Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; State Administrative Plan for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

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 State Administrative Plan for the procedural guide that details how the State will administer the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before January 30, 2017.

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-2016-0025. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

(2) Mail. Submit written comments to Docket Manager, Office of Chief Counsel, DHS/FEMA, 500 C Street SW., 8NE, Washington, DC 20472-3100.

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:

Nicole LaRosa, Grants Policy Branch, Mitigation Division, at (202) 646-3906. You may contact the Records Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of information at email address: FEMA-Information-Collections-Management@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

FEMA regulations in 44 CFR 206.437 require development and update of the State Administrative Plan by State Grantees as a condition of receiving Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding under section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, 42 U.S.C. 5170c. Grantees can be 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, or an Indian tribal government that chooses to act as a grantee. Section 404 mandates FEMA approval of the State Administrative Plan before awarding any project grant assistance to a community or State applicant.

Collection of Information

Title: State Administrative Plan for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

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

OMB Number: 1660-0026.

FEMA Forms: None.

Abstract: The State Administrative Plan is a procedural guide that details how the State will administer the HMGP. The State must have a current administrative plan approved by the appropriate FEMA Regional Administrator before receiving HMGP funds. The administrative plan may take any form including a chapter within a comprehensive State mitigation program strategy.

Affected Public: State, local or Tribal government.

Number of Respondents: 32.

Number of Responses: 64.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 512.

Estimated Cost: $21,847.04.

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.