Notice2024-00673
Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; 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
January 16, 2024
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentFederal Emergency Management Agency
Abstract
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. FEMA 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 89 Issue 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 16, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2634-2636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00673]
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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: Submission for OMB
Review; Comment Request; Disaster Assistance Registration
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland
Security.
ACTION: 30-Day notice of revision and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will submit the
information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and
Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. FEMA 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 February 15, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to <a href="http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Find this particular
information collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--
Open for Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Thompson, Supervisory Program
Specialist, FEMA, Recovery Directorate at 540-686-3602 or
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2e6c5c474f40007a4641435e5d4140186e484b434f004a465d00494158"><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#5e181b131f73173038312c333f2a373130731d3132323b3d2a3731302d73133f303f393b333b302a1e383b333f703a362d70393128"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5513101814781c3b333a273834213c3a3b78163a39393036213c3a3b267818343b34323038303b2115333038347b313d267b323a23">[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
[[Page 2635]]
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
work flows 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 added back to this
collection and will eventually be 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-COVID-FA (English), Tele-Registration,
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance is being added back to this collection and
will eventually be removed and replaced with FEMA Form FF-104-FY-22-
260, Streamline Registration Intake for Funeral Expenses, Disaster
Assistance Registration.
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.
This proposed information collection previously published in the
Federal Register on October 19, 2023, at 88 FR 72092 with a 60-day
public comment period. No public comments were received. The purpose of
this renewal is to allow public comment regarding post launch usability
for the Streamline RI implementation and to notify the public that FEMA
will submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office
of Management and Budget for review and clearance.
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-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-
[[Page 2636]]
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. 2024-00673 Filed 1-12-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-24-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on January 16, 2024.
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