Federal Register / Vol. 64, No.

144 / Wednesday, July 28, 1999 / Notices 40859

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION cost efficiencies, and improve the Would the proposed VFA encourage
availability and delivery of student standardization? How would efficiency
Federal Family Education Loan financial aid. Each VFA will be and customer satisfaction be measured?
Program developed by the Secretary, in • Inducements waiver—Include a
consultation with the agency, on a case- description of any proposed waiver of
AGENCY: Department of Education.
by-case basis, and, in accordance with the prohibited inducement restrictions
ACTION: Notice to guaranty agencies of contained in section 428(b)(3) of the
the HEA, may include provisions
invitation to participate in Voluntary HEA.
concerning—
Flexible Agreements. • The issuance of insurance on FFEL
Other Information That the Secretary
SUMMARY: The Secretary invites Federal loans;
• Monitoring FFEL insurance Will Consider
Family Education Loan (FFEL) guaranty
agencies to submit an application to commitments; Based upon an evaluation of the
participate under a Voluntary Flexible • Default aversion activities; applications received, the Secretary will
Agreement. This notice specifies the • Review of default claims from select the initial guaranty agencies with
criteria that the Secretary will use to lenders; which to negotiate VFAs. Those
select not more than six guaranty • Payment of default claims; negotiations will include:
agencies (initial guaranty agencies) that • Collection of defaulted loans; • The fees the Secretary will pay, in
• Adoption of internal systems of lieu of revenues that the agency may
will be invited to negotiate a Voluntary
accounting and auditing, and reporting otherwise receive, and other funds that
Flexible Agreement (VFA). Although the
the result thereof to the Secretary in a the agency may receive or retain under
Higher Education Act limits the
timely manner, and on an accurate, and the VFA.
Secretary to entering into not more than
auditable basis; • The use of net revenues for other
six VFAs, a guaranty agency with which
• Timely and accurate collection and activities in support of postsecondary
the Secretary has a VFA may provide
reporting of such other data as the education.
the benefits derived through that
Secretary may require to carry out the • The standards by which the
agreement to other guaranty agencies.
purposes of the Title IV programs; agency’s performance of the agency’s
The Secretary encourages a guaranty • Monitoring schools and lenders responsibilities under the VFA will be
agency submitting a VFA proposal to participating in the FFEL Program; assessed, and the consequences for an
identify, in its application, other • Informational outreach to schools agency’s failure to achieve a specified
guaranty agencies that may benefit from and students in support of access to level of performance on one or more
the agreement. In addition, a guaranty higher education; and performance standards.
agency is urged to consult with schools • Such other provisions as the • The circumstances in which an
and lenders that participate in its Secretary may determine to be necessary agency’s VFA may be ended in advance
program in developing its proposal. to protect the United States from the of its expiration date.
DEADLINE FOR TRANSMITTAL OF risk of unreasonable loss and to promote • The involvement of other
APPLICATIONS: August 27, 1999. the purposes of the FFEL Program. businesses, previously purchased or
ADDRESSES: All guaranty agencies are It is not the intent of the Secretary to developed with reserve funds, that
invited to apply. Applications may be use VFAs to redistribute market share relate to the FFEL Program, and in
sent to: Mr. George Harris, U.S. among guaranty agencies or lenders. which the Secretary permits the agency
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Accordingly, the Secretary would have to engage.
Avenue, SW., room 3045, ROB–3, serious reservations about a proposal • The uniform ability of lenders to
Washington, DC 20202–5449. If you use where a redistribution of market share participate in the agency’s program.
a telecommunications device for the appears to be the primary goal. • The ability for borrowers to select a
deaf (TDD) you may call the Federal lender of their choice, subject to the
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1– Information To Be Included With the
prohibitions and restrictions under the
800–877–8339. Application
HEA.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: An agency wishing to enter into a • Other provisions that the Secretary
VFA with the Secretary should submit may determine to be necessary to
Background a short (not to exceed 10 pages) written protect the United States from the risk
On October 7, 1998, President Clinton application that describes the substance of unreasonable loss and to promote the
signed the Higher Education of the proposal and addresses the purposes of the FFEL Program.
Amendments of 1998 (Pub. L. 105–244, following criteria:
• Transferability—Explain how the Outline of Planned Evaluation and
referred to as the ‘‘1998 Amendments’’),
agency’s proposed VFA could be Selection Process
which amended the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (the ‘‘HEA’’). The 1998 extrapolated and easily used by other The following outline identifies the
Amendments added a new section 428A FFEL participants. general sequence of activities and
to the HEA, authorizing the Secretary to • Customer/partner benefits—Explain projected target dates that will be
enter into VFAs during fiscal years how the proposal would improve the followed by the Department in
1999, 2000, and 2001 with up to six ‘‘system’’ for delivery and servicing of negotiating agreements:
guaranty agencies. Beginning in fiscal loans for borrowers and schools. What • By September 10, 1999: Evaluate
year 2002, any guaranty agency or impact would it have on delinquencies proposals received in response to this
consortium thereof may enter into a and defaults? Who would benefit from notice and invite promising candidates
VFA with the Secretary. the proposal and how? to make oral presentations to a
• New technology—Explain if and Department of Education evaluation
Scope of the VFA how the proposal uses new technology. panel. (Guaranty agencies are
A VFA incorporates and modifies the • Efficiency—Explain the impact the encouraged to include school and
guaranty agreements under sections 428 proposal would have on overall lender representatives, and other parties
(b) and (c) of the HEA, and is intended operating costs for the agency and its in support of their proposals). After the
to enhance program integrity, increase partners, including the Department. oral presentations, up to six VFA
40860 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 144 / Wednesday, July 28, 1999 / Notices

proposals will be selected for further Dated: July 22, 1999. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
development. Richard W. Riley,
• September 10 to October 1, 1999: Secretary of Education. Federal Energy Regulatory
Negotiate tentative agreements with the [FR Doc. 99–19116 Filed 7–27–99; 8:45 am] Commission
six initial agencies and publish the BILLING CODE 4000–01–P
tentative agreements on the [Docket No. CP96–152–015]
Department’s web site for two weeks.
• By November 1, 1999: Modify DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Kansas Pipeline Company; Notice of
agreements as necessary to reflect public Revised Tariff Filing
comments and notify congressional Federal Energy Regulatory
committees of proposed agreements. Commission July 22, 1999.
• December 1, 1999: Sign agreements. [Docket No. RP99–444–000] Take notice that on July 1, 1999,
If the Secretary and an initial guaranty Kansas Pipeline Company (Applicant)
agency are unable to reach agreement on Carnegie Interstate Pipeline Company; tendered for filing corrections to the
the terms and conditions of a VFA, the Notice of Proposed Changes in FERC FERC Gas Tariff, Original Volume No. 1
Secretary may select another guaranty Gas Tariff to be effective May 11, 1999.
agency with which to enter negotiations. Applicant states that the corrected
July 22, 1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Take notice that on July 19, 1999, tariff includes changes directed by the
George Harris at the address listed in the Carnegie Interstate Pipeline Company Commission’s April 2, 1999, order in
ADDRESSES section of this notice. (CIPCO), tendered for filing as part of its the above-captioned docket (87 FERC
Telephone: (202) 708–8242. FERC Gas Tariff Original Volume No. 1, ¶ 61,020 (1999)). Applicant further
Individuals with disabilities may the following tariff sheets, to be effective states that a copy of this filing is
obtain this document in an alternate August 1, 1999: available for public inspection during
format (e.g., Braille, large print, regular business hours at Applicant’s
Third Revised Sheet No. 102
audiotape, or computer diskette) on First Revised Sheet No. 105A offices located at 8325 Lenexa Drive,
request to the contact person listed in Second Revised Sheet No. 106 Lenexa 66214. Applicant indicates that
the ADDRESSES section of this notice. Second Revised Sheet No. 146 copies of this filing are being served on
Electronic Access to This Document CIPCO states that this filing is being all parties to the proceeding in Docket
made in compliance with Commission No. CP96–152.
You may view this document in text
Order No. 587–K, issued by the Any person desiring to be heard or to
or Adobe Portable Document Format
Commission on April 2, 1999. CIPCO protest this filing should file a motion
(PDF) on the Internet at the following
requests a waiver of the Commission’s to intervene or protest with the Federal
sites:
regulations to allow the filing to become Energy Regulatory Commission, 888
http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
l
effective on less than thirty-days’ notice.
First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20426,
http://ifap.ed.gov/csb html/ Any person desiring to be heard or to
in accordance with Rules 211 and 214
fedlreg.htm protest such filing should file a motion
to intervene or a protest with the of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
To use the PDF, you must have the and Procedure (18 CFR 385.211 and
Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,
888 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 385.214). Protests will be considered by
Search, which is available free at the the Commission in determining the
first of the previous sites. If you have 20426, in accordance with Sections
385.214 or 385.211 of the Commission’s appropriate action to be taken, but will
questions about using the PDF, call the not serve to make Protestants parties to
U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Rules and Regulations. All such motions
or protests must be filed in accordance the proceeding. Any person wishing to
toll free, at 1–888–293–6498; or in the
with Section 154.210 of the become a party must file a motion to
Washington, DC area at (202) 512–1530.
Commission’s Rules and Regulations. intervene. All such motions or
Note: The official version of this document Protests will be considered by the comments should be filed on or before
is the document published in the Federal Commission in determining the August 2, 1999. Copies of this filing are
Register. Free Internet access to the official appropriate action to be taken, but will on file with the Commission and are
edition of the Federal Register and the Code
not serve to make protestants parties to available for public inspection in the
of Federal Regulations is available on GPO
the proceedings. Any person wishing to Public Reference Room. This
Access at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/
index.html become a party must file a motion to application may be viewed on the
intervene. Copies of this filing are on Commission’s web site at http://
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Number 84.032 Federal Family Education
file with the Commission and are ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call 202–
Loan Program) available for public inspection in the 208–2222 for assistance).
Public Reference Room. This filing may
List of Subjects in 34 CFR Part 682 Linwood A. Watson, Jr.,
be viewed on the web at http://
www.ferc.fed.us/online/rims.htm (call Acting Secretary.
Administrative practice and
202–208–2222 for assistance). [FR Doc. 99–19222 Filed 7–27–99; 8:45 am]
procedure, Colleges and universities,
Education, Loan programs—education, Linwood A. Watson, Jr., BILLING CODE 6717–01–M

Reporting and recordkeeping Acting Secretary.