions, and 

Environmental Planning COMDTINST 

5090.1 (series), which guide the Coast 

Guard in complying with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321–4370f), and have 

determined that this action is one of a 

category of actions that do not 

individually or cumulatively have a 

significant effect on the human 

environment. This rule involves a safety 

zone lasting several hours daily that 

would prohibit entry within 300 yards 

of the Causton Bluff Bridge. The zone 

will prohibit entry while in effect. It is 

categorically excluded from further 

review under paragraph L60(a)of 

Appendix A, Table 1 of DHS Instruction 

Manual 023–01–001–01, Rev. 1. A 

Record of Environmental Consideration 

supporting this determination is 

available in the docket. For instructions 

on locating the docket, see the 

ADDRESSES section of this preamble. We 

seek any comments or information that 

may lead to the discovery of a 

significant environmental impact from 

this rule. 

G. Protest Activities 

The Coast Guard respects the First 

Amendment rights of protesters. 

Protesters are asked to call or email the 

person listed in the FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT section to 

coordinate protest activities so that your 

message can be received without 

jeopardizing the safety or security of 

people, places, or vessels. 

VI. Public Participation and Request for 

Comments 

We view public participation as 

essential to effective rulemaking and 

will consider all comments and material 

received during the comment period. 

Your comment can help shape the 

outcome of this rulemaking. If you 

submit a comment, please include the 

docket number for this rulemaking, 

indicate the specific section of this 

document to which each comment 

applies, and provide a reason for each 

suggestion or recommendation. 

Submitting comments. We encourage 

you to submit comments through the 

Federal Decision-Making Portal at 

https://www.regulations.gov. To do so, 

go to https://www.regulations.gov, type 

USCG–2023–0466 in the search box and 

click ‘‘Search.’’ Next, look for this 

document in the Search Results column, 

and click on it. Then click on the 

Comment option. If you cannot submit 

your material by using https://

www.regulations.gov, call or email the 

person in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section of this rule for alternate 

instructions. 

Viewing material in docket. To view 

documents mentioned in this rule as 

being available in the docket, find the 

docket as described in the previous 

paragraph, and then select ‘‘Supporting 

& Related Material’’ in the Document 

Type column. Public comments will 

also be placed in our online docket and 

can be viewed by following instructions 

on the https://www.regulations.gov. 

Frequently Asked Questions web page. 

Also, if you click on the Dockets tab and 

then the rule, you should see a 

‘‘Subscribe’’ option for email alerts. The 

option will notify you when comments 

are posted, or a final rule is published. 

We review all comments received, but 

we will only post comments that 

address the topic of the rule. We may 

choose not to post off-topic, 

inappropriate, or duplicate comments 

that we receive. 

Personal information. We accept 

anonymous comments. Comments we 

post to https://www.regulations.gov will 

include any personal information you 

have provided. For more about privacy 

and submissions to the docket in 

response to this document, see DHS’s 

eRulemaking System of Records notice 

(85 FR 14226, March 11, 2020). 

List of Subjects in 33 CFR Part 165 

Harbors, Marine safety, Navigation 

(water), Reporting and recordkeeping 

requirements, Security measures, 

Waterways 

For the reasons discussed in the 

preamble, the Coast Guard amends 33 

CFR 165 as follows: 

PART 165—REGULATED NAVIGATION 

AREAS AND LIMITED ACCESS AREAS 

■ 1. The authority citation for part 165 

continues to read as follows: 

Authority: 46 U.S.C. 70034, 70051; 33 CFR 

1.05–1, 6.04–1, 6.04–6, and 160.5; 

Department of Homeland Security Delegation 

No. 00170.1, Revision No. 01.3. 

■ 2. Revise § 165.T07–0466 to read as 

follows: 

§ 165.T07–0466 Safety Zone; Wilmington 

River, Savannah, GA. 

(a) Location. All navigable waters, 

from surface to bottom, of the 

Wilmington River within a 300-yard 

radius of position: 32°3.73′ N, 81°1.78′ 

W in the vicinity of the Causton Bluff 

Bridge, Savannah, GA. 

(b) Definitions. As used in this 

section, designated representative 

means a Coast Guard Patrol 

Commander, including a Coast Guard 

coxswain, petty officer, or other officer 

operating a Coast Guard vessel and a 

Federal, State, and local officer 

designated by or assisting the Captain of 

the Port Savannah (COTP) in the 

enforcement of the safety zone. 

(c) Regulations. (1) Under the general 

safety zone regulations in subpart C of 

this part, you may not enter the safety 

zone described in paragraph (a) of this 

section unless authorized by the COTP 

or the COTP’s designated representative. 

(2) To seek permission to enter, 

contact the COTP or the COTP’s 

representative by calling (912) 247– 

0073. Those in the safety zone must 

comply with all lawful orders or 

directions given to them by the COTP or 

the COTP’s designated representative. 

(d) Enforcement periods. The safety 

zone in paragraph (a) of this section is 

in effect from 12:01 a.m. on October 2, 

2023, through 11:59 p.m. on November 

30, 2023. This section will be subject to 

enforcement periodically during 

daylight hours as needed by the project 

manager to safely remove all remaining 

bridge structural components. The 

approximate enforcement schedule is 

reflected in Table 1 to § 165.T07–0466. 

Mariners will be informed of enforced 

zone and enforcement periods by 

Broadcast Notice to Mariners and the 

presence of Myrick Marine’s safety boat 

on scene during working hours. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 190 / Tuesday, October 3, 2023 / Rules and Regulations 67953 

TABLE 1 TO § 165.T07–0466 

Open times Width clearance 

limitations 

10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m Vessels 40 feet or less. 

12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m ... No limitations. 

4:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m ..... Vessels 40 feet or less. 

7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m ..... No limitations. 

Dated: September 27, 2023. 

Nathaniel L. Robinson, 

Commander, U.S. Coast Guard, Captain of 

the Port, Savannah, GA. 

[FR Doc. 2023–21730 Filed 10–2–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–04–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

34 CFR Chapter III 

[ED–2023–OSERS–0175] 

Proposed Waiver and Extension of the 

Project Period with Funding for 

Rehabilitation Long-Term Training 

Grants 

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and 

Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), 

Department of Education. 

ACTION: Proposed waiver and extension 

of project period with funding. 

SUMMARY: The Secretary proposes to 

waive the requirements in the Education 

Department General Administrative 

Regulations that generally prohibit 

project periods exceeding five years and 

project period extensions involving the 

obligation of additional Federal funds. 

The proposed waiver and extension 

would enable 51 projects under 

Assistance Listing Numbers (ALN) 

84.129B, 84.129H, 84.129P, and 

84.129Q to receive funding for an 

additional period, not to exceed 

September 30, 2025. 

DATES: We must receive your comments 

on or before November 2, 2023. 

ADDRESSES: Comments must be 

submitted via the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal at www.regulations.gov. However, 

if you require an accommodation or 

cannot otherwise submit your 

comments via www.regulations.gov, 

please contact the program contact 

person listed under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. The Department 

will not accept comments submitted 

after the comment period. To ensure 

that we do not receive duplicate copies, 

please submit your comments only 

once. In addition, please include the 

Docket ID at the top of your comments. 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

www.regulations.gov to submit your 

comments electronically. Information 

on using Regulations.gov, including 

instructions for accessing agency 

documents, submitting comments, and 

viewing the docket, is available on the 

site under ‘‘FAQ.’’ 

Privacy Note: OSERS’s policy is 

generally to make comments received 

from members of the public available for 

public viewing in their entirety on the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal at 

www.regulations.gov. Therefore, 

commenters should be careful to 

include in their comments only 

information that they wish to make 

publicly available. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Karen Holliday Young, U.S. Department 

of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue 

SW, room 4A111, Washington, DC 

20202. Telephone: 202–245–7318. 

Email: Karen.Holliday@ed.gov. 

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or 

have a speech disability and wish to 

access telecommunications relay 

services, please dial 7–1–1. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Invitation to Comment: We invite you 

to submit comments regarding this 

proposed waiver and extension. To 

ensure that your comments have 

maximum effect in developing the 

notice of final waiver and extension, we 

urge you to identify clearly the specific 

grantee or grantees (listed in the table 

under the Background section) that each 

comment addresses. 

We invite you to assist us in 

complying with the specific 

requirements of Executive Orders 

12866, 13563, and 14094 and their 

overall requirement of reducing 

regulatory burden that might result from 

these proposed waivers and extensions. 

Please let us know of any further ways 

we could reduce potential costs or 

increase potential benefits while 

preserving the effective and efficient 

administration of the program. 

During and after the comment period, 

you may inspect public comments about 

this proposed waiver and extension of 

the project period by accessing 

Regulations.gov. 

Assistance to Individuals with 

Disabilities in Reviewing the 

Rulemaking Record: On request, we will 

provide an appropriate accommodation 

or auxiliary aid to an individual with a 

disability who needs assistance to 

review the comments or other 

documents in the public rulemaking 

record for this proposed waiver and 

extension. If you want to schedule an 

appointment for this type of aid, please 

contact the person listed under FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. 

Background: 

On July 5, 2019, the Department of 

Education (Department) published in 

the Federal Register (84 FR 32144) a 

notice inviting applications in four 

specialty areas of the Rehabilitation 

Long-Term Training program. 

Applications specifically were sought 

under Assistance Listing Number (ALN) 

84.129B (Rehabilitation Counseling), 

84.129H (Rehabilitation of Individuals 

Who Are Mentally Ill), 84.129P 

(Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are 

Blind or Have Vision Impairments), and 

84.129Q (Rehabilitation of Individuals 

Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing). In 

the notice inviting applications, the 

Rehabilitation Services Administration 

included two absolute priorities and one 

invitational priority. The first absolute 

priority addressed programs leading to a 

master’s degree in rehabilitation 

counseling. The goal of this priority is 

to increase the skills of vocational 

rehabilitation counseling scholars so 

that upon successful completion they 

are prepared to effectively meet the 

needs and demands of consumers with 

disabilities and employers. The second 

absolute priority addressed programs 

leading to a master’s degree or 

certificate in one of three specialty 

areas: (1) Rehabilitation of Individuals 

Who Are Mentally Ill; (2) Specialized 

Personnel for Rehabilitation of 

Individuals Who Are Blind or Have 

Vision Impairments; and (3) 

Rehabilitation of Individuals Who Are 

Deaf or Hard of Hearing. The goal of this 

priority is to increase the skills of 

scholars in these rehabilitation specialty 

areas so that upon successful 

completion of their master’s degree or 

certificate programs they are prepared to 

effectively meet the needs and demands 

of consumers with disabilities. The 

invitational priority noted the 

Department’s interest in applications 

that demonstrate that the training to VR 

counselors includes information related 

to providing VR services to individuals 

with disabilities pursuing selfemployment, business ownership, and 

telecommuting. The funds were 

awarded to colleges and universities 

that in turn award scholarships to 

students enrolled in rehabilitation 

training programs. 

A table listing the FY 2019 grantees 

follows along with their geographical 

location. 


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