[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 236 (Monday, December 11, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 85898-85899]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27121]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID: FEMA-2023-0031; OMB No. 1660-NW157]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection, 
Comment Request; Generic Clearance for Hazard Mitigation Assistance 
Programs

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland 
Security.

ACTION: 60-Day notice of new collection and request for comments.

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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 new 
information collection. In accordance with the requirements of the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning 
a new generic information collection allowing FEMA to individually 
update instruments needed to provide financial, non-financial, program 
management, and technical assistance for FEMA's major disaster, 
emergency response, emergency recovery, and hazard mitigation 
activities.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before February 9, 2024.

ADDRESSES: To avoid duplicate submissions to the docket, please submit 
comments at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA-2023-0031. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
    All submissions received must include the Agency name and Docket 
ID. Regardless of the method used to submitting comments or material, 
all submissions 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 
information makes it public. You may wish to read the Privacy and 
Security Notice that is available via a link on the homepage of http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennie Orenstein, Branch Chief, FEMA's 
Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration's Policy, Tools and 
Training Branch, at [email protected] or (202) 212-4071. You 
may contact the Information Management Division for copies of the 
proposed collection of information at email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act (Pub. L. 93-288, as amended), 42 U.S.C. 5121-
5207 (Stafford Act) provides broad authority to FEMA for disaster and 
emergency relief operations, reducing risk to people and property from 
hazards, and related activities and operations. The Stafford Act 
authorizes FEMA to provide financial and technical assistance to assist 
state, local, territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) governments and certain 
private non-profit (PNP) entities with the response to and recovery 
from Presidentially declared major disasters and emergencies, and the

[[Page 85899]]

implementation of hazard mitigation measures and related activities 
that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from 
hazards and their effects.
    The National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (``NFIA''), as amended, 
and the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4001, et. seq.) authorize FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program 
(NFIP), including a wide range of related activities. For instance, the 
NFIA authorizes FEMA to provide financial assistance for planning and 
carrying out projects and activities designed to reduce the risk of 
flood damage to NFIP-insured structures.
    FEMA routinely receives additional guidance from Congress, through 
new legislation, and the President, through Executive Orders, that 
requires changes to previously approved collection instruments in a few 
months to provide timely assistance to survivors. FEMA is proposing 
moving instruments from currently approved information collections into 
this new generic information collection to provide the necessary 
flexibility to update individual existing instruments and create new 
instruments as new guidance from Congress and the President is 
received, deliver timely assistance to survivors (both before and after 
a disaster), and maintain compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Collection of Information

    Title: Generic Clearance for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs.
    Type of Information Collection: New information collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-NW157.
    FEMA Forms: Not Applicable.
    Abstract: The Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to provide financial, 
non-financial, program management and technical assistance to state, 
local, territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) governments and certain private 
non-profit (PNP) entities with the response to and recovery from 
Presidentially declared major disasters and emergencies, and the 
implementation of hazard mitigation measures and related activities 
that reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from 
hazards and their effects. The information collected is required for 
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs, the Revolving Loan 
Fund capitalization program, and the Public Assistance (PA) Program, 
for ongoing program implementation and optimization.
    Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Private, Non-
Profits.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 671,356.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 671,356.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 633,775.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $39,908,812.
    Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.
    Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: $0.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $20,801,492.

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.

Millicent Brown Wilson,
Records Management Branch Chief, Office of the Chief Administrative 
Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 
Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2023-27121 Filed 12-8-23; 8:45 am]
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