Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 25 / Wednesday, February 7, 2007 / Notices 5681 

automated, electronic, mechanical, or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other forms of information 

technology, e.g., permitting electronic 

submissions of responses. 

Comments 

A 60-day public comment Notice was 

published in the Federal Register on 

Thursday, November 9, 2006. This 

comment period ended January 8, 2007. 

No public comments were received from 

this notice. 

Description: The Corporation is 

seeking approval of the Application 

Instructions for State Administrative 

Funds, Program Development 

Assistance and Training, and Disability 

Placement which will be used by state 

commissions to apply for funds to 

support activities related to 

administration, training, and access for 

people with disabilities. 

Type of Review: Renewal. 

Agency: Corporation for National and 

Community Service. 

Title: Application Instructions for 

State Administrative Funds, Program 

Development Assistance and Training, 

and Disability Placement. 

OMB Number: 3049–0099. 

Agency Number: None. 

Affected Public: State commissions. 

Total Respondents: 54. 

Frequency: Every three (3) years. 

Average Time Per Response: 24 hours. 

Estimated Total Burden Hours: 1296 

hours. 

Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): 

None. 

Total Burden Cost (operating/ 

maintenance): None. 

Dated: February 2, 2007. 

Kristin McSwain, 

Director, AmeriCorps State and National. 

[FR Doc. E7–2033 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6050–$$–P 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Advisory Committee on Student 

Financial Assistance: Hearing 

AGENCY: Advisory Committee on 

Student Financial Assistance, 

Education. 

ACTION: Notice of upcoming hearing. 

SUMMARY: This notice sets forth the 

schedule and proposed agenda of a 

forthcoming hearing of the Advisory 

Committee on Student Financial 

Assistance (The Advisory Committee). 

Individuals who will need 

accommodations for a disability in order 

to attend the hearing (i.e., interpreting 

services, assistive listening devices, 

and/or materials in alternative format) 

should notify the Advisory Committee 

no later than Monday, February 26, 

2007, by contacting Ms. Hope Gray at 

(202) 219–2099 or via e-mail at 

Hope.Gray@ed.gov. We will attempt to 

meet requests after this date, but cannot 

guarantee availability of the requested 

accommodation. The hearing site is 

accessible to individuals with 

disabilities. This notice also describes 

the functions of the Advisory 

Committee. Notice of this hearing is 

required under Section 10(a)(2) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act. This 

document is intended to notify the 

general public. 

DATE AND TIME: Monday, March 5, 2007, 

beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 

approximately 3 p.m. 

ADDRESSES: College of the Canyons, 

Performing Arts Center, 26455 Rockwell 

Canyon Road, Santa Clarita, California 

91355. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. 

Erin B. Renner, Director of Government 

Relations or Ms. Julie J. Johnson, 

Assistant Director, Advisory Committee 

on Student Financial Assistance, 

Capitol Place, 80 F Street, NW., Suite 

413, Washington, DC 20202–7582, (202) 

219–2099. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Advisory Committee on Student 

Financial Assistance is established 

under Section 491 of the Higher 

Education Act of 1965 as amended by 

Public Law 100–50 (20 U.S.C. 1098). 

The Advisory Committee serves as an 

independent source of advice and 

counsel to the Congress and the 

Secretary of Education on student 

financial aid policy. Since its inception, 

the congressional mandate requires the 

Advisory Committee to conduct 

objective, nonpartisan, and independent 

analyses on important aspects of the 

student assistance programs under Title 

IV of the Higher Education Act, and to 

make recommendations that will result 

in the maintenance of access to 

postsecondary education for low- and 

middle-income students. In addition, 

Congress expanded the Advisory 

Committee’s mission in the Higher 

Education Amendments of 1998 to 

include several important areas; Access, 

Title IV modernization, distance 

education, and early information and 

needs assessment. Specifically, the 

Advisory Committee is to review, 

monitor and evaluate the Department of 

Education’s progress in these areas and 

report recommended improvements to 

Congress and the Secretary. 

The Advisory Committee has 

scheduled the hearing on Monday, 

March 5 in Santa Clarita, CA to conduct 

activities related to its congressionally 

requested study to make textbooks more 

affordable (Textbook Study). This oneyear study, which was requested by the 

U.S. House of Representatives 

Committee on Education and Labor 

(formerly Education and the Workforce), 

will investigate further the problem of 

rising textbook prices; determine the 

impact of rising textbook prices on 

students’ ability to afford a 

postsecondary education; and make 

recommendations to Congress, the 

Secretary, and other stakeholders on 

what can be done to make textbooks 

more affordable for students. Over the 

course of the study, the Committee will 

conduct three field hearings that will 

include testimony from stakeholders 

around the country who are currently 

working to make textbooks more 

affordable for students. 

The proposed agenda includes expert 

testimony and discussions by prominent 

higher education community leaders, 

state representatives, and institutions 

that will share what they are doing to 

make textbooks more affordable for 

students. The Advisory Committee will 

also conduct a public comment and 

discussion session. 

The Advisory Committee invites the 

public to submit written comments on 

the Textbook Study to the following email address: ACSFA@ed.gov. 

Information regarding the Textbook 

Study will also be available on the 

Advisory Committee’s Web site, http:// 

www.ed.gov/ACSFA. To be included in 

the hearing materials, we must receive 

your comments on or before Monday, 

February 26, 2007; additional comments 

should be provided to the Committee no 

later than April 9, 2007. 

Space for the hearing is limited and 

you are encouraged to register early if 

you plan to attend. You may register by 

sending an e-mail to the following 

address: ACSFA@ed.gov or 

Tracy.Deanna.Jones@ed.gov. Please 

include your name, title, affiliation, 

complete address (including internet 

and e-mail address, if available), and 

telephone and fax numbers. If you are 

unable to register electronically, you 

may fax your registration information to 

the Advisory Committee staff office at 

(202) 219–3032. You may also contact 

the Advisory Committee staff directly at 

(202) 219–2099. The registration 

deadline is Friday, February 23, 2007. 

Records are kept for Advisory 

Committee proceedings, and are 

available for inspection at the Office of 

the Advisory Committee on Student 

Financial Assistance, Capitol Place, 80 F 

Street, NW.—Suite 413, Washington, 

DC, from the hours of 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Monday through Friday, except Federal 

holidays. Information regarding the 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES
5682 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 25 / Wednesday, February 7, 2007 / Notices 

Advisory Committee is available on the 

Committee’s Web site, www.ed.gov/ 

ACSFA. 

Dated: February 1, 2007. 

Dr. William J. Goggin, 

Executive Director, Advisory Committee on 

Student Financial Assistance. 

[FR Doc. 07–531 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–M 

ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

Information Collection Activity; Study 

of Voter Hotlines Operated by Election 

Offices 

AGENCY: U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC). 

ACTION: Notice; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The EAC, as part of its 

continuing effort to reduce paperwork 

and respondent burden in accordance 

with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on a proposed 

information collection. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information shall have 

practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the 

agency’s estimate of the burden of the 

proposed information collection, 

including the validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the information collection on 

respondents. Comments submitted in 

response to this notice will be 

summarized and/or included in the 

request for OMB approval of this 

information collection; they also will 

become a matter of public record. 

DATES: Written comments must be 

submitted on or before April 6, 2007. 

ADDRESSES: Submit comments and 

recommendations on the proposed 

information collection in writing to the 

U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 

1225 New York Avenue, NW., Suite 

1100, Washington, DC 20005, ATTN: 

Ms. Laiza N. Otero (or via the Internet 

at lotero@eac.gov). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To 

request more information on this 

proposed information collection or to 

obtain a copy of the survey instrument, 

please, write to the above address or call 

Ms. Laiza N. Otero at (202) 566–3100. 

You may also view the proposed 

collection instrument by visiting our 

Web site at www.eac.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Study of Voter Hotlines 

Operated by Election Offices. 

OMB Number: Pending. 

Type of Review: Regular submission. 

Needs and Uses: Section 241(b)(9) of 

the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) 

requires the U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission (EAC) to periodically study 

election administration issues, 

including methods of educating voters 

about the process of registering to vote 

and voting, the operation of voting 

mechanisms, the location of polling 

places, and all other aspects of 

participating in elections. Furthermore, 

Section 245(a)(2)(C) of HAVA indicates 

that the EAC may investigate the impact 

new communications or Internet 

technology systems used in the electoral 

process could have on voter 

participation rates, voter education, and 

public accessibility. In 2005, the EAC 

undertook a research study of voter 

hotline data available online to 

determine trends. At the time a voter 

hotline was defined as a toll-free line 

that connects voters with elections 

offices, which then disseminate 

information and educate voters. The 

EAC found several hotlines in operation 

during the 2004 Presidential election, 

and their sponsorship and capabilities 

varied to a great degree. To build on and 

augment these research findings, the 

EAC wishes to conduct a study to 

determine the current state of voter 

information hotlines that are operated 

by Federal, State, and local election 

offices. The definition of voter hotline 

has been broadened to include data 

from government agencies that employ 

non-toll free interactive phone systems 

to provide services to voters and 

pollworkers and to receive information 

from callers. 

Affected Public: Federal, State, and 

local election offices. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

6,500. 

Responses per Respondent: 1. 

Estimated Burden per Response: 1 

hour. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 6,500 hours. 

Information will be collected through 

a survey of existing hotline services 

operated by Federal, State, and local 

government agencies and election 

offices during the 2006 primary and 

general elections. The data collected 

will include information on voter 

hotlines operated by election offices and 

their features, including, but not limited 

to: 

1. Basic Information. Hotline hours of 

operation, type of information available 

through the hotline, automated or nonautomated service, links to other 

sources of voting information. 

2. Costs. Breakdown of cost based on 

volume, cost of database maintenance 

per record, and all personnel and 

administrative costs of the service. 

3. Features. Important factors include, 

but are not limited to: (1) Languages 

used, (2) disability-compliant features, 

(3) touch tone and voice services, (4) 

voice response options, and (5) ability 

for interactivity with additional 

databases (for example interactivity 

with a voter registration database). 

4. Network Capacity. Number of calls 

capable of being routed per hour and the 

number of incoming calls that can be 

received. 

5. Call Tracking. How calls are logged 

or tracked, how they are routed, and the 

types or categories of calls received. 

6. Hotline personnel. Number of 

hotline operators and methods by which 

hotline operators are trained, the 

frequency of their training and how they 

are monitored for accuracy, currency, 

security, and other critical performance 

variables. 

7. Methods by which the network 

operator maintains the accuracy and 

currency of the data. Important factors 

include, but are not limited to how 

reqularly updates are made and qualitycontrol procedures. 

8. Maintenance agreements with 

service providers. Percentage of hotlines 

that outsource all or part of the Hotline, 

and experiences working with 

contractors? 

9. Timelines for database creation, 

contractor integration, and final testing 

before launch. 

10. Security measures to ensure that 

data in the call-routing network is 

confidential. 

11. Other information such as: Who 

the intended audience is; demographic, 

political and socioeconomic information 

of the community served; cost of 

publicizing the service and effectiveness 

of various publicity methods; and 

lessons learned. 

A report on the key findings of the 

study, along with recommendations for 

the development and implementation of 

voter hotlines, will be made available to 

election officials and the public at the 

conclusion of this effort. The report will 

include a state-by-state compendium of 

the existing voter hotlines and their 

features. The report will be made 

available on the EAC Web site at 

http://www.eac.gov. 

Thomas R. Wilkey, 

Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance 

Commission. 

[FR Doc. 07–533 Filed 2–6–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6820–KF–M 


sroberts on PROD1PC70 with NOTICES