2010-1318. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, 1660-0076; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Application and Reporting

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice; 60-day notice and request for comments; revision of a currently approved information collection; OMB No. 1660-0076; No Form.

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 a proposed revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this Notice seeks comments concerning the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program application and reporting requirements.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before March 26, 2010.

ADDRESSES:

To avoid duplicate submissions to the docket, please use only one of the following means to submit comments:

(1) Online. Submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov under docket ID FEMA-2009-0001. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

(2) Mail. Submit written comments to Office of Chief Counsel, Regulation and Policy Team, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street, SW., Room 835, Washington, DC 20472-3100.

(3) Facsimile. Submit comments to [phone].

(4) E-mail. Submit comments to [e-mail]. Include docket ID FEMA-2009-0001 in the subject line.

All submissions received must include the agency name and docket ID. Regardless of the method used for 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 Act notice that is available on the Privacy and Use Notice link on the Administration Navigation Bar of http://www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cecelia Rosenberg, Chief, Grants Policy Branch, Mitigation Division, [phone] for additional information. You may contact the Records Management Branch for copies of the proposed collection of information at facsimile number [phone] or e-mail address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 44 U.S.C. 5170c, established the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Grant requirements and grants management procedures of the program are outlined in 44 CFR Part 13.

Collection of Information

Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Application and Reporting.

Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved information collection.

OMB Number: 1660-0076.

Form Titles and Numbers: No Form.

Abstract: Grantees administer the Hazard Mitigation Grant 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. FEMA uses applications to collect information for determining whether to provide financial assistance in the form of grant awards and monitors grantee project activities and expenditure of funds through grantee quarterly reporting.

Affected Public: State, local, or Tribal Government.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 65,016 Hours.

Table A.12—Estimated Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

Type of respondent	Form name/form number	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total number of responses	Average burden per response (in hours)	Total annual burden (in hours)	Average hourly wage rate*	Total annual respondent cost
State, local, or Tribal Government	Project Narrative Section/No Form	56	18	1,008	12	12,096	$37.45	$452,995
State, local, or Tribal Government	Benefit-Cost Determination/No Form	56	18	1,008	5	5,040	37.45	188,748
State, local, or Tribal Government	Environmental Review/No Form	56	18	1,008	7.5	7,560	37.45	283,122
State, local, or Tribal Government	Annual Audit & Audit Trail Requirements/No Form	56	18	1,008	40	40,320	37.45	1,509,984
Total		56				65,016		$2,434,849

Estimated Cost: There is no annual operation or maintenance cost associated with this collection.

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.

Larry Gray,

Director, Records Management Division, Office of Management, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.