[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 43 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10816-10817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5708]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

44 CFR Part 206

RIN 3067-AC72


Disaster Assistance; the Declaration Process

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Proposed rule, with request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This proposed rule would establish the financial criteria 
under which a cost-share adjustment would be granted for permanent 
restorative work and for emergency work unless otherwise adjusted, and 
caps that cost-share at 90 percent Federal. Secondly, it would phase in 
the threshold for granting cost-share adjustments to current dollars 
over a two-year period, and would allow that threshold to be adjusted 
annually for inflation.

DATES: We invite your comments, which may be submitted on or before May 
4, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please send any comments to the Rules Docket Clerk, Office 
of the General Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C 
Street SW., room 840, Washington, DC 20472, (facsimile) 202-646-4536.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patricia Stahlschmidt, Response and 
Recovery Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20472, 202-646-4066, (facsimile) 202-646-4060.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In 1985, the State of West Virginia was struck with an 
extraordinarily severe disaster (753-DR), for which a cost-share 
adjustment was granted to the normal 75 percent Federal/25 percent non-
Federal cost-share of assistance under sections 403 and 406 of the 
Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (later amended and named the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act). (For purposes 
of this rule the Disaster Relief Act and its successor are called the 
Stafford Act). That disaster had an impact of $64 dollars (of Stafford 
Act costs) per capita, based on statewide population. Since Hurricane 
Hugo in 1989, a number of extraordinary disasters have continued to 
occur throughout the United States causing significant impact to the 
local, State, and Federal governments.
    FEMA has used the precedent set in the 1985 West Virginia disaster 
as a gauge to determine when to recommend to the President that cost-
share adjustments be granted. However, in keeping with the supplemental 
nature of Federal assistance under the Stafford Act, adjustments were 
granted to the cost-share only in those rare instances when the 
disaster had an extraordinary impact.
    Since 1985, over 435 major disaster declarations have been made 
under the Stafford Act and its predecessor. Yet, only 32 cost-share 
adjustments have been granted. Moreover, since Hurricane Andrew 
occurred in 1992, there have been no cost-share adjustments for 
permanent restorative work with greater than a 90% Federal share. This 
also serves to maintain the supplemental nature of Federal disaster 
assistance, and ensures at least some level of non-Federal cost-share 
for disaster assistance.
    The purpose of this proposed rule would be two-fold. First, it 
would establish in regulation the financial criteria under which a 
cost-share adjustment could be granted for permanent restorative work 
under section 406 of the Stafford Act, and for emergency work under 
sections 403 and 407 under the Stafford Act, if not otherwise adjusted 
for the disaster, and caps that cost-share at 90 percent Federal. 
Secondly, this proposed rule would phase in the threshold for granting 
cost-share adjustments to current dollars over a two-year period, and 
would allow that threshold to be adjusted annually for inflation. Since 
1985, the threshold for granting cost-share adjustments has been $64 
per capita. In current dollars, that figure would be raised to $100 per 
capita. (Per capita costs are based on actual obligations under the 
Stafford Act only, excluding FEMA administrative costs and the non-
Federal cost-share).
    This rule would apply only to sections 403, 406, and 407 of the 
Stafford Act, which stipulate that the Federal share of assistance will 
not be less than 75 percent of the total eligible costs. The Stafford 
Act contains no provision for waiver of cost-sharing for the Individual 
and Family Grant program (section 411), the construction or site 
development costs at a manufactured home group site (section 408), or 
the Hazard Mitigation program (section 404). The Federal share of 
grants under these sections is limited by law to 75 percent of the 
total eligible costs.
    In order to retain the supplemental nature of disaster assistance, 
the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the 
Department of Labor has been applied to the 1985 $64 per capita figure 
to raise

[[Page 10817]]

that threshold to current dollars. The Consumer Price Index is also the 
measure used to adjust grants annually under the Individual and Family 
Grant Program (section 411 of the Stafford Act) and the small projects 
under the Public Assistance Program (section 422 of the Stafford Act.) 
Under this proposed rule the threshold would be $100 per capita, and 
would be adjusted annually for inflation. Since this is such a large 
increase in the threshold, the adjustment would be made over a two-year 
period. In FY 1998 the threshold would be increased by $16 dollars to 
$80 per capita statewide. Beginning October 1, 1998, the threshold 
would be increased to $100 per capita statewide, with an adjustment 
made for inflation thereafter.

National Environmental Policy Act

    This proposed rule is categorically excluded from the requirements 
of 44 CFR part 10. No environmental assessment has been prepared.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review

    This proposed rule is not a significant regulatory action within 
the meaning of section 2(f) of E.O. 12866 of September 30, 1993, 58 FR 
51735, but attempts to adhere to the regulatory principles set forth in 
E.O. 12866. The rule has not been reviewed by the Office of Management 
and Budget under E.O. 12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This proposed rule does not contain a collection of information and 
therefore is not subject to the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995.

Executive Order 12612, Federalism

    This proposed rule involves no policies that have federalism 
implications under E.O. 12612, Federalism, dated October 16, 1987.

Executive Order 12778, Civil Justice Reform

    This proposed rule meets the applicable standards of section 
2(b)(2) of E.O. 12778.

List of subjects in 44 CFR Part 206:

    Administrative practice and procedure, Disaster assistance, 
Intergovernmental relations, Reporting and record keeping requirements.

    Accordingly, 44 CFR Part 206 is proposed to be amended as follows:

PART 206 SUBPART B--THE DECLARATION PROCESS

    1. The authority citation for part 206 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency 
Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 
1978, 43 FR 41943, 3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 329; E.O. 12127, 44 FR 
19367, 3 CFR, 1979 Comp., p. 376; E.O. 12148, 44 FR 43239, 3 CFR, 
1979 Comp., p. 412; and E.O. 12673, 54 FR 12571, 3 CFR, 1989 Comp., 
p. 214.

    2. Section 206.47 is added to read as follows.


Sec. 206.47  Cost-share adjustments.

    (a) In accordance with the supplemental nature of assistance under 
the Stafford Act, and to demonstrate the fiscal responsibility of both 
State and Federal governments, a measure of non-Federal cost-sharing 
will always be retained. The standard 75 percent Federal and 25 percent 
non-Federal cost-share ratio will remain in effect for most 
Presidentially declared major disasters. For extraordinary disasters, 
the following standard will be used to evaluate whether costs under the 
Act for assistance to State and local governments should be adjusted. 
This adjustment applies to permanent restorative work under section 406 
of the Stafford Act and to emergency work under sections 403 and 407 of 
the Stafford Act unless otherwise adjusted.
    (b) Beginning in FY 1998 and effective for major disasters declared 
on or after [the effective date of the final rule] a qualifying 
threshold of $80 per capita of State population will be used where 
individual States are severely impacted by a major disaster. This 
threshold will be based on actual obligations under the Stafford Act 
only, and will exclude FEMA administrative costs and the non-Federal 
cost-share.
    (c) Beginning October 1, 1998, a qualifying threshold of $100 per 
capita of State population (as adjusted for inflation), will be used 
where individual States are severely impacted by a major disaster. 
Thereafter, this threshold will be adjusted annually for inflation 
using the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers published by the 
Department of Labor. This threshold will be based on actual obligations 
under the Stafford Act only and will exclude FEMA administrative costs 
and the non-Federal cost-share.
    (d) Where future cost-share adjustments are authorized, the Federal 
share of assistance to State and local governments for impacts to 
public and eligible private-nonprofit facilities may be increased above 
75 percent but may not be greater than 90 percent of the total eligible 
cost. One hundred percent Federal funding may be provided for direct 
Federal assistance emergency work, or for emergency work under sections 
403 and 407, as conditions warrant.

    Dated: January 13, 1998.
James L. Witt,
Director.
[FR Doc. 98-5708 Filed 3-4-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-02-P