[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 112 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36633-36634]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-14656]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

44 CFR Part 62

RIN 3067-AD11


National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP); Assistance to Private 
Sector Property Insurers

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We (the Federal Insurance Administration) are revising the 
effective date of the Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (``the 
Arrangement'') to October 1, 2000. The Arrangement governs the duties 
and obligations of insurers that participate in the Write Your Own 
(WYO) Program of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and also 
sets forth the responsibilities of the Government to provide financial 
and technical assistance to these insurers.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward T. Pasterick, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, Federal Insurance Administration, (202) 646-3443, 
(facsimile) (202) 646-3445, or (email) [email protected]. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 21, 1999, we published in the Federal 
Register (Vol. 64, page 27705) a final rule amending the regulations of 
the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to include the revised 
Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement for 1999-2000. The Arrangement 
governs the duties and obligations of insurers participating in the 
Write Your Own (WYO) program of the NFIP and the responsibilities of 
the Government to provide financial and technical assistance to these 
insurers. The 1999-2000 Arrangement ends September 30, 2000. Except for 
the new effective date of October 1, 2000, the Arrangement for 2000-
2001 is unchanged from last year's version. (We have posted the text of 
the current Arrangement at http://www.fema.gov/nfip/wyoarr99.)
    During July 2000 we will send a copy of the offer for the 2000-2001 
Arrangement year to all private insurance companies participating under 
the current 1999-2000 Arrangement, together with related materials and 
submission instructions. Any private insurance company not currently 
participating in the WYO program but wishing to consider FEMA's offer 
for 2000-2001 may request a copy of the offer by writing: Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, ATTN: Federal Insurance Administrator, WYO 
Program, Washington, DC 20472.

Administrative Procedure Act Determination

    We are publishing this final rule without opportunity for prior 
public comment under the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 553. 
This final rule is a rule of agency procedure or practice that is 
excepted from the prior public comment requirements of Sec. 553(b). 
Except as the rule revises the

[[Page 36634]]

effective date of the Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement (``the 
Arrangement'') from October 1, 1999 to October 1, 2000, this rule makes 
no significant, substantive changes to the Arrangement between FEMA and 
the WYO companies.

National Environmental Policy Act

    The requirements of 44 CFR Part 10, Environmental Consideration, 
sec. 10.8(d)(2)(i) categorically exclude this final rule. By revising 
the effective date of the Arrangement, this rule is an administrative 
action in support of day-to-day activities. We have not prepared an 
environmental impact assessment.

Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review

    We have reviewed this final rule under the provisions of E.O. 12866 
of September 30, 1993, 58 FR 51735 and determined that it is not a 
significant regulatory action within the meaning of section 2(f) of 
that executive order. The rule only revises the effective date of the 
existing Arrangement from October 1, 1999 to October 1, 2000, and makes 
no other changes to the Arrangement. In all other respects the rule 
adheres to the regulatory principles set forth in E.O. 12866. The 
Office of Management and Budget has reviewed this final rule under E.O. 
12866.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    In accordance with the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
approved the collections of information applicable to this final rule: 
OMB Number 3067-0169, Write Your Own (WYO) Program (expires March 31, 
2002).

Executive Order 13132, Federalism

    We have reviewed this rule under the provisions of under E.O. 
13132, Federalism, dated August 4,1999, and have concluded that 
revision of the effective date of the Arrangement involves no policies 
that have federalism implications.

Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking

    We have sent this final rule to the Congress and to the General 
Accounting Office under the Congressional Review of Agency Rulemaking 
Act, Pub. L. 104-121. The rule is not a ``major rule'' within the 
meaning of that Act. It is an administrative action in support of 
normal day-to-day activities. It does not result in nor is it likely to 
result in an annual effect on the economy of $100,000,000 or more. It 
will not result in a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, 
individual industries, Federal, State, or local government agencies, or 
geographic regions. It will not have ``significant adverse effects'' on 
competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on 
the ability of United States-based enterprises to compete with foreign-
based enterprises. This final rule is exempt from the Paperwork 
Reduction Act. The rule is not an unfunded Federal mandate within the 
meaning of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995, Pub. L. 104-4. It 
does not meet the $100,000,000 threshold of that Act, and any 
enforceable duties are imposed as a condition of Federal assistance or 
a duty arising from participation in a voluntary Federal program.

List of Subjects in 44 CFR Part 62

    Flood insurance.

    Accordingly, amend 44 CFR Part 62 as follows:

PART 62--SALE OF INSURANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF CLAIMS

    1. The authority citation for Part 62 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4001 et seq.; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 
1978, 43 FR 41943, 3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 329; E.O. 12127 of Mar. 31, 
1979, 44 FR 19367, 3 CFR, 1979 Comp., p. 376.


    2. Revise the Effective Date of Appendix A to Part 62 to read as 
follows:

Appendix A to Part 62--Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal 
Insurance Administration, Financial Assistance/Subsidy Arrangement

* * * * *
    Effective Date: October 1, 2000.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 83.100, ``Flood 
Insurance'', No. 83.516, ``Disaster Assistance'')
    Dated: June 2, 2000.
Jo Ann Howard,
Administrator, Federal Insurance Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-14656 Filed 6-8-00; 8:45 am]
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