[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5004-5005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01454]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID: FEMA-2019-0025; OMB No. 1660-0017]


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

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will submit the 
information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and 
Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The submission will describe the 
nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, 
the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort and resources used by 
respondents to respond) and cost, and the actual data collection 
instruments FEMA will use.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 27, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments on the proposed information 
collection to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office 
of Management and Budget. Comments should be addressed to the Desk 
Officer for the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, and sent via electronic mail to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection should be made to Director, 
Information Management Division, 500 C Street SW, Washington, DC 20472, 
email address [email protected] or 
Rachel Hildebrand, Process Improvement Section Chief, Public Assistance 
Program Delivery Branch, 202-646-3484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This proposed information collection 
previously published in the Federal Register on November 14, 2019 at 84 
FR 61922 with a 60 day public comment period. FEMA received one 
comment. The comment concerned the requirement for schools or 
educational facilities to provide proof of accreditation or 
certification requested on FEMA Form 009-0-49, Request for Public 
Assistance. While the specific citations in 44 CFR 206.221(a) are now 
out of date, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
continues to have definitions for elementary school (20 U.S.C. 
7801(19)) and secondary school (20 U.S.C. 7801(45)) that define such 
schools as providing elementary and secondary education ``as determined 
under state law.'' Government regulation of private schools is limited. 
In general, the U.S. Department of Education does not have authority to 
regulate private elementary and secondary schools or home schools. If 
any regulation is made, it is usually implemented at the State level 
and the extent of such regulation varies. For example, some States do 
not require accreditation, and FEMA cannot require formal accreditation 
where a State does not. However, FEMA may require that an applicant 
private nonprofit school demonstrate that it meets the required 
criteria for an educational institution and facility under the Public 
Assistance Program. This includes the requirement for a private 
nonprofit school to demonstrate that it meets the regulatory 
requirements of education ``as determined under state law.'' Likewise, 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 continues to have a definition of 
institution of higher education (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)) which has five 
criteria that are aligned with the criteria in Table 5 on page 132 of 
the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide. FEMA continues to rely 
on the definitions in these two acts, and we do not believe that 
Congress, when they reorganized these acts, intended to eliminate 
FEMA's longstanding eligibility criteria.
    The salary used to calculate the Estimated Total Annual Cost to the 
Federal Government has been updated to reflect the 2020 Salary Table.
    The purpose of this notice is to notify the public that FEMA will 
submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of 
Management and Budget for review and clearance.

Collection of Information

    Title: Public Assistance Program.
    Type of information collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-0017.
    Form Titles and Numbers: FEMA Form 009-0-49 Request for Public 
Assistance; FEMA Form 009-0-91 Project Worksheet (PW); FEMA Form 009-0-
91A Project Worksheet (PW)--Damage Description and Scope of Work 
Continuation Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91B Project Worksheet (PW)--Cost 
Estimate Continuation Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91C Project Worksheet 
(PW)--Maps and Sketches Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91D Project Worksheet 
(PW)--Photo Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-120 Special Considerations 
Questions; FEMA Form 009-0-121 PNP Facility Questionnaire; FEMA Form 
009-0-123 Force Account Labor Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-124 
Materials Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-125 Rented Equipment Summary 
Record; FEMA Form 009-0-126 Contract Work Summary Record; FEMA Form 
009-0-127 Force Account Equipment Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-128 
Applicant's Benefits Calculation Worksheet; FEMA Form 009-0-111, 
Quarterly Progress Reports; FEMA Form 009-0-141, FAC-TRAX System.
    Abstract: The information collected is utilized by FEMA to make 
determinations for Public Assistance grants based on the information 
supplied by the respondents.
    Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,012.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 398,068.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 466,025.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $29,601,921.
    Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: N/A.
    Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: N/A.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $1,920,626.

Comments

    Comments may be submitted as indicated in the ADDRESSES caption 
above. Comments are solicited to (a)

[[Page 5005]]

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.

Maile Arthur,
Deputy Director, Information Management Division, Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-01454 Filed 1-27-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-23-P