Notice2022-25453
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; FEMA Mitigation Grant Programs
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
November 23, 2022
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentFederal Emergency Management Agency
Abstract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on an extension, with change, of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) financial and technical assistance programs; specifically, the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM), the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, BRIC Direct Technical Assistance (DTA), and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 225 (Wednesday, November 23, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71657-71659]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25453]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA-2022-0039; OMB No. 1660-0072]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; FEMA Mitigation Grant Programs
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: 60-Day notice of revision and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites
the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity
to comment on an extension, with change, of a currently approved
information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning FEMA's Hazard Mitigation
Assistance (HMA) financial and technical assistance programs;
specifically, the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program (PDM), the Building
Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, BRIC Direct
Technical Assistance (DTA), and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)
program.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before January 23, 2023.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under Docket ID FEMA-
2022-0039. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket
ID. Regardless of the method used for submitting comments or material,
all submissions will be posted, without change, to the Federal
eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>, and will include any
personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this
information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy and
Security Notice that is available via a link on the homepage of
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennie Orenstein, Branch Chief,
Policy, Tools and Training Branch, Federal Insurance and Mitigation
Administration, FEMA, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8de7e8e3e3e4e8a3eaece1e1ecffe9f4cdebe8e0eca3e9e5fea3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8ce6e9e2e2e5e9a2ebede0e0edfee8f5cceae9e1eda2e8e4ffa2ebe3fa">[email protected]</span></a> and 202-212-4071.
You may contact the Records Management Division for copies of the
proposed collection of information at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#abedeee6ea86e2c5cdc4d9c6cadfc2c4c586e8c4c7c7cec8dfc2c4c5d886e6cac5cacccec6cec5dfebcdcec6ca85cfc3d885ccc4dd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="ffb9bab2bed2b69199908d929e8b969091d2bc9093939a9c8b9690918cd2b29e919e989a929a918bbf999a929ed19b978cd1989089">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This collection of information is necessary
to implement grants for the FMA, PDM, and BRIC programs.
The FMA program is authorized pursuant to the National Flood
Insurance Act of 1968, as amended (Pub. L. 90-448, 42 U.S.C. 4104c).
FMA was created as part of the National Flood Insurance Reform Act
(NFIRA) of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-325, 42 U.S.C. 4001). The Biggert-Waters
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12), Pub. L. 112-141, 42 U.S.C.
4001) consolidated the Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) and Severe
Repetitive Loss grant (SRL) programs into FMA. Under FMA, cost-share
requirements were changed to allow more Federal funds for properties
with repetitive flood claims. The FMA program, under 44 CFR part 77
(October 1, 2021; previously under 44 CFR part 79), provides funding
for measures taken to reduce or eliminate the long-
[[Page 71658]]
term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured homes, and other
structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
PDM was authorized under Section 203 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), (Public Law 93-288,
42 U.S.C. 5133).
On August 4, 2020, FEMA established the BRIC program, implementing
section 1234 of Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) (Pub. L. 93-288, 42
U.S.C. 5121 et seq.), which amended Section 203 of the Stafford Act
(Pub. L. 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5133). The BRIC program is designed to
promote a national culture of preparedness and public safety through
encouraging investments to protect our communities and infrastructure
and through strengthening national mitigation capabilities to foster
resilience. The BRIC program seeks to fund effective and innovative
projects that will reduce risk, increase resilience, and serve as a
catalyst to encourage the whole community to invest in and adopt
policies related to mitigation.
The guiding principles of the BRIC program include (1) support
State and local governments, Tribes, and territories through
capability- and capacity-building to enable them to identify mitigation
actions and implement projects that reduce risks posed by natural
hazards; (2) encourage and enable innovation while allowing
flexibility, consistency, and effectiveness; (3) promote partnerships
and enable high-impact investments to reduce risk from natural hazards
with a focus on critical services and facilities, public
infrastructure, public safety, public health, and communities; (4)
provide a significant opportunity to reduce future losses and minimize
impacts on the Disaster Relief Fund; (5) promote equity, including by
helping members of disadvantaged groups and prioritizing 40 percent of
the benefits to disadvantaged communities as referenced in Executive
Order (E.O.) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis At Home and Abroad, (86
FR 7619, Feb. 1, 2021) which describes the Administration's Justice40
Initiative; and (6) support the adoption and enforcement of building
codes, standards, and policies that will protect the health, safety,
and general welfare of the public, taking into account future
conditions, prominently including the effects of climate change, and
have long-lasting impacts on community risk reduction, including for
critical services and facilities and for future disaster costs. The
BRIC program distributes funds annually and applies a Federal/Non-
Federal cost share. To increase transparency in decision-making while
building capability and partnerships, FEMA convenes a National Review
Panel to score subapplications based on qualitative evaluation
criteria.
The BRIC program is authorized under section 203 of the Stafford
Act to provide technical assistance for implementing predisaster hazard
mitigation measures. BRIC implements this authority by providing non-
financial DTA to eligible communities. The DTA initiative is
specifically designed to assist economically disadvantaged rural
communities, tribal entities, and Justice40 underserved communities.
The Justice40 Initiative provides guidance on implementing
environmental justice and equitable implementation of program
resources. DTA delivers hazard mitigation assistance to communities who
face resource barriers that prevent access to Hazard Mitigation grants
and other Federal assistance grants.
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.203, FEMA requires all parties
interested in receiving FEMA mitigation grants to submit an application
package for grant assistance. Applications and subapplications for BRIC
and FMA are submitted via FEMA GO. FEMA GO is the new system of record
for grants for new grant applications beginning in Fiscal Year (FY)
2020.
The Mitigation (MT) eGrants system is used to manage FY 2022 FMA
Swift Current grants, FMA annual grants awarded prior FY 2019 and Pre-
Disaster Mitigation grant program offerings. The MT eGrants system is
an intuitive, user-friendly, web-based application owned and operated
by FIMA that allows eligible applicants and subapplicants to apply for
grants and subgrants through the internet. MT eGrants is both an
internal (FEMA-facing) system and an external facing system. The FEMA
GO and MT eGrants systems were developed to meet the intent of the e-
Government initiative, authorized by Federal Financial Assistance
Management Improvement Act of 1999 (Pub. L. 106-107, 31 U.S.C. 6101).
This initiative requires that all Government agencies both streamline
grant application processes and provide for the means to electronically
create, review, and submit a grant application via the internet.
Under 2 CFR part 200 (for BRIC and PDM) and 44 CFR 77.3 (FMA),
Recipients must complete and submit progress report(s) to the FEMA
Regional Administrator on a quarterly basis, certifying how the funds
are being used and reporting on the progress of activities funded under
the subrecipient awards made to the Recipient by FEMA. The Regional
Administrator and Recipient negotiate the date for submission of the
first report.
The Benefit Cost Determination is used to collect data to evaluate
the proposed project's cost effectiveness. Mitigation projects must be
cost effective to be eligible for Hazard Mitigation Assistance funding.
Cost effectiveness is demonstrated through a FEMA-validated benefit
cost analysis. The Environmental and Historic Preservation Review is
used to collect information that is needed to ensure that a proposed
project complies with applicable environmental and historic
preservation regulations and laws. This information is collected to
assure that adverse project impact is minimized according to the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (Pub. L.
91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347); The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)
(Pub. L. 93-205, 16 U.S.C. 1531); The National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966 (Pub. L. 89-665, U.S.C. 16 U.S.C. 470); Executive Order
(E.O.) 11988, Floodplain Management, (80 FR 6530, Feb. 5, 2015)
regarding floodplains; and E.O. 11990 Protection of Wetlands (42 FR
26961, May 24, 1977) other applicable laws and executive orders. The
Project Narrative--Subgrant Application process is used to collect the
information necessary for FEMA to assess the financial needs of the
applicants, as well as the projected benefits to be obtained from the
use of grant funds for each of its mitigation grant programs. Quarterly
Progress Reports describe the status of those projects on which a final
payment of the Federal share has not been made to the Recipient and
identify problems or circumstances expected to result in noncompliance
with the approved award conditions.
Collection of Information
Title: FEMA Mitigation Grant Programs.
Type of Information Collection: Extension, with change, of a
currently approved collection.
OMB Number: 1660-0072.
FEMA Forms: FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-151, Quarterly Progress Report;
FEMA Instruction FI-206-FY-22-102, Instructions to Recipients for
Quarterly Progress Reports for FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure
and Communities (BRIC), the Pre-Mitigation Disaster (PDM), and Flood
Mitigation Assistance (FMA); FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-155, BRIC DTA
Request; FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-158; Acknowledgement of Conditions For
[[Page 71659]]
Properties Using FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant Funds; FEMA
Form FF-206-FY-22-157, Model Deed Restriction; and FEMA Form FF-206-FY-
22-156, Model Statement of Assurances for Property Acquisition
Projects.
Abstract: The Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Flood
Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and
Communities (BRIC) programs use an automated grant application and
management system called FEMA GO. The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)
program and the FMA program also uses an automated grant application
and management system called Mitigation (MT) eGrants. The FEMA GO and
MT eGrants systems include application information needed to apply for
funding under these grant programs. FEMA uses the BRIC Panel Review
Form to solicit volunteers from State, local, Tribal governments and
Other Federal Agencies (OFA), to review applications that are routed to
the qualitative panel reviews. The volunteers will review, and score
applications based on a pre-determined scoring criteria. The PDM, FMA,
and BRIC programs will use the same FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-151
Quarterly Progress Report (QPR) Form.
Affected Public: State, local or Tribal governments.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 617.
Estimated Number of Responses: 17,249.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 97,858.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $5,914,144.
Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.
Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: $0.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $7,739,695.
Comments
Comments may be submitted as indicated in the ADDRESSES caption
above. Comments are solicited to (a) evaluate whether the proposed data
collection is necessary for the proper performance of the agency,
including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b)
evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the
proposed collection of information, including the validity of the
methodology and assumptions used; (c) enhance the quality, utility, and
clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) minimize the burden
of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including
through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or
other technological collection techniques or other forms of information
technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses.
Millicent Brown Wilson,
Records Management Branch Chief, Office of the Chief Administrative
Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency,
Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2022-25453 Filed 11-22-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-BW-P
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