[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68084-68086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23762]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2020-0035; OMB No. 1660-0072]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA); Building Resilient 
Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS

ACTION: 60 Day Notice and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as part of its 
continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites 
the general public to take this opportunity to comment on a revision of 
a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning 
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. While this 
information collection continues to include the Flood Mitigation 
Assistance (FMA) program, it includes updates to (1) introduce the 
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program; and 
(2) establish the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program as a legacy 
program. Under the FEMA's HMA grant programs, States, local 
communities, Tribes, and Territories (SLTTs) seek assistance to support 
disaster mitigation and provide opportunities to reduce or eliminate 
potential losses to SLTTs.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 28, 
2020.

ADDRESSES: Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA-
2020-0035. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    All submissions received must include the agency name and Docket 
ID, and will be posted, without change, to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal 
information you provide. Therefore, submitting this

[[Page 68085]]

information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy and 
Security Notice that is available via a link on the homepage of 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennie Orenstein, Grants Policy Branch 
Chief, FIMA, FEMA, (202) 212-4071. You may contact the Records 
Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of 
information at email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This collection of information is necessary 
to implement grants for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program, 
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), and Building Resilient Infrastructure 
and Communities (BRIC) program.
    The FMA program is authorized pursuant to Section 1366 of the 
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 4104c. The FMA program, 
under 44 CFR part 79, provides funding for measures taken to reduce or 
eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured 
homes, and other structures insured under the National Flood Insurance 
Program (NFIP). FMA was created as part of the National Flood Insurance 
Reform Act (NFIRA) of 1994, Public Law 103-325. The Biggert-Waters 
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12), Public Law 112-141, 
consolidated the Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) and Severe Repetitive 
Loss grant (SRL) programs into FMA, and changed the cost-share 
requirements under FMA to allow more Federal funds for properties with 
repetitive flood claims.
    The PDM program was authorized under Section 203 of the Robert T. 
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 
Public Law 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5133, as amended by Section 102 of the 
Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Public Law 106-390. The PDM program 
provided grants for cost-effective mitigation actions prior to a 
disaster event to reduce overall risks to the population and 
structures, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual 
disaster declarations. Section 1234 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act 
of 2018 (DRRA) amended Section 203 of the Stafford Act to authorize an 
updated program. As a result, FEMA is replacing the PDM program with 
the BRIC program and is establishing PDM as a legacy program. While the 
last cycle of the PDM program awards were made in Fiscal Year (FY) 
2019, this information collection will continue through FY 2020-2021 
for grant monitoring and closeout.
    The BRIC program is designed to promote a national culture of 
preparedness and public safety through encouraging investments to 
protect the Nation's communities and infrastructure and through 
strengthening national mitigation capabilities to foster resilience. 
The BRIC program seeks to fund effective and innovative projects that 
will reduce risk, increase resilience, and serve as a catalyst to 
encourage the whole community to invest in and adopt policies related 
to mitigation.
    The guiding principles of the BRIC program are to (1) support State 
and local governments, Tribes, and territories through capability and 
capacity-building to enable them to identify mitigation actions and 
implement projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards; (2) 
encourage and enable innovation while allowing flexibility, 
consistency, and effectiveness; (3) promote partnerships and enable 
high-impact investments to reduce risk from natural hazards with a 
focus on critical services and facilities, public infrastructure, 
public safety, public health, and communities; (4) provide a 
significant opportunity to reduce future losses and minimize impacts on 
the Disaster Relief Fund; and (5) support the adoption and enforcement 
of building codes, standards, and policies that will protect the 
health, safety, and general welfare of the public, take into account 
future conditions, and have long-lasting impacts on community risk 
reduction, including for critical services and facilities and for 
future disaster costs. The BRIC program will distribute funds annually 
and apply a Federal/non-Federal cost share.
    In accordance with 2 CFR 200.203, FEMA requires that all parties 
interested in receiving FEMA mitigation grants submit an application 
package for grant assistance. Applications and subapplications for the 
BRIC and FMA programs are submitted via the FEMA Grants Outcome (FEMA 
GO) system. Information necessary for the ongoing monitoring and 
closeout of the PDM program for FY 2019 and prior will be collected via 
the e-Grants system. The FEMA GO and e-Grants systems have been 
developed to meet the intent of the e-Government initiative, authorized 
by Public Law 106-107. This initiative requires that all Government 
agencies both streamline grant application processes and provide for 
the means to electronically create, review, and submit a grant 
application via the internet.
    In order to increase transparency in decision-making while building 
capability and partnerships, FEMA will convene a National Review Panel 
to score applications and subapplications based on qualitative 
evaluation criteria. The qualitative criteria are narrative submissions 
to allow applicants and subapplicants the flexibility to fully explain 
the strengths of the proposed project. Qualitative evaluation criteria 
have graded scales of point scoring.
    The BRIC program will solicit volunteers from SLTTs and Other 
Federal Agencies (OFAs) to review applications that are routed to the 
qualitative panel reviews. The volunteers will review and score 
applications based on a pre-determined scoring criteria.

Collection of Information

    Title: Mitigation Grant Programs.
    Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-0072.
    FEMA Forms: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities 
(BRIC) FY 20 National Competition Panel Review Expression of Interest 
Form.
    Abstract: FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance and Building Resilient 
Infrastructure and Communities programs use an automated grant 
application and management system called FEMA GO. The Pre-Disaster 
Mitigation program uses an automated grant application and management 
system called e-Grants. These grant programs provide funding for the 
purpose of reducing or eliminating the risks to life and property from 
hazards. The FEMA GO and e-Grants systems include all the application 
information needed to apply for funding under these grant programs. 
FEMA will use the information to solicit volunteers from SLTTs and 
Other Federal Agencies (OFAs) to review applications that are routed to 
the qualitative panel reviews. The volunteers will review and score 
applications based on a pre-determined scoring criteria.
    Affected Public: State, Local communities, Tribes and Territories; 
Individuals or Households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 436.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 5,364.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 58,248.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $3,324,211.
    Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: None.
    Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: None.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $7,586,635.

[[Page 68086]]

Comments

    Comments may be submitted as indicated in the ADDRESSES caption 
above. 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.

Maile Arthur,
Acting Records Management Branch Chief, Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-23762 Filed 10-26-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-BW-P