[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 197 (Friday, October 10, 1997)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 52952]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-27000]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

44 CFR Part 206


Disaster Assistance; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice of waiver.

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SUMMARY: This notice states FEMA's intent to streamline the Hazard 
Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) process by allowing States to use a 
one-time effort to apply statewide eligibility criteria to the HMGP for 
all disasters declared before April 7, 1997.

DATES: October 10, 1997.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert F. Shea, Mitigation 
Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-3619, (facsimile) (202) 646-3104.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the past, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 
(HMGP) funds were only available in counties designated as eligible by 
FEMA for Individual Assistance (IA) or Public Assistance (PA). Under 
the Stafford Act both IA and PA funds address damage or hardship 
resulting from the major disaster, but HMGP funds are intended to 
reduce the risk of future damage or hardship. As a result, FEMA has 
determined that the use of HMGP funds should not be limited only to 
counties designated as eligible for IA or PA funds. In an effort to 
streamline the HMGP, FEMA will automatically designate all counties 
within the declared State as eligible to receive HMGP funds for all 
disasters declared on or after April 7, 1997.
    In addition, FEMA has determined that States declared before this 
time should be permitted to take advantage of this policy. In order to 
ensure consistency in the availability of HMGP funds among all States 
with open disasters, FEMA is temporarily waiving its regulatory 
requirement at 44 CFR 206.40(d) that requires a State to request 
additional areas for designation within 30 days of the incident or 
declaration. Therefore, this notice makes public that States have until 
November 10, 1997, to submit to their FEMA Regional Office the open 
disasters for which they are requesting the designation of additional 
counties. For every disaster for which a State is amending the 
designated areas, States will have until February 9, 1998, or 18 months 
after the date of the disaster declaration, whichever is later, to 
submit HMGP project applications to the Regional Office.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 83.516, Disaster 
Assistance)

    Dated: October 2, 1997.
James L. Witt,
Director.
[FR Doc. 97-27000 Filed 10-9-97; 8:45 am]
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