Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA); Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)
| Published date | 27 October 2020 |
| Citation | 85 FR 68084 |
| Record Number | 2020-23762 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Federal Emergency Management Agency,Homeland Security Department |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 208 (Tuesday, October 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68084-68086]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23762]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency
[Docket ID FEMA-2020-0035; OMB No. 1660-0072]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request; Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA); Building Resilient
Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM)
AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS
ACTION: 60 Day Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 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 concerning
FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs. While this
information collection continues to include the Flood Mitigation
Assistance (FMA) program, it includes updates to (1) introduce the
Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program; and
(2) establish the Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program as a legacy
program. Under the FEMA's HMA grant programs, States, local
communities, Tribes, and Territories (SLTTs) seek assistance to support
disaster mitigation and provide opportunities to reduce or eliminate
potential losses to SLTTs.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before December 28,
2020.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments at www.regulations.gov under Docket ID FEMA-
2020-0035. 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
[[Page 68085]]
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, Grants Policy Branch
Chief, FIMA, FEMA, (202) 212-4071. You may contact the Records
Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of
information at email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This collection of information is necessary
to implement grants for the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program,
Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), and Building Resilient Infrastructure
and Communities (BRIC) program.
The FMA program is authorized pursuant to Section 1366 of the
National Flood Insurance Act of 1968, 42 U.S.C. 4104c. The FMA program,
under 44 CFR part 79, provides funding for measures taken to reduce or
eliminate the long-term risk of flood damage to buildings, manufactured
homes, and other structures insured under the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP). FMA was created as part of the National Flood Insurance
Reform Act (NFIRA) of 1994, Public Law 103-325. The Biggert-Waters
Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 (BW-12), Public Law 112-141,
consolidated the Repetitive Flood Claims (RFC) and Severe Repetitive
Loss grant (SRL) programs into FMA, and changed the cost-share
requirements under FMA to allow more Federal funds for properties with
repetitive flood claims.
The PDM program was authorized under Section 203 of the Robert T.
Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act),
Public Law 93-288, 42 U.S.C. 5133, as amended by Section 102 of the
Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, Public Law 106-390. The PDM program
provided grants for cost-effective mitigation actions prior to a
disaster event to reduce overall risks to the population and
structures, while also reducing reliance on funding from actual
disaster declarations. Section 1234 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act
of 2018 (DRRA) amended Section 203 of the Stafford Act to authorize an
updated program. As a result, FEMA is replacing the PDM program with
the BRIC program and is establishing PDM as a legacy program. While the
last cycle of the PDM program awards were made in Fiscal Year (FY)
2019, this information collection will continue through FY 2020-2021
for grant monitoring and closeout.
The BRIC program is designed to promote a national culture of
preparedness and public safety through encouraging investments to
protect the Nation's communities and infrastructure and through
strengthening national mitigation capabilities to foster resilience.
The BRIC program seeks to fund effective and innovative projects that
will reduce risk, increase resilience, and serve as a catalyst to
encourage the whole community to invest in and adopt policies related
to mitigation.
The guiding principles of the BRIC program are to (1) support State
and local governments, Tribes, and territories through capability and
capacity-building to enable them to identify mitigation actions and
implement projects that reduce risks posed by natural hazards; (2)
encourage and enable innovation while allowing flexibility,
consistency, and effectiveness; (3) promote partnerships and enable
high-impact investments to reduce risk from natural hazards with a
focus on critical services and facilities, public infrastructure,
public safety, public health, and communities; (4) provide a
significant opportunity to reduce future losses and minimize impacts on
the Disaster Relief Fund; and (5) support the adoption and enforcement
of building codes, standards, and policies that will protect the
health, safety, and general welfare of the public, take into account
future conditions, and have long-lasting impacts on community risk
reduction, including for critical services and facilities and for
future disaster costs. The BRIC program will distribute funds annually
and apply a Federal/non-Federal cost share.
In accordance with 2 CFR 200.203, FEMA requires that all parties
interested in receiving FEMA mitigation grants submit an application
package for grant assistance. Applications and subapplications for the
BRIC and FMA programs are submitted via the FEMA Grants Outcome (FEMA
GO) system. Information necessary for the ongoing monitoring and
closeout of the PDM program for FY 2019 and prior will be collected via
the e-Grants system. The FEMA GO and e-Grants systems have been
developed to meet the intent of the e-Government initiative, authorized
by Public Law 106-107. This initiative requires that all Government
agencies both streamline grant application processes and provide for
the means to electronically create, review, and submit a grant
application via the internet.
In order to increase transparency in decision-making while building
capability and partnerships, FEMA will convene a National Review Panel
to score applications and subapplications based on qualitative
evaluation criteria. The qualitative criteria are narrative submissions
to allow applicants and subapplicants the flexibility to fully explain
the strengths of the proposed project. Qualitative evaluation criteria
have graded scales of point scoring.
The BRIC program will solicit volunteers from SLTTs and Other
Federal Agencies (OFAs) to review applications that are routed to the
qualitative panel reviews. The volunteers will review and score
applications based on a pre-determined scoring criteria.
Collection of Information
Title: Mitigation Grant Programs.
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved
collection.
OMB Number: 1660-0072.
FEMA Forms: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
(BRIC) FY 20 National Competition Panel Review Expression of Interest
Form.
Abstract: FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance and Building Resilient
Infrastructure and Communities programs use an automated grant
application and management system called FEMA GO. The Pre-Disaster
Mitigation program uses an automated grant application and management
system called e-Grants. These grant programs provide funding for the
purpose of reducing or eliminating the risks to life and property from
hazards. The FEMA GO and e-Grants systems include all the application
information needed to apply for funding under these grant programs.
FEMA will use the information to solicit volunteers from SLTTs and
Other Federal Agencies (OFAs) to review applications that are routed to
the qualitative panel reviews. The volunteers will review and score
applications based on a pre-determined scoring criteria.
Affected Public: State, Local communities, Tribes and Territories;
Individuals or Households.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 436.
Estimated Number of Responses: 5,364.
Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 58,248.
Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $3,324,211.
Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: None.
Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: None.
Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $7,586,635.
[[Page 68086]]
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,
Acting Records Management Branch Chief, Office of the Chief
Administrative Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management
Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2020-23762 Filed 10-26-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9111-BW-P
