Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Notices 81927 

25Public Law 117–219, 136 Stat. 2271. 

26Propagate is defined as reproduce or spread 

information., Black’s Law Dictionary, https://

thelawdictionary.org/propagate/ (last accessed July 

24, 2024). Here, this refers to how statutory, 

regulatory, or administrative provisions referring to 

CBSAs, but not specifying a particular version of 

the CBSA standards or delineations, should be 

read—do these provisions always mean the latest 

versions of the CBSA standards or delineations, or 

some older versions? The MAPS Act requires that 

these provisions not be read to refer to CBSA 

delineations issued after the enactment of the 

MAPS Act, unless an agency follows the 

appropriate processes. 

27See 31 U.S.C. 6309. 

28OMB Bulletin No. 23–01 (July 21, 2023), 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/ 

2023/07/OMB-Bulletin-23-01.pdf. 

29OMB Bulletin No. 20–01 (Mar. 6, 2020), https:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ 

Bulletin-20-01.pdf. 

30For more information on principal cities and 

Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area 

titles, see U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan and 

Micropolitan, About (July 25, 2023), https://

www.census.gov/programs-surveys/metro-micro/ 

about.html. 

31For more information on Connecticut planning 

regions, see State of Connecticut Office of Policy 

and Management, Planning Regions and Regional 

Councils of Governments, https://portal.ct.gov/ 

opm/igpp/org/planning-regions/planning-regions-- 

overview (last accessed July 25, 2024). 

B. Metropolitan Areas Protection and 

Standardization Act of 2021 

The Metropolitan Areas Protection 

and Standardization Act of 2021 (MAPS 

Act),25 enacted on December 5, 2022, 

prohibits changes to the standards of 

CBSA delineations to propagate 26

automatically for any non-statistical use 

by any domestic assistance program and 

instead requires changes to propagate if 

they are affirmatively adopted through 

notice and comment rulemaking 

pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553, by a relevant 

agency that determines such a 

propagation supports the purposes of 

the program and is in the public 

interest.27

Since an applicant’s eligibility for 

certain of FEMA’s grant programs (i.e., 

UASI, NSGP, PSGP, TSGP, THSGP, and 

RCPGP) depends in part on the 

applicant’s location with respect to 

specific MSAs, changing which version 

of the MSA delineations is used could 

change which applicants are eligible. 

Consistent with the requirements of the 

MAPS Act, FEMA is now requesting 

comment on whether the use of the 

latest editions of OMB’s MSA 

delineations in these grant programs 

supports the purposes of the programs 

and is in the public’s interest. 

III. 2023 CBSA Delineations 

OMB published revised CBSA 

delineations on July 21, 2023, based on 

the application of the 2020 Standards to 

Census Bureau data from the 2020 

Decennial Census, the American 

Community Survey, and Census 

Population Estimates Program for 2020 

and 2021.28 The 2023 delineations 

update and supersede the previous 

version of the delineations issued on 

March 6, 2020,29 and make the 

following changes: 

1. The Springfield, MA, and New 

Haven, CT, MSAs are no longer among 

the 100 most populous MSAs due to 

changes to the county composition of 

some MSAs. 

2. The Jackson, MS, and Fayetteville, 

AR, MSAs now do qualify as part of the 

100 most populous MSAs due to either 

changes in county composition or due 

to changes in population values. 

3. Twenty-seven MSAs changed their 

name due to changes in principal city 

population or due to changes in which 

States are part of the MSA. For example, 

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 

MSA is now Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, 

IL-IN MSA due to the removal of the 

one Wisconsin county that was part of 

the MSA.30

4. MSAs in Connecticut were updated 

to use the new planning regions in place 

of counties.31

5. The composition of 29 MSAs, 

including the 2 MSAs that join the top100 list and the 2 that drop off, changed 

because counties or county equivalents 

were added or removed from the MSA 

delineations. For example, Virginia 

Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 

MSA lost two counties and gained 

another and is now Virginia BeachChesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC MSA. 

5.1. There are 22 counties removed 

from MSAs, of which 6 are old 

Connecticut counties that get replaced 

by the 5 new planning regions. 

5.2. There are 30 counties added to 

MSAs, of which 5 are the new 

Connecticut planning regions and 11 are 

in the MSAs of Jackson, MS, and 

Fayetteville, AR. 

FEMA’s assessment of the changes in 

the 2023 MSA delineations found that 

there would be no changes in the 

geographic eligibility for any Tribal 

Nations under THSGP. 

The revisions in the 2023 MSA 

delineations change which MSAs 

qualify as the 100 most populous MSAs 

considered for the UASI risk 

assessment. Changes to this list impact 

which jurisdictions are eligible to 

receive funding, the overall risk 

methodology, the resultant risk scores, 

and the allocations. In addition to the 

UASI grant program, the MSA 

delineations are also used to determine 

eligibility for THSGP, NSGP, PSGP, 

TSGP, and RCPGP. 

Based on a review of FEMA historical 

grant data, there was no UASI data 

available for the 22 counties that were 

removed from the 2023 MSA 

delineations, which indicates that 

FEMA did not provide any UASI 

funding for these areas in the past 10 

years. Therefore, FEMA expects that the 

removal of these counties would not 

impact grant allocations under the 2023 

delineations. Furthermore, we do not 

have any grant data for the 30 counties 

that were newly added due to MSA 

updates, so we are unable to measure 

the impact of these changes on grant 

allocations. Because UASI funding is 

capped, any economic impacts would 

result in a different distribution of funds 

(the newly added counties would 

become eligible while the removed 

counties would lose eligibility), but total 

funding would not change. 

Consistent with the requirements of 

the MAPS Act, FEMA seeks public 

comment on the use of the 2023 MSA 

delineations for the following FEMA 

grant programs: UASI, NSGP, PSGP, 

TSGP, THSGP, and RCPGP. 

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide 

specific feedback on whether using the 

2023 MSA delineations would support 

the purposes of these grant programs 

and be in the public interest. 

Deanne Criswell, 

Administrator, Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23365 Filed 10–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–78–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services 

[OMB Control Number 1615–NEW] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; New Collection: USCIS 

Adult Citizenship Educator of the Year 

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services, Department of 

Homeland Security. 

ACTION: 60-Day notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services (USCIS) invites 

the general public and other Federal 

agencies to comment upon this 

proposed new collection of information. 

In accordance with the Paperwork 

Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the 

information collection notice is 

published in the Federal Register to 

obtain comments regarding the nature of 

the information collection, the 

categories of respondents, the estimated 

burden (i.e., the time, effort, and 


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81928 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 196 / Wednesday, October 9, 2024 / Notices 

resources used by the respondents to 

respond), the estimated cost to the 

respondent, and the actual information 

collection instruments. 

DATES: Comments are encouraged and 

will be accepted for 60 days until 

December 9, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: All submissions received 

must include the OMB Control Number 

1615–NEW in the body of the letter, the 

agency name and Docket ID USCIS– 

2024–0007. Submit comments via the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal website at 

https://www.regulations.gov under eDocket ID number USCIS–2024–0007. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, 

Regulatory Coordination Division, 

Samantha Deshommes, Chief, telephone 

number (240) 721–3000 (This is not a 

toll-free number. Comments are not 

accepted via telephone message). Please 

note contact information provided here 

is solely for questions regarding this 

notice. It is not for individual case 

status inquiries. Applicants seeking 

information about the status of their 

individual cases can check Case Status 

Online, available at the USCIS website 

at https://www.uscis.gov, or call the 

USCIS Contact Center at 800–375–5283 

(TTY 800–767–1833). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments 

You may access the information 

collection instrument with instructions 

or additional information by visiting the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal site at: 

https://www.regulations.gov and 

entering USCIS–2024–0007 in the 

search box. Comments must be 

submitted in English, or an English 

translation must be provided. All 

submissions will be posted, without 

change, to the Federal eRulemaking 

Portal at https://www.regulations.gov, 

and will include any personal 

information you provide. Therefore, 

submitting this information makes it 

public. You may wish to consider 

limiting the amount of personal 

information that you provide in any 

voluntary submission you make to DHS. 

DHS may withhold information 

provided in comments from public 

viewing that it determines may impact 

the privacy of an individual or is 

offensive. For additional information, 

please read the Privacy Act notice that 

is available via the link in the footer of 

https://www.regulations.gov. 

Written comments and suggestions 

from the public and affected agencies 

should address one or more of the 

following four points: 

(1) Evaluate whether the proposed 

collection of information is necessary 

for the proper performance of the 

functions of the agency, including 

whether the information will have 

practical utility; 

(2) 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; 

(3) Enhance the quality, utility, and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and 

(4) 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. 

Overview of This Information 

Collection 

(1) Type of Information Collection: 

New Collection. 

(2) Title of the Form/Collection: 

USCIS Adult Citizenship Educator of 

the Year. 

(3) Agency form number, if any, and 

the applicable component of the DHS 

sponsoring the collection: G–1607NO; 

G–1607NE; USCIS. 

(4) Affected public who will be asked 

or required to respond, as well as a brief 

abstract: Primary: Individuals or 

households. USCIS will notify the 

public that this new award and 

information collection has been created 

to seek nominations for the ACEY 

Award. USCIS will seek nominations by 

publishing an announcement to the 

public via various media outreach 

options typically used by USCIS to 

inform the public of new programs and 

initiatives. The individual or 

organization will use the Form G– 

1607NO, USCIS Adult Citizenship 

Educator of the Year (ACEY) 

Nomination Form to submit their 

nominee for the ACEY Award. USCIS 

would then send the potential nominee 

the Form G–1607NE, USCIS Adult 

Citizenship Educator of the Year (ACEY) 

Award Nominee Form, as applicable, to 

complete if the potential nominee is 

interested in accepting the award. 

(5) An estimate of the total number of 

respondents and the amount of time 

estimated for an average respondent to 

respond: The estimated total number of 

respondents for the information 

collection G–1607NO is 200 and the 

estimated hour burden per response is 

0.5 hours; the estimated total number of 

respondents for the information 

collection G–1607NE is 200 and the 

estimated hour burden per response is 

0.85 hours. 

(6) An estimate of the total public 

burden (in hours) associated with the 

collection: The total estimated annual 

hour burden associated with this 

collection is 270 hours. 

(7) An estimate of the total public 

burden (in cost) associated with the 

collection: The estimated total annual 

cost burden associated with this 

collection of information is $0. The 

interaction of the form incurs no cost as 

the submission process and 

communications are all transmitted 

electronically. 

Dated: October 3, 2024. 

Jerry L. Rigdon, 

Deputy Chief, Regulatory Coordination 

Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, U.S. 

Citizenship and Immigration Services, 

Department of Homeland Security. 

[FR Doc. 2024–23374 Filed 10–8–24; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9111–97–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[Docket No. FWS–HQ–IA–2024–0141; 

FXIA16710900000–245–FF09A30000] 

Foreign Endangered Species; Receipt 

of Permit Applications 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of receipt of permit 

applications; request for comments. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, invite the public to 

comment on applications to conduct 

certain activities with foreign species 

that are listed as endangered under the 

Endangered Species Act (ESA). With 

some exceptions, the ESA prohibits 

activities with listed species unless 

Federal authorization is issued that 

allows such activities. The ESA also 

requires that we invite public comment 

before issuing permits for any activity 

otherwise prohibited by the ESA with 

respect to any endangered species. 

DATES: We must receive comments by 

November 8, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Obtaining Documents: The 

applications, application supporting 

materials, and any comments and other 

materials that we receive will be 

available for public inspection at 

https://www.regulations.gov in Docket 

No. FWS–HQ–IA–2024–0141. 

Submitting Comments: When 

submitting comments, please specify the 

name of the applicant and the permit 

number at the beginning of your 

comment. You may submit comments 

by one of the following methods: 

• internet: https://

www.regulations.gov. Search for and 


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