[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25010-25011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12006]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

44 CFR Part 206

RIN 3067-AC82


Extensions of the Application Period for Temporary Housing 
Assistance

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: This proposed rule would authorize the Associate Director/
Executive Associate Director for Response and Recovery to extend beyond 
the standard 60-day limit the application period for assistance 
provided under the Disaster Housing Program.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until July 6, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please send comments to the Rules Docket Clerk, Office of 
the General Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20472, (facsimile) 202-646-4536, or e:mail 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurence W. Zensinger, Response and 
Recovery Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street 
SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-3642, (facsimile) 202-646-2730.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 44 CFR 206.101(e) currently provides that 
the Regional Director may grant additional time to submit applications 
for temporary housing ``in order to achieve uniformity of application 
periods in contiguous States'' (44 CFR 206.101 (e)(1)). There are, 
however, other disaster-specific circumstances under which an extension 
of the application period would be appropriate, including when the 
volume of anticipated applicants in a catastrophic disaster cannot be 
registered within 60 days or when disaster-related damage may not be 
ascertained sooner than 60 days from the declaration date. This 
proposed rule would provide the Associate Director/Executive Associate 
Director with the authority to extend the application period for 
disaster housing assistance when circumstances warrant this measure 
and, thereby, would better serve the disaster-affected public. For 
consistency of implementation, this ad hoc authority will be given to 
the Associate Director/Executive Associate Director, Response and 
Recovery Directorate at FEMA Headquarters.

National Environmental Policy Act.

    This proposed rule would be categorically excluded from the 
requirements of 44 CFR Part 10, Environmental Consideration. No 
environmental impact assessment has been prepared.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review.

    This proposed rule would not be a significant regulatory action 
within the meaning of Sec. 2(f) of E.O. 12866 of September 30, 1993, 58 
FR 51735. To the extent possible, this proposed rule adheres to the 
regulatory principles set forth in E.O. 12866 and the Office of 
Management and Budget has not reviewed it under the provisions of E.O. 
12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act.

    This proposed rule would not contain a collection of information 
requirement as described in section 3504(h) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act.

Executive Order 12612, Federalism

    This proposed rule would not involve any policies that have 
federalism implications under E.O. 12612, Federalism, dated October 26, 
1987.

Executive Order 12778, Civil Justice Reform

    This proposed rule would meet the applicable standards of 
Sec. 2(b)(2) of E.O. 12778.

List of Subjects in 44 CFR Part 206

    Administrative practice and procedure, Disaster assistance, 
Housing.

    Accordingly, FEMA proposes to amend 44 CFR part 206 as follows:

PART 206--FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR DISASTERS DECLARED ON OR 
AFTER NOVEMBER 23, 1988

Subpart D--Temporary Housing Assistance

    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.

    Section 206.101(e)(1) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 206.101  Temporary housing assistance.

* * * * *
    (e) Applications--(1) Application period. In general, applications 
for disaster housing assistance will be the 60 days following the date 
an incident is declared a major disaster or an

[[Page 25011]]

emergency by the President. The Mortgage and Rental Assistance 
application period will be a 6-month period following the declaration. 
When warranted by disaster-specific circumstances, the Associate 
Director/Executive Associate Director may extend the application 
periods as appropriate. Applications filed after the established period 
will not be processed unless the applicant can provide justification 
for the delay in applying.
* * * * *
    Dated: April 30, 1998.
Lacy E. Suiter,
Executive Associate Director, Response and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 98-12006 Filed 5-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-02-P