01-26431. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

ACTION:

Notice and request for comments.

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 proposed revised information collections. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), this notice seeks comments concerning the collection requirements for participation in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The NFIP began in 1968. A central element in the NFIP is the promotion and implementation of a sound local floodplain management program. Communities must adopt minimum floodplain management standards in order to participate in the NFIP and receive the benefits of flood insurance. The Community Rating System (CRS) was designed by FEMA to encourage, through the use of flood insurance premium discounts, communities and states to undertake activities that will mitigate flooding and flood damage, beyond the minimum standards for NFIP participation. The National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 codified the CRS.

The NFIP/CRS Coordinator's Manual includes a Schedule and Commentary. The Application Worksheets and CRS Application are published separately. Communities will use the manuals to apply for activity points leading up to a CRS rating and commensurate flood insurance premium discounts. The Schedule describes the floodplain management and insurance activities available to qualifying communities that undertake the selected additional activities that will reduce flood losses. To apply, communities submit to FEMA the attached application worksheets and requisite documentation. Once approved, the applications are reviewed and field verified by Insurance Service Organization (ISO), Inc., an insurance industry service organization with varied experience, especially with community fire rating.

Collection of Information

Title: Community Rating System (CRS) Program—Application Policy, Instructions, and Worksheets.

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

OMB Number: 3067-0195.

Document Numbers: FEMA FIA 15 and 15A.

Abstract: The CRS Program establishes a system for FEMA to grade communities' floodplain management activities to determine flood insurance rates for communities. Communities exercising floodplain management activities that exceed Federal minimum standards qualify for lower insurance rates.

The January 1999 edition of the NFIP CRS Coordinator's Manual contains instructions for preparing the application worksheets that were used to apply to the CRS Program for the 1999 through 2001 calendar years. We are coordinating with the public the draft January 2002 edition for comments on the collections of information and all approved comments will be incorporated into the final January 2002 manual, to be effective January 2002-December 2004. The Application Worksheets and CRS Application are published separately. Communities will use the manuals to apply for activity points leading up to a CRS rating and commensurate flood insurance premium discounts. The Schedule describes the floodplain management and insurance activities available to qualifying communities that undertake the selected additional activities that will reduce flood losses. Annually, all CRS participating communities must certify they are maintaining the activities for which they receive credit.

Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Government.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours. 9,260.

Application worksheets	Number of respondents (A)	Frequency response (B)	Hours per response (C)	Annual burden hours (A × B × C)
New, Modified and Cycle Applications	220	1	29	6,380
Recertification Applications	720	1	4	2,880
Total	940			9,260

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, Chief, Records Management Section, Program Services and Systems Branch, Facilities Management and Services Division, Administration and Resource Planning Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW, Room 316, Washington, DC 20472. Telephone number [phone]. FAX number [phone] or e:mail [e-mail].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Contact Bret Gates, CRS Coordinator, Federal Insurance & Mitigation Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, at [phone], or by e:mail at [e-mail] for additional information. Contact Ms. Anderson at [phone] for copies of the proposed collection of information.

Dated: October 11, 2001.

Reginald Trujillo,

Director, Program Services Division, Operations Support Directorate.