Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Request for Federal Assistance Form-How To Process Mission Assignments in Federal Disaster Operations

AGENCY:

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.

ACTION:

30-Day notice and request for comments.

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 reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved information collection for which approval has expired. FEMA will submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget for review and clearance in accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The submission will describe the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e., the time, effort and resources used by respondents to respond) and cost, and the actual data collection instruments FEMA will use.

DATES:

Comments must be submitted on or before April 22, 2021.

ADDRESSES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Pat Foster, (617) 913-6140 or FEMA-MissionAssignments@fema.dhs.gov. Requests for copies of the information collection should be made to Director, Information Management Division, via email at FEMA-Information-Collections-Management@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

According to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act), 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq., FEMA is authorized to provide assistance before, during, and after a disaster has impacted a State, Tribe, or Territory. For a major disaster, the Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to direct any agency to utilize its existing authorities and resources in support of State, Tribe, and Territory assistance response and recovery efforts. See 42 U.S.C. 5170(a)(1). For an emergency, the Stafford Act authorizes FEMA to direct any agency to utilize its existing authorities and resources in support of State and local emergency assistance efforts. See 42 U.S.C. 5192(a)(1). FEMA may task other Federal agencies to assist during disasters and to support emergency efforts by State and local governments by issuing a mission assignment to the appropriate agency. See 44 CFR 206.5, 206.208. FEMA collects the information necessary to determine what resources are needed and if a mission assignment is appropriate. The information collected explains which States, Tribes, Territories require assistance, what needs to be accomplished, details any resource shortfalls, and explains what assistance is required to meet these needs.

This proposed information collection previously published in the Federal Register on December 31, 2020, at 85 FR 86945 with a 60-day public comment period. No comments were received. This information collection expired on March 1, 2021. FEMA is requesting a reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved information collection for which approval has expired. The purpose of this notice is to notify the public that FEMA will submit the information collection abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget for review and clearance.

Collection of Information

Title: Request for Federal Assistance Form—How to Process Mission Assignments in Federal Disaster Operations.

Type of information collection: Reinstatement, with change, of a previously approved collection for which approval has expired.

OMB Number: 1660-0047.

Form Titles and Numbers: FEMA Form 010-0-7, Resource Request Form; FEMA Form 010-0-8, Mission Assignment; FEMA Form 010-0-8A, Mission Assignment Task Order.

Abstract: If a State, Tribe, or Territory determines that its capacity to respond to a disaster exceeds its available resources, it may submit to FEMA a request that the work be accomplished by a Federal agency. This request documents how the response requirements exceed the capacity for the State to respond to the situation on its own and what type of assistance is required. FEMA reviews this information and may issue a mission assignment to the appropriate Federal agency to assist the State in its response to the situation.

Affected Public: State, Tribal, or Territorial Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 40.

Estimated Number of Responses: 19,220.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 6,559 hours.

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $475,003.

Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: 0.

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

Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $41,643.

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.