2013-15652. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; FEMA Preparedness Grants: Operation Stonegarden (OPSG)

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

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 an extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the information collection activities required to administer the Operation Stonegarden (OPSG) Grant Program.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before August 30, 2013.

ADDRESSES:

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

(1) Online. Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA-2013-0027. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

(2) Mail. Submit written comments to Docket Manager, Office of Chief Counsel, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW., Room 840, Washington, DC 20472-3100.

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

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 via the link in the footer of www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Alex Mrazik, Program Analyst, FEMA, Grant Programs Directorate, 202-786-9732. You may contact the Records Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of information at facsimile number [phone] or email address: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) was established to assist State, local, and tribal governments in preventing, preparing for, protecting against, and responding to acts of terrorism. As a component of the SHSP, Operation Stonegarden grants are established by Section 2004(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 605), as amended by Section 101, Title I of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Pub. L. 110-053). Title III of the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (Pub. L. 110-329) provides a specific line item within the SHSP appropriation to fund the Operation Stonegarden grant.

Collection of Information

Title: FEMA Preparedness Grants: Operation Stonegarden (OPSG).

OMB Number: 1660-0119.

Type of Information Collection: Extension, without change, of a currently approved information collection.

FEMA Forms: FEMA Form 089-16, OPSG Operations Order Report; FEMA Form 089-20, Operations Order Prioritization.

Abstract: The Operation Stonegarden grant is an important tool among a comprehensive set of measures to help strengthen the Nation against risks associated with potential terrorist attacks. FEMA uses the information to evaluate applicants' familiarity with the national preparedness architecture and identify how elements of this architecture have been incorporated into regional/state/local planning, operations, and investments. The grant provides funding to designated localities to enhance cooperation and coordination between Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies in a joint mission to secure the U.S. borders along routes of ingress from International borders to include travel corridors in States bordering Mexico and Canada, as well as States and territories with international water borders.

Affected Public: State, Local or Tribal Government.

Number of Respondents: 39.

Number of Responses: 78.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 25,038 hours.

Table A.12—Estimated Annualized Burden Hours and Costs

Type of respondent	Form name/ form no.	Number of respondents	Number of responses per respondent	Total number of responses	Avg. burden per response (in hours)	Total annual burden (in hours)	Avg. hourly wage rate *	Total annual respondent cost
State, Local or Tribal Government	OPSG Operations Order Report/FEMA Form 089-16	39	1	39	570	22,230	$37.80	$840,294.00
State, Local or Tribal Government	Operations Order Prioritization/FEMA Form 089-20	39	1	39	72 hrs.	2,808	37.80	106,142.40
Total		39		78		25,038		946,436.40
Note: The “Avg. Hourly Wage Rate” for each respondent includes a 1.4 multiplier to reflect a fully-loaded wage rate.

Estimated Cost: The estimated annual cost to respondents for the hour burden is $946,436.40. There are no annual costs to respondents operations and maintenance costs for technical services. There is no annual start-up or capital costs. The cost to the Federal Government is $388,618.70.

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.

Dated: June 20, 2013.

Charlene D. Myrthil,

Director, Records Management Division, Mission Support Bureau, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.