*Purpose of Program:*                     This program provides support for planning, conducting, administering, and evaluating centers for independent living (centers) that comply with the standards and assurances in section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), consistent with the State plan for establishing a statewide network of centers. Centers are consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private nonprofit agencies that are designed and operated within local communities by individuals with disabilities and provide an array of independent living (IL) services.                

*Eligible Applicants:*                     To be eligible to apply, an applicant must—(a) be a consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private nonprofit agency as defined in 34 CFR 364.4(b); (b) have the power and authority to meet the requirements in 34 CFR 366.2(a)(1); (c) be able to plan, conduct, administer, and evaluate a center for independent living consistent with the requirements of section 725(b) and (c) of the Act and Subparts F and G of 34 CFR part 366; and (d) either— (1) not currently be receiving funds under Part C of Chapter 1 of Title VII of the Act; or (2) propose the expansion of an existing center through the establishment of a separate and complete center (except that the governing board of the existing center may serve as the governing board of the new center) in a different geographical location. Eligibility under this competition is limited to entities that meet the requirements of 34 CFR 366.24 and propose to serve areas that are unserved or underserved in the States and territories listed under Available Funds.                

*Deadline for Transmittal of Applications:*                    March 31, 2000.                

*Deadline for Intergovernmental Review:*                    May 30, 2000.                

*Applications Available:*                    February 8, 2000.                

*Available Funds:*                    $697,191 as distributed in the following manner:                

*Estimated Range of Awards:*                     $25,597-$154,046.                

*Estimated Average Size of Awards:*                    $77,466.                

*Estimated Number of Awards:*                     1 per eligible State.                

# Note:

 The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.

*Project Period:*                         Up to 60 months.                        Start Printed Page 5858

*Applicable Regulations:*                         (a) The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 85, and 86; and (b) The regulations for this program in 34 CFR parts 364 and 366.                    

*For Applications Contact:*                         Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also contact ED Pubs via its Web site                         *(http://www.ed.gov/​pubs/​edpubs.html)*                         or its E-mail address (edpubs@inet.ed.gov). If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.132A-1.                    

Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternate format by contacting the Grants and Contracts Services Team, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3317, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2550. Telephone: (202) 205-8351. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. However, the Department is not able to reproduce in an alternate format the standard forms included in the application package.

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

 Jackie Maddox, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3316, Switzer Building, Washington, DC 20202-2741. Telephone: (202) 401-3088. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

                        Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternate format (                        *e.g.,*                         Braille, large print, audio-tape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding paragraph.                    

## Electronic Access To this Document

                        You may view this document, as well as all other Department of Education documents published in the                         **Federal Register**                        , in text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at either of the following sites:                    

http://ocfo.ed.gov/​fedreg.htm

http://www.ed.gov/​news.html

To use to PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with Search, which is available free at either of the previous sites. If you have questions about using the PDF, call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.

# Note:

                             The official version of a document is the document published in the                             **Federal Register**                            . Free Internet access to the official edition of the                             **Federal Register**                             and the Code of Federal Regulations is available on GPO Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/​nara/​index.html

**Program Authority:**

29 U.S.C. 796f, 796f-1, 796f-4, and 

796f-5.

Dated: February 1, 2000.

Judith E. Heumann,

Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

[FR Doc. 00-2599  Filed 2-4-00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4001-01-M