SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 404 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, (Stafford Act), Public Law 93-288, as amended, 88 Stat. 143 (42 U.S.C. 5170c), established the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP). Program grant requirements and grants management procedures are outlined in 44 CFR part 206 subpart N, and 2 CFR parts 200 and 3002. FEMA administers the HMGP, and Recipients implement the grants under the HMGP per grant agreement, rules, and regulations. The HMGP is a disaster program that contributes funds toward the cost of hazard mitigation activities to reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, loss, or suffering in any area affected by a major disaster, or any area affected by a fire for which assistance was provided under Section 420 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5187). Section 102(4) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5122(4)) defines a “State” as 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. “Recipient,” as provided in 2 CFR 200.1, means a non-Federal entity that receives a Federal award directly from a Federal awarding agency to carry out an activity under a Federal program. “Subrecipient” refers to a non-Federal entity that receives a subaward from a pass-through entity to carry out part of a Federal program; but does not include an individual that is a beneficiary of such program. 2 CFR 200.1. A subrecipient may also be a recipient of other Federal awards directly from a Federal awarding agency. 2 CFR 200.1. The term “Indian Tribal government” is defined in section 102 of the Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. 5122(6), as the governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that the Secretary of the Interior acknowledges to exist as an Indian tribe under the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994, Public Law 103-454, 108 Stat. 4791 (25 U.S.C. 479a). In addition, the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act of 2013, Public Law 113-2, 127 Stat. 47 (42 U.S.C. 5170(b)) amended the Stafford Act to allow the Chief Executive of a Federally recognized Indian tribe to make a direct request for a major disaster or emergency declaration to the President of the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security adopted in its entirety the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200 on December 26, 2014. 2 CFR 3002.1, 79 FR 75871 (Dec. 19, 2014). This rule eliminated overlapping and duplicative requirements for stakeholders, including states, territories and Indian Tribal governments, by using general terms such as “recipient” and “pass-through entity.”

The HMGP regulation describes the application process in 44 CFR 206.436. Information collected through the financial award application is the minimum information necessary for the financial award administration under the HMGP and includes the project narrative, analysis of the measure's cost-effectiveness referred to as the benefit-cost determination, and environmental review used.

According to 44 CFR 206.436(d), “The State must submit all local HMGP applications and funding requests for the purpose of identifying new projects to the Regional Administrator within 15 months of the date of disaster declaration.”

Additionally, under 44 CFR 206.438(c), progress reports must be submitted by the HMGP recipient to the Regional Administrator on a quarterly basis, certifying how the funds are being used and reporting on the progress of activities funded under the subrecipient awards made to the Recipient by FEMA. The Regional Administrator and Recipient negotiate the date for submission of the first report. Quarterly progress reports describe the status of those projects on which a final payment of the Federal share has not been made to the recipient, and outline any problems or circumstances expected to result in noncompliance with the approved award conditions.

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking At of 2018 (Evidence Act), Public Law 115-435, 132 Stat. 5534 (5 U.S.C. 311-315) establishes evaluation using systematic data collection and analysis of programs, policies, and organizations intended to assess their effectiveness and efficiency as an essential program activity.

Collection of Information

Title: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Application and Reporting.

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

OMB Number: OMB No. 1660-0076.

FEMA Forms: Project Narrative; Benefit-Cost Determination; Environmental Review; FEMA Form FF-206-FY-22-154 (formerly 009-0-111A), Quarterly Progress Reports.

Abstract: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administers the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which is a disaster program that contributes funds toward the cost of hazard mitigation activities to reduce the risk of future damage hardship, loss or suffering in any area affected by a major disaster. FEMA uses applications to provide financial assistance in the form of grant awards and, through grantee quarterly reporting, monitor grantee project activities and expenditure of funds.

Affected Public: State, local, or Tribal Government.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 296.

Estimated Number of Responses: 6,808.

Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 56,499. ( printed page 58911)

Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $4,169,061.

Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: $0.

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

Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $5,684,662.

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.

91 FR 58909