[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 7 (Friday, January 10, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1459-1460]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-472]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is submitting a 
request for review and approval of a collection of information under 
the emergency processing procedures in the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) regulation 5 CFR 1320.13. FEMA is requesting that this 
information collection be approved by January 27, 2003. The approval 
will authorize FEMA to use the collection through July 31, 2003. FEMA 
plans to follow this emergency request with a request for a 3-year 
approval. The request will be processed under OMB's normal clearance 
procedures in accordance with the provisions of OMB regulation 5 CFR 
1320.10. To help us with the timely processing of the emergency and 
normal clearance submissions to OMB, FEMA invites the general public to 
comment on the proposed collection of information.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 404 of the Robert R. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as 
amended, authorizes Hazard Mitigation Grant Program awards to grantees 
to administer the program, which is a post-disaster program that 
contributes funds toward the cost of hazard mitigation activities in 
order to reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss or suffering 
in any area affected by a major disaster. Grantees are defined as any 
State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, or an Indian tribal government that chooses 
to act as a grantee. Subgrantees can be a State agency, local 
government, private nonprofit organization, or Indian tribal government 
to which a subgrant is awarded, and which is accountable to the grantee 
for the use of the funds provided. In addition, grantees must report 
quarterly to FEMA as to the performance and financial status of the 
grant.

Collection of Information

    Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Application and Reporting.
    Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement, with change, of a 
previously approved collection for which approval has expired.
    OMB Number: 3067-0207.
    Abstract: FEMA will use HMGP subgrant applications submitted by the 
Grantee to determine whether the Grantee's proposed use of the funds 
meets the requirements and intent of the program. The application will 
provide FEMA the required information to determine whether the 
mitigation activity proposed for funding meets eligibility criteria, 
including environmental review, and to objectively evaluate its merits. 
The eligibility reviews must be completed and approved by FEMA before a 
subgrant can be awarded and the eligible activity initiated. Grantees 
must report on a quarterly basis, certifying how the funds are being 
used and reporting on the progress of activities funded under the 
subgrant awards made to the Grantee by FEMA.
    Affected Public: State, local or tribal government, and not-for-
profit institutions.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours:

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                                                    Number of      Total                                Annual
                                       Number of    responses/   number of   Hours per response and     burden
      Type of collection forms        respondents   respondent     annual         recordkeeping       hours (A*
                                          (A)          (B)       responses                              B* C)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SF-424 (Application face sheet).....           52            1           52  2 hours...............          104
FEMA Form 20-20 Budget--Non-                   52           15          780  9.7 hours.............        7,566
 Construction.
FEMA Form 20-16, 20-16A, 20-16B, 20-           52            1           52  1 hour................           52
 16C (Summary of assurances &
 certifications).
SF LLL (lobbying disclosure)........           52            1           52  10 minutes............          8.7
Project Narrative (section 209.8(b).           52           15          780  12 hours..............        9,360
Benefit--Cost Determination.........           52           14          728  5 hours...............        3,640
Environmental Review................           52           14          728  7.5 hours.............        5,460
HMGP Desk Reference.................           52            1           52  4 hours...............          208
Property Acquisition Handbook for              52           10          520  4 hours...............        2,080
 Local Communities.

[[Page 1460]]

 
FEMA Exhibit A (deed restrictions on        1,763            1        1,763  30 minutes............        881.5
 property acquired).
OMB Circular A-94...................           52           15          780  2 hours...............        1,560
OMB Circular A-87 or A-122..........           52           15          780  2 hours...............        1,560
FEMA Form 20-17 Outlay Report and              52           15          780  17.2 hours............       13,416
 Request for Reimbursement.
FEMA Form 20-10--Financial Status              52            4          208  10.5 hours............        2,184
 Report, Quarterly Progress Report.
FEMA Form 20-18 Report of Government           52            6          312  4.2...................      1,310.4
 Property.
FEMA 20-19 Report of Unobligated               52            6          312  4 hours...............        1,248
 Balance (or substitute).
Annual Audit & Audit Trail                     52            1           52  30 hours..............         1560
 Requirements.
                                     --------------
    Total Burden for HMGP...........        1,815          145        8,523  ......................     52,198.6
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    Estimated Cost: FEMA estimates hour burden costs to be $1,246,503 
annually. The cost is based on the number of burden hours for each type 
of information collection/form, as indicated above, and the estimated 
wage rate for those individuals responsible for collecting the 
information or completing the form. FEMA assumes that urban and 
regional planners are the most likely staff to have responsibility for 
information collected and forms completed at the State level. Wage 
rates were determined using data from the Department of Labor, Bureau 
of Labor Statistics (BLS), which indicates that the median hourly 
earnings of urban and regional planners for 2000 are $23.88.
    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; (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. Submit comments to the OMB within 30 days of 
the date of this notice. To ensure that FEMA is fully aware of any 
comments or concerns that you share with OMB, please provide us with a 
copy of your comments. FEMA will continue to accept comments for 60 
days from the date of this notice.
    OMB Addressee: Interested persons should submit written comments to 
the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and 
Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503.
    FEMA Addressee: Submit written comments to Muriel B. Anderson, 
Chief, Records Management Branch, Information Resources Management 
Division, Information Technology and Services Directorate, Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Room 316, Washington, 
DC 20472.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information contact 
Deborah Ingram, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, at 
(202) 646-3856. Contact Ms. Anderson at (202) 646-2625, facsimile 
number (202) 646-3347, or e-mail address 
[email protected] for copies of the proposed collection 
of information.

    Dated: December 30, 2002.
Edward W. Kernan,
Division Director, Information Resources Management Division, 
Information Technology Services Directorate.
[FR Doc. 03-472 Filed 1-9-03; 8:45 am]
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