Notice2021-18456
Notice of Public Meeting on the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 27, 2021
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentFederal Emergency Management Agency
Abstract
FEMA will hold three public meetings remotely via web conference to solicit public feedback about the National Flood Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) program. FEMA is issuing this public meeting notice to inform the public that it is seeking input on the NFIP's CRS program for the agency to consider ways to modify, streamline, and/or innovate to improve the program. These efforts aim to help FEMA ensure that the CRS program includes necessary, properly tailored, and up-to-date requirements that effectively achieve the goals of (1) reducing and avoiding flood damage to insurable property, (2) strengthening and supporting the insurance aspects of the NFIP, and (3) encouraging a comprehensive approach to floodplain management.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 164 (Friday, August 27, 2021)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 164 (Friday, August 27, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48238-48239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18456]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA-2021-0021]
Notice of Public Meeting on the National Flood Insurance
Program's Community Rating System
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
ACTION: Announcement of open public meetings.
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SUMMARY: FEMA will hold three public meetings remotely via web
conference to solicit public feedback about the National Flood
Insurance Program's (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) program. FEMA
is issuing this public meeting notice to inform the public that it is
seeking input on the NFIP's CRS program for the agency to consider ways
to modify, streamline, and/or innovate to improve the program. These
efforts aim to help FEMA ensure that the CRS program includes
necessary, properly tailored, and up-to-date requirements that
effectively achieve the goals of (1) reducing and avoiding flood damage
to insurable property, (2) strengthening and supporting the insurance
aspects of the NFIP, and (3) encouraging a comprehensive approach to
floodplain management.
DATES: Written comments in response to these public meetings may be
submitted until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on September 22, 2021.
Late-filed comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
FEMA will hold meetings on:
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. ET;
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. ET; and
Thursday, September 9, 2021 from 2:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m. ET.
Depending on the number of speakers, the meetings may end before
the time indicated, following the last call for comments.
ADDRESSES: The public meetings will be held via web conference. Members
of the public may register to attend the meetings online at the
following link: <a href="https://cgstrategy.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716294728533/WN_BTf89PgaQhOZL-TonhxNog">https://cgstrategy.zoom.us/webinar/register/6716294728533/WN_BTf89PgaQhOZL-TonhxNog</a>.
Reasonable accommodations are available for people with
disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact the person
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below as soon as
possible. Last minute requests will be accepted but may not be possible
to fulfill. Written comments related to these public meetings must be
submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov/">http://www.regulations.gov/</a>. Search for FEMA-2021-0021 and follow the
instructions for submitting comments. All written comments received,
including any personal information provided, may be posted without
alteration at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. All comments on the request
for information made during the meetings will be posted to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, Docket ID FEMA-2021-0021.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Sears, Supervisory Emergency
Management Specialist, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration,
Federal Emergency Management Agency, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0f494a424e224c5d5c22416a777b4f696a626e216b677c21686079"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="e0a6a5ada1cda3b2b3cdae859894a086858d81ce848893ce878f96">[email protected]</span></a>, 202-
212-3800.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NFIP's CRS program is a voluntary
incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain
management practices that exceed the minimum requirements of the NFIP
for floodplain management. As FEMA undertakes a series of initiatives
that will transform the NFIP, the agency is evaluating the CRS program
and its potential to support FEMA, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial community goals and needs.
FEMA is committed to obtaining public input to drive and focus
FEMA's review of the CRS program. Because Federal regulations and
policies have broad impacts on society in general, members of the
public are likely to have useful information, data, and perspectives on
the benefits and burdens of FEMA's existing programs, regulations,
information collections, and policies. Accordingly, FEMA is seeking
specific public feedback to facilitate the CRS program review and
improvement effort in the context of equity for all, include those in
underserved communities. With the increasing risk of flooding and flood
damage, in part because of climate change, it is essential that FEMA
reevaluate programs to reduce unnecessary barriers to participation and
effectiveness, to serve all communities, to increase equity, and to
promote preparedness.
As part of FEMA's review of the CRS program, we published a RFI on
Monday, August 23, 2021at 86 FR 47128. FEMA is seeking input through
this RFI on ways the agency can improve the CRS program: (1) To better
align the CRS program with the improved understanding of flood risk and
flood risk approaches that have developed since the program's
inception; (2) to better incentivize communities and policyholders to
become more resilient and to not only manage, but to lower their
vulnerability to flood risk; and (3) to support the sound financial
framework of the NFIP.
While the CRS program today has evolved, the overall approach and
framework of the program has been the same since the start of the
program. As FEMA undertakes many initiatives that will transform the
NFIP, the agency is also evaluating the CRS program and its potential
to support FEMA, State government, Tribal government, and community
goals and needs. While the agency has made incremental changes since
the CRS program's implementation, the agency is seeking input to
further improve the program through additional programmatic changes.
With the continuous learning around flood, flood risk management, and
flood risk reduction techniques, FEMA now has more information about
and understanding of multi-frequency analysis, pluvial flooding,
climate change, and the extent of flood risk outside of the SFHA. FEMA
seeks to make larger improvements within our programs based on these
developments and is now taking a holistic look at the CRS program to
determine how the program can best meet FEMA and stakeholder needs.
[[Page 48239]]
The purpose of these public meetings and the RFI is to seek
feedback on the CRS program. FEMA is holding public meetings to ensure
that all interested parties have sufficient opportunity to provide
comments on the CRS program during these meetings and the RFI to
identify those aspects of the CRS program that may benefit from
modification, streamlining, or expansion in light of FEMA's improved
understanding of flood risk and flood risk reduction approaches gained
since the initiation of the CRS program. FEMA will carefully consider
all relevant comments received during the meetings and during the RFI
comment period closing on September 22, 2021. All comments or remarks
provided on the request for information during the meetings will be
recorded and posted to the rulemaking docket on <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Deanne Criswell,
Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
[FR Doc. 2021-18456 Filed 8-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-47-P
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