[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 23, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8816-8817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-3406]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Preparedness and 
Response Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency, 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 the continuation of an information collection 
requirement. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), this notice seeks comments concerning the 
information collection outlined in 44 CFR part 71, as it pertains to 
application for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance for 
buildings located in Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS) 
communities.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA Pub. 
L. 97-3480) and the Coastal Barrier Improvement Act (CBRA Pub. L. 101-
591) are federal laws that were enacted on October 1, 1982, and 
November 16, 1990, respectively. The legislation was implemented as 
part of a Department of the Interior (DOI) initiative to preserve the 
ecological integrity of areas DOI designates as coastal barriers and 
otherwise protected areas. The laws provide this protection by 
prohibiting all federal expenditures or financial assistance including 
flood insurance for residential or commercial development in areas 
identified with the system. When an application for flood insurance is 
submitted for buildings located in CBRS communities, documentation must 
be submitted as evidence of eligibility.
    FEMA Regulation 44 CFR part 71 implements the CFRA. The information

[[Page 8817]]

collection requirement is set forth in the FEMA regulation, and the 
information provided by the affected public is used by FEMA to 
determine that a building, which is located on a designated coastal 
barrier and for which an application for flood insurance is being made, 
is neither new construction nor a substantial improvement, and is, 
therefore, eligible for NFIP coverage. If the information is not 
collected, NFIP policies would be provided for buildings, which are 
legally ineligible for it, thus exposing the Federal Government to an 
insurance liability Congress chose to limit.

Collection of Information

    Title: Implementation of Coastal Barrier Resources Act.
    Type of Information Collection: Extension of a currently approved 
collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-0010.
    Abstract: When an application for flood insurance is submitted for 
buildings located in CBRS communities, one of the following types of 
documentation must be submitted as evidence of eligibility:

--Certification from a community official stating the building is not 
located in a designated CBRS area.
--A legally valid building permit or certification from a community 
official stating that the building's start of construction date 
preceded the date that the community was identified in the system.
--Certification from the governmental body overseeing the area 
indicating that the building is used in a manner consistent with the 
purpose for which the area is protected.

    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; Federal Government; and 
State, Local or Tribal Government.
    Number of Respondents: 60.
    Frequency of Response: One time.
    Hours per Response: 1.5.
    Estimated Total Cost to Respondents: $600 (60 respondents x $10 per 
respondent). The cost to the respondent, i.e., applicant for flood 
insurance, is the cost, if any, to obtain the required documentation 
from local officials. Fees charged, if any, to the applicants, are 
nominal, i.e., the cost of photocopying the public record. Information 
of this type is frequently provided upon request free of charge by the 
community as a public service. The average cost to the respondent is 
estimated to be $10, the cost to make phone calls, mail a written 
request, or make a trip to a local office to obtain the document, and 
includes any copying fees, which may be charged by the local office.

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, Section Chief, Records Management, Information Resources 
Management Branch, Information Technology Services Division, Federal 
Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Preparedness and Response 
Directorate, Department of Homeland Security, 500 C Street, SW., Room 
316, Washington, DC 20472.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Lynn Sawyer, Program Analyst, 
Risk Insurance Branch, Mitigation Division at 301-918-1452 for 
additional information. You may contact Ms. Anderson for copies of the 
proposed information collection requirement at facsimile number (202) 
646-3347 or e-mail address: [email protected].

    Dated: February 16, 2005.
Edward W. Kernan,
Branch Chief, Information Resources Management Branch, Information 
Technology Services Division.
[FR Doc. 05-3406 Filed 2-22-05; 8:45 am]
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