Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 6, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16735-16737]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8467]


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FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY


Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB 
Review; Comment Request

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is submitting a 
request for review and approval of an expired information collection. 
The request is submitted under the emergency processing procedures in 
Office of Management and Budget OMB)

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regulation 5 CFR 1320.13. FEMA is requesting that this information 
collection be approved by April 12, 1999, for use through October 1999.
    FEMA plans to follow this emergency request with a request for a 3-
year approval. The request will be processed under OMB's normal 
clearance procedures in accordance with the provisions of OMB 
regulation 5 CFR 1320.10. To help us with the timely processing of the 
emergency and normal clearance submissions to OMB, FEMA invites the 
general public to comment on the proposed collection of information. 
This notice and request for comments is in accordance with the 
provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
3506(c)(2)(A)). It also seeks comments concerning the information 
collections outlined in 44 CFR Part 61, as it pertains to application 
for National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) 
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) provided flood insurance 
at full actuarial rates 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 risks 
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.
    Collection of Information.
    Title: National Flood Insurance Program Policy Forms.
    Type of Information Collection: Reinstatement, with change, of a 
previously approved collection for which approval has expired.
    OMB Number: 3067-0022.
    Forms: FEMA Form 81-16, Flood Insurance Application--used to obtain 
building and/or content coverage for dwellings and general property. 
Also used to apply for a Condo Master Policy, which provides flood 
insurance coverage on a single policy for all residential condo units 
in condominium building.
    FEMA Form 81-17, Cancellation/Nullification Request--used for 
cancellation or nullification of a NFIP policy.
    FEMA Form 81-18, General Change Endorsement--used to amend existing 
policy data shown on the policy Declaration Page.
    Request for Policy Processing and Renewal Information Letter (RPPRI 
Letter)--requests additional or corrected information from the producer 
when an Application, Endorsement, or Renewal cannot be processed 
because of missing or incorrect? Upon receipt by the NFIP of the 
additional or corrected information, the Application, Endorsement, or 
Renewal is processed.
    FEMA Form 81-25, V-Zone Risk Factor Rating--provides certified 
information concerning the building site, the building support system 
and other construction details, related to the building's resistance to 
wind and wave action. The information is used to determine the risk's 
eligibility for lower flood insurance rates.
    FEMA Form 81-67, Preferred Risk Application--a simplified 
application used to obtain flood insurance coverage for risk's located 
in B, C and X zones (zones designated as being moderately to minimally 
at risk from flooding) at lower premiums.
    Renewal Premium Notice--advises that the policy is about to expire 
and informs the payor of the premium required, for the coverage option 
selected, that must be submitted to renew the policy.
    Abstract: In order to provide for the availability of policies for 
flood insurance, policies are marketed through the facilities of 
licensed insurance agents or brokers in the various States. 
Applications from agents or brokers are forwarded to a servicing 
company designated as fiscal agent by FIA. Upon receipt and examination 
of the application and required premium, the servicing company issues 
the appropriate Federal flood insurance policy.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit institutions; Farms; Federal Government; State, 
Local or Tribal Government.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 31,718 hours.

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                                                                                     Per form
                     FEMA NFIP  policy form                          Number of     burden hours    Total burden
                                                                     responses      (in mins.)         hours
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81-16 Application and 81-67 Preferred Risk Application*.........          36,100              12           7,220
81-17 Cancellation..............................................          10,800             7.5           1,350
81-18 Endorsement...............................................          96,100               9          14,415
RPPRI Letters (to obtain missing information required for
 applications, endorsements, and renewals)......................       Because this format is used to obtain
                                                                     information requested but missing on, and
                                                                        required to process, applications,
                                                                    endorsements and renewals, its burden hours
                                                                   are not counted separately, but are included
                                                                    in the burden hour totals for those forms.
81-25 V-Zone Risk Factor Rating Form............................              10              15               3
Renewal Premium Notice..........................................         174,600               3           8,730
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    Total.......................................................         317,610                         31,718
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* The Preferred Risk Applications and the regular Flood Insurance Applications are now processed and recorded
  together. There is now break down available to separate the burden for each application.

    Estimated Total Costs: A $50 expense constant and a $30 policy fee 
are charged to the policyholder for the issuance of a new policy or the 
renewal of an existing policy in order to meet the operating expenses 
of the NFIP. (The amount of the expense constant and/or the policy fee 
are subject to adjustment as needed to meet the actual cost of the 
program.) The annual estimated cost to respondents is $25,408,800.

[[Page 16737]]

    The projected Operating Expenses (not including claims and claim 
adjustment expenses) of the NFIP are estimated at approximately 
$6,000,000 annually.

COMMENTS: Written 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) evaluate the accuracy of the 
estimated costs to respondents to provide the information to the 
agency; (d) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (e) 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. 
Comments should be received within 30 days of the date of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons should submit written comments to the 
Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, ATTN: Desk Officer for FEMA, 725 17th Street, NW, Room 10102, 
Washington, DC 20503.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Donald R. Beaton, Jr., Chief 
Underwriter, Federal Insurance Administration at (202) 646-3442 for 
additional information. Contact Muriel B. Anderson, FEMA Information 
Collections Officer at (202) 646-2625 or email muriel.anderson@fema.gov 
for copies of the proposed collection of information.

    Dated: March 29, 1999.
Reginald Trujillo,
Director, Program Services Division, Operations Support Directorate.
[FR Doc. 99-8467 Filed 4-5-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6718-01-P