82 FR 4372 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Flood Insurance Program Claims Forms

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Federal Emergency Management Agency

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 9 (January 13, 2017)

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 a revision of a currently approved information collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the collection of information related to the flood insurance claims process.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4372-4373]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-00673]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2017-0003; OMB No. 1660-0005]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; National Flood Insurance Program Claims Forms

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 a revision of a currently approved information 
collection. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 
this notice seeks comments concerning the collection of information 
related to the flood insurance claims process.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before March 14, 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-2017-0003. 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 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan Bernstein, Mitigation, National 
Flood Insurance Program, (202) 212-2113. You may contact the Records 
Management Division for copies of the proposed collection of 
information at email address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) 
is codified as 42 U.S.C. 4001, et sec. and is authorized by Public Law 
90-448 (1968) and expanded by Public Law 93-234 (1973). The National 
Flood Insurance Act of 1968 requires that the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA) provides flood insurance at full actuarial 
rates with limited exceptions for certain structures reflecting the 
complete flood risk to structures built or substantially improved on or 
after the effective date for the initial Flood Insurance Rate Map 
(FIRM) for the community, or after December 31, 1974, whichever is 
later, so that the risk associated with buildings in flood-prone areas 
are borne by those located in such areas and not by the taxpayers at 
large. In accordance with Public Law 93-234, the purchase of flood 
insurance is mandatory when Federal or federally related financial 
assistance is being provided for acquisition or construction of 
buildings located, or to be located, within FEMA-identified special 
flood hazard areas of communities that are participating in the NFIP. 
When flood damage occurs to insured property, information is collected 
to report, investigate, and negotiate in order to settle the claim.

The NFIP Appeals Process

    Section 205 of The Bunning-Bereuter-Blumenauer Flood Insurance 
Reform Act (FIRA) of 2004, Public Law 108-264, requires FEMA to 
establish by regulation an additional process for the appeal of 
decisions of flood insurance claims issued through the NFIP. 
Consequently, FEMA published an interim final rule on May 26, 2006 (71 
FR 30294) and a final rule on October 13, 2006 (71 FR 60435) codifying 
into regulation what was previously an existing informal process to 
handle appeals regarding decisions related to coverage, or claims under 
the NFIP.

Collection of Information

    Title: National Flood Insurance Program Claims Forms.
    Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
information collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-0005.
    FEMA Forms: FEMA Form 086-0-6; Worksheet-Contents-Personal 
Property; 086-0-7; Worksheet--Building; 086-0-8; Worksheet--Building 
(Continued); 086-0-9; Proof of Loss; 086-0-10; Increased Cost of 
Compliance Proof of Loss; 086-0-11; Notice of Loss; 086-0-12; Statement 
as to Full Cost of Repair or Replacement under the Replacement Cost 
Coverage, Subject to the Terms and Conditions of this Policy (proposed 
for removal); 086-0-13; National Flood Insurance Program Preliminary 
Report; 086-0-14; National Flood Insurance Program Final Report; 086-0-
15; National Flood Insurance Program Narrative Report; 086-0-16; Cause 
of Loss and Subrogation Report; 086-0-17; Manufactured (Mobile) Home/
Travel Trailer Worksheet; 086-0-18; Manufactured (Mobile) Home/Travel 
Trailer Worksheet (continued); 086-0-19; Increased Cost of Compliance 
(ICC) Adjusters Report; 086-0-20; Adjuster Preliminary Damage 
Assessment; 086-0-21; Adjuster Certification Application. NFIP Claims 
Appeals Process (Flood Claims Insurance Handbook).
    Abstract: The NFIP appeal process establishes a formal mechanism to 
allow NFIP policyholders to appeal the

[[Page 4373]]

decisions of any insurance agent, adjuster, insurance company, or any 
FEMA employee or contractor, in cases of unsatisfactory decisions on 
claims, proof of loss, and loss estimates.
    Affected Public: Individuals, households, farms, businesses, and 
other for profit.
    Number of Respondents: 49,373.
    Number of Responses: 49,373.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 31,737.
    Estimated Cost: The estimated annual cost to respondents for the 
hour burden is $1,432,419. There are no recordkeeping, capital, start-
up or maintenance costs associated with this information collection. 
The cost to the Federal Government is $4,000,434.

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: January 9, 2017.
Richard W. Mattison,
Records Management Program Chief, Mission Support, Federal Emergency 
Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2017-00673 Filed 1-12-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-52-P