Notice2023-23065
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Disaster Assistance Registration
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
October 19, 2023
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 to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning changes to modernize and simplify the disaster assistance registration. The changes will reduce the burden on survivors by only requiring them to answer questions based on the type of assistance they need. This will also reduce the amount of time it takes for survivors to apply either online, or through a call center, therefore allowing call center agents to assist survivors more quickly.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 201 (Thursday, October 19, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 201 (Thursday, October 19, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72092-72094]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-23065]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID: FEMA-2023-0028; OMB No. 1660-0002]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Disaster Assistance Registration
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 to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of
a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning
changes to modernize and simplify the disaster assistance registration.
The changes will reduce the burden on survivors by only requiring them
to answer questions based on the type of assistance they need. This
will also reduce the amount of time it takes for survivors to apply
either online, or through a call center, therefore allowing call center
agents to assist survivors more quickly.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 18, 2023.
ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate submissions to the docket, please submit
comments at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> under Docket ID FEMA-2023-0028. 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
[[Page 72093]]
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: Brian Thompson, Supervisory Program
Specialist, FEMA, Recovery Directorate at 540-686-3602 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b3f1c1dad2dd9de7dbdcdec3c0dcdd85f3d5d6ded29dd7dbc09dd4dcc5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ddfeff4fcf3b3c9f5f2f0edeef2f3abddfbf8f0fcb3f9f5eeb3faf2eb">[email protected]</span></a>. You may contact the Information
Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of
information at email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#85c3c0c8c4a8ccebe3eaf7e8e4f1eceaeba8c6eae9e9e0e6f1eceaebf6a8c8e4ebe4e2e0e8e0ebf1c5e3e0e8e4abe1edf6abe2eaf3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="581e1d15197511363e372a35392c313736751b3734343d3b2c3137362b75153936393f3d353d362c183e3d3539763c302b763f372e">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and
Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) (Pub. L. 93-288, as amended)
(42 U.S.C. 5121-5207) is the legal basis for FEMA to provide financial
assistance and services to individuals who apply for disaster
assistance benefits in the event of a Presidentially-declared disaster.
Housing Assistance is a provision of the Individuals and Households
Program, authorized by section 408(c) of the Stafford Act. There are
two forms of assistance: financial and direct. Financial Housing
Assistance refers to funds provided to eligible applicants for
temporary lodging expenses, rental of temporary housing, or repair or
replacement of a damaged primary residence. Direct Temporary Housing
Assistance includes providing Temporary Housing Units through
Multifamily Lease and Repair and Direct Lease, or placing transportable
temporary housings, such as manufactured housing units and recreational
vehicles or travel trailers, on private, commercial, or group sites.
This program provides financial assistance and, if necessary,
direct assistance to eligible individuals and households who, as a
direct result of a major disaster, have necessary expenses and serious
needs that are unable to be met through other means. Individuals and
households may apply for assistance through the Registration Intake
process under the Individuals and Households Program in person, via
telephone, or the internet. FEMA provides financial assistance under
Other Needs Assistance to individuals or households affected by a major
disaster to meet disaster-related medical, dental, funeral, childcare,
personal property, transportation, moving and storage expenses, and
other necessary expenses or serious needs resulting from a major
disaster under section 408(e)(1) of the Stafford Act.
The changes to the following forms support Executive Order 14058,
Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to
Rebuild Trust in Government (86 FR 71357, December 16, 2021). The
changes will rebuild trust in the Federal Government by promoting
transparency of FEMA's Disaster Assistance application process. The
major changes will decrease the amount of time to create a new
registration and streamline the application process to create a simpler
registration progression focused on an individual's specific recovery
needs. Streamlining breaks the application process down into specific
workflows in a more user-friendly format:
FEMA Forms FF-104-FY-21-123 (formerly 009-0-1T, English) and FF-
104-FY-21-123-A (formerly 009-0-1T, Spanish), Tele-Registration
Application for Disaster Assistance are being removed due to the
addition of the ten Streamline Registration Intake workflows. The ten
workflows are: Home Damage, Personal Property Damage, Vehicle Damage,
Emergency Needs, Essential Utilities Outage, Funeral Expenses,
Childcare Expenses, Lodging Expenses, Medical or Dental Expenses, and
Expenses for Miscellaneous items (e.g., chainsaws, generators, etc.).
FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-123-FA (English), Tele-Registration, is
being removed and replaced with FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-260, Streamline
Registration Intake for Funeral Expenses, Disaster Assistance
Registration.
FEMA Forms FF-104-FY-21-123 (formerly 009-0-1T, English) and FF-
104-FY-21-123-A (formerly 009-0-1T, Spanish), Tele-Registration
Application for Disaster Assistance are being removed due to the
addition of the ten Streamline Registration Intake flows.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance will remain in FEMA Template FT-104-FY-
22-101, Request for Information (RFI)--Funeral Verification (English)
until the COVID-19 application period ends.
This collection contains the proposed changes to the disaster
application process that will reduce the time to apply for IHP
assistance. This update specifically recognizes post launch usability
and the public's responses to the changes which will also be non-
substantive throughout as the updates are not specifically content
driven. These changes will reduce the burden on survivors by only
requiring them to answer questions based on the type of assistance they
need.
In documenting all post-registration callouts, auto-dialer contacts
and subsequent collection of data, FEMA can determine whether
applicants have unmet needs, can process the applicant for financial or
direct assistance sharing the results of those contacts directly with
external stakeholders. This data is specifically used for FEMA and its
stakeholders to determine whether assistance is warranted.
The notice also includes FEMA documenting all post-registration
contacts, including callouts, casework, and auto-dialers performed for
the purpose of determining whether disaster assistance applicants have
unmet needs and may be eligible for additional assistance and/or share
the results of those contacts directly with external stakeholders, such
as state or local government partners, who can potentially assist those
same applicants with assistance or services not provided by FEMA
through specific programs directly targeted to disaster survivors.
This notice specifically recognizes post launch usability and
feedback from the public. FEMA is seeking the public's comments on
identifying ways on making this a more user-friendly collection and
more functional to meet the end users-applicants' needs. The changes in
this information collection will also be non-substantive throughout as
the updates are not specifically content driven. These changes in the
application process are, however, designed to not only reduce the
burden on the public but also reduce the administrative burden through
this modernization update.
Collection of Information
Title: Disaster Assistance Registration.
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved
information collection.
OMB Number: 1660-0002.
FEMA Forms: FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-122 (formerly 009-0-1, English),
Paper Application, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-
FY-21-122-A (formerly 009-0-2, Spanish), Solicitud en Papel, Registro
Para Asistencia De Desastre; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-123 (formerly 009-
0-1T, English), Tele-Registration, Disaster Assistance Registration;
FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-123-A (formerly 009-0-1T, Spanish), Tele-
Registration, Registro Para Asistencia De Desastre; FEMA Form FF-104-
FY-21-123-COVID-FA (English), Tele-Registration, COVID-19 Funeral
Assistance; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-125 (formerly 009-0-1Int, English),
internet, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-125-
A (formerly 009-0-2Int, Spanish), internet, Registro Para Asistencia De
Desastre; FEMA Form FF-
[[Page 72094]]
104-FY-21-127 (formerly 009-0-5, English), Manufactured Housing Unit
Revocable License and Receipt for Government Property (Revocable
License); FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-127-A (formerly 009-0-6, Spanish),
Licencia Revocable para la Unidad de Vivienda Temporera y Recibo para
el uso de Propiedad del Gobierno (Licencia Revocable); FEMA Form FF-
104-FY-21-128 (formerly 009-0-3, English), Declaration and Release;
FEMA Form FF-104-FY-21-128-A (formerly 009-0-4, Spanish), Declaracion Y
Autorizacion; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-255, Streamline Registration
Intake for Home Damage, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-
104-FY-22-256, Streamline Registration Intake for Personal Property
Damage, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-257,
Streamline Registration Intake for Vehicle Property Damage, Disaster
Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-258, Streamline
Registration Intake for Emergency Needs, Disaster Assistance
Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-259, Streamline Registration
Intake for Essential Utilities Outage, Disaster Assistance
Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-260, Streamline Registration
Intake for Funeral Expenses, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA
Form FF-104-FY-22-261, Streamline Registration Intake for Childcare
Expenses, Disaster Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-262,
Streamline Registration Intake for Lodging Expenses, Disaster
Assistance Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-263, Streamline
Registration Intake for Medical or Dental Expenses, Disaster Assistance
Registration; FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-264, Streamline Registration
Intake for Expenses for Miscellaneous Items, Disaster Assistance
Registration; FEMA Template FT-104-FY-22-101, Request for Information
(RFI)--Funeral Verification; FEMA Template FT-104-FY-22-102, Request
for Information (RFI)--Ownership Verification; FEMA Template FT-104-FY-
22-103, Request for Information (RFI)--Occupancy Verification; FEMA
Template FT-104-FY-22-104, Request for Information (RFI)--Medical,
Dental, Disability-Accessibility-Related Items.
Abstract: The forms in this collection are used to obtain pertinent
information to provide financial assistance, and if necessary, direct
assistance to eligible individuals and households who, as a direct
result of a disaster or emergency, have uninsured or under-insured,
necessary or serious expenses they are unable to meet. This revision of
a currently approved information collection will improve the
applicant's experience with the disaster assistance registration
process by providing a simpler, more intuitive interface and limiting
required responses to those needed based on their needs. These changes
will help rebuild trust in the Federal Government by promoting
transparency of FEMA's Disaster Assistance application process.
Affected Public: Individuals or households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 2,366,134.
Estimated Number of Responses: 2,366,134.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 700,954.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $30,246,167.
Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.
Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: $0.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $33,303,400.
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. 2023-23065 Filed 10-18-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-24-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.