[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 110 (Wednesday, June 7, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36137-36138]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14298]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

ACTION: Notice 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 and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity 
to comment on proposed new information collections. In accordance with 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), this 
notice seeks comments concerning implementation of Project Impact 
Baseline and Progress Reports in Project Impact communities. These 
reports will provide data, both narrative and quantitative, for 
assessing

[[Page 36138]]

a community's progress towards disaster resistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Congress tasked FEMA with the responsibility 
to design and implement a meaningful pre-disaster initiative that would 
reduce rapidly escalating disaster costs, and provided funding towards 
that goal. This initiative is entitled Project Impact: Building a 
Disaster Resistant Community. Congress, through the mechanism of the 
Government Performance Results Act, requires that we show that the 
money is being used effectively by establishing a systematic process of 
evaluation. The Baseline Report and subsequent Annual Progress Report 
provide a means of data collection for this objective and have been 
developed to capture the progress of a community towards disaster 
resistance in a non-disaster situation. The questions in both reports 
request information relevant to the hazards and vulnerabilities faced 
by the community. There are also questions that request information 
about damage prevention activity and public education and awareness 
activity. The requested information will not only gauge the momentum 
towards disaster resistance but will indicate success of the 
collaborative processes as well. The data collected will also be used 
as a basis for initiative development.
    The community may also use the data for their own evaluation. The 
results of the evaluation, particularly when they reflect hard work and 
accomplishment, can be publicized as a way of affirming the community's 
commitment to the initiative in the previous year. Included in the 
reports are questions about the community's insurance ratings (the 
Building Code Effectiveness Grading Scale (BCEGS) and the Community 
Rating System (CRS)). These indicators provide financial incentives, in 
the form of lower premium rates, to communities who are increasing 
their disaster resistance.

Collection of Information

    Title. Project Impact Baseline and Annual Progress Reports.
    Type of Information Collection. New.
    Abstract. The Baseline report, due only the 1st year and 60 days 
after the Signing Ceremony, is critical to provide a picture of the 
community's ability to withstand disasters at the beginning of its 
designation as a Project Impact community. It requests information 
necessary to evaluate the disaster resistant status of a community and 
should help Project Impact Communities establish their initial focus. 
The Annual Progress Report, which is due annually to FEMA for five 
years starting on the 1st anniversary of the Signing Ceremony, allows 
FEMA to assess the community's progress with respect to both national 
goals and program initiatives. It also provides an opportunity for a 
community to evaluate its own success with respect to local goals. Both 
of these data collection mechanisms provide means to measure the proper 
use of grant funding as well as data for Government Performance Results 
Act (GPRA) reporting.
    Affected Public: Completing the form will be the primary 
responsibility of the Local Government or their designee but will 
contain information about households, businesses, not for profit 
institutions, State, Local, and tribal Government.

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                                       No. of
           FEMA Forms               respondents      Frequency of  response  (B)       Hours per response  (C)      Annual burden hours  (A  x  B  x  C)
                                        (A)
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Baseline Report.................              65   One-time......................  2 Hours.......................  130 Hours
Progress Reports................             113   Annually......................  2 Hours.......................  226 Hours
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    Total.......................             178   ..............................  ..............................  356 Hours
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    Estimated Cost. $15,000.00 (Fifteen Thousand dollars).

Comments

    Written 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. 
Comments should be received within 60 days of the date of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons should submit written comments to Muriel 
B. Anderson, Chief, Record Management Branch, Program Service Division, 
Operations Support Directorates, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
500 C Street, SW, Room 316, Washington, DC 20472. Telephone number 
(202) 646-2625. FAX number (202) 646-3524, Or e-mail 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Priscilla Scruggs, Evaluation 
and Assessment Specialist, Mitigation Directorate--Project Impact, at 
(202) 646-4155 for additional information. Contact Muriel B. Anderson 
at (202) 646-2625 for copies of the proposed collection of information.

Mike Bozzelli,
Acting Director, Program Services Division, Operations Support 
Directorate.
[FR Doc. 00-14298 Filed 6-6-00; 8:45 am]
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