[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 87 (Wednesday, May 6, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 25010-25011]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-12006]
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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
44 CFR Part 206
RIN 3067-AC82
Extensions of the Application Period for Temporary Housing
Assistance
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: This proposed rule would authorize the Associate Director/
Executive Associate Director for Response and Recovery to extend beyond
the standard 60-day limit the application period for assistance
provided under the Disaster Housing Program.
DATES: Comments will be accepted until July 6, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Please send comments to the Rules Docket Clerk, Office of
the General Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street
SW., Washington, DC 20472, (facsimile) 202-646-4536, or e:mail
rules@fema.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Laurence W. Zensinger, Response and
Recovery Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street
SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-3642, (facsimile) 202-646-2730.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 44 CFR 206.101(e) currently provides that
the Regional Director may grant additional time to submit applications
for temporary housing ``in order to achieve uniformity of application
periods in contiguous States'' (44 CFR 206.101 (e)(1)). There are,
however, other disaster-specific circumstances under which an extension
of the application period would be appropriate, including when the
volume of anticipated applicants in a catastrophic disaster cannot be
registered within 60 days or when disaster-related damage may not be
ascertained sooner than 60 days from the declaration date. This
proposed rule would provide the Associate Director/Executive Associate
Director with the authority to extend the application period for
disaster housing assistance when circumstances warrant this measure
and, thereby, would better serve the disaster-affected public. For
consistency of implementation, this ad hoc authority will be given to
the Associate Director/Executive Associate Director, Response and
Recovery Directorate at FEMA Headquarters.
National Environmental Policy Act.
This proposed rule would be categorically excluded from the
requirements of 44 CFR Part 10, Environmental Consideration. No
environmental impact assessment has been prepared.
Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review.
This proposed rule would not be a significant regulatory action
within the meaning of Sec. 2(f) of E.O. 12866 of September 30, 1993, 58
FR 51735. To the extent possible, this proposed rule adheres to the
regulatory principles set forth in E.O. 12866 and the Office of
Management and Budget has not reviewed it under the provisions of E.O.
12866.
Paperwork Reduction Act.
This proposed rule would not contain a collection of information
requirement as described in section 3504(h) of the Paperwork Reduction
Act.
Executive Order 12612, Federalism
This proposed rule would not involve any policies that have
federalism implications under E.O. 12612, Federalism, dated October 26,
1987.
Executive Order 12778, Civil Justice Reform
This proposed rule would meet the applicable standards of
Sec. 2(b)(2) of E.O. 12778.
List of Subjects in 44 CFR Part 206
Administrative practice and procedure, Disaster assistance,
Housing.
Accordingly, FEMA proposes to amend 44 CFR part 206 as follows:
PART 206--FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE FOR DISASTERS DECLARED ON OR
AFTER NOVEMBER 23, 1988
Subpart D--Temporary Housing Assistance
1. The authority citation for part 206 continues to read as
follows:
Authority: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency
Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.; Reorganization Plan No. 3 of
1978, 43 FR 41943, 3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 329; E.O. 12127, 44 FR
19367, 3 CFR, 1979 Comp., p. 376; E.O. 12148, 44 FR 43239, 3 CFR,
1979 Comp., p. 412; and E.O. 12673, 54 FR 12571, 3 CFR, 1989 Comp.,
p. 214.
Section 206.101(e)(1) is revised to read as follows:
Sec. 206.101 Temporary housing assistance.
* * * * *
(e) Applications--(1) Application period. In general, applications
for disaster housing assistance will be the 60 days following the date
an incident is declared a major disaster or an
[[Page 25011]]
emergency by the President. The Mortgage and Rental Assistance
application period will be a 6-month period following the declaration.
When warranted by disaster-specific circumstances, the Associate
Director/Executive Associate Director may extend the application
periods as appropriate. Applications filed after the established period
will not be processed unless the applicant can provide justification
for the delay in applying.
* * * * *
Dated: April 30, 1998.
Lacy E. Suiter,
Executive Associate Director, Response and Recovery.
[FR Doc. 98-12006 Filed 5-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-02-P
