2022-04056. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Application Reporting

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

60-Day notice of revision 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 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 regarding the requirements, grants management procedures, and implementation of grants awarded under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), 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.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 26, 2022.

ADDRESSES:

Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA-2022-0010. 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 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, Chief, HMA Grants Policy Branch, at [phone] or [e-mail]. You may contact the Information Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of information at email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5170c, established the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Grant requirements and grants management procedures of the program are outlined in 44 CFR part 206 Subpart N, and 2 CFR parts 200 and 3002. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the HMGP, and Recipients implement the grants under the HMPG per grant agreement and rules and regulations. The HMGP 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. Section 102 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(4), defines a “state” as any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. “Recipient”, as provided in 2 CFR 200, means a non-Federal entity that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal awarding agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program, or an Indian tribal government that chooses to act as a recipient rather than as a subrecipient. “Subrecipient” refers to a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency. The term “Indian tribal government” is defined in Section 102 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(6), as the governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994. In addition, the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013 (Pub. L. 113-2) amended the Stafford Act to allow the Chief Executive of a federally recognized Indian tribe to make a direct request to the President of the United States for a major disaster or emergency declaration codified under 42 U.S.C. 5170(b).”

Collection of Information

Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Application and Reporting.

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

OMB Number: OMB No. 1660-0076.

FEMA Forms: FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-154 (formerly 009-0-111A), Quarterly Progress Reports.

Abstract: FEMA administers 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 provide financial assistance in the form of grant awards and, through grantee quarterly reporting, monitor grantee project activities and expenditure of funds.

Affected Public: State, local or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 236.

Estimated Number of Responses: 3,280.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 38,124.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $2,295,447.

Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.

Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: $0.

Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $1,953,915

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,

Deputy Director, Information Management Division, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.