Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27969

have created a separate Bureau file

number (CCB–IAD File No. 98–101) for

all pleadings concerning the monitoring

program.

7. In addition, we seek comment on

whether we should supplement the

Monitoring Report data on federal

mechanisms with corresponding data on

state universal service mechanisms. One

of the Commission’s fundamental goals

in the Universal Service Order was to

‘‘create sustainable and harmonious

federal and state methods of

continuously fulfilling universal service

goals’’ in cooperation with the Universal

Service Joint Board. If we were to

include data on state universal service

support mechanisms in the Monitoring

Reports, they would present a more

comprehensive picture of the impact of

both federal and state universal service

support mechanisms on the industry

and customers, materially enhancing the

usefulness of the monitoring program.

We note, however, that the federal

universal service mechanisms are

designed to address that portion of the

cost of providing telecommunications

services that is attributable to interstate

service. Accordingly, and in light of

these universal service goals, we seek

comment on whether it would be

appropriate, useful, and feasible to

include state data in the Monitoring

Reports.

8. Given the close relationship

between the Commission’s previous

universal service support mechanisms

and those new support mechanisms

outlined in the Universal Service Order,

we propose to adopt the structure and

content of the past Monitoring Reports,

i.e., those issued in CC Docket 87–339,

with modifications described herein.

The new Monitoring Reports, proposed

in the Public Notice, contain eleven

sections, each described in the Public

Notice. To address certain new aspects

of the universal service support

mechanisms, we propose to add four

sections to the Monitoring Report. These

new sections would report data on: (1)

contributions to the universal service

support mechanisms and accompanying

industry revenue information; (2) the

new rural health care mechanism; (3)

the new schools and libraries

mechanism; and (4) quality of service.

III. Procedural Issues

9. Procedures for Filing. Interested

parties may file comments in CC Docket

No. 96–45 not later than May 26, 1998.

Reply comments may be filed not later

than June 10, 1998. All filings should

refer to the pleadings as Program to

Monitor Impacts of Universal Service

Support Mechanisms, CC Docket 96–45,

CCB–IAD File No. 98–101. One original

and four copies of all comments must be

sent to Magalie Roman Salas, Secretary,

Federal Communications Commission,

1919 M Street, NW., Washington, D.C.

20554. Two copies should also be sent

to Ms. Terry Conway, Industry Analysis

Division, Common Carrier Bureau, 2033

M Street, NW., Suite 500, Washington,

D.C. 20554. Copies of documents filed

with the Commission may be obtained

from the International Transcription

Service (ITS), 1231 20th Street, NW.,

Suite 140, Washington, D.C. 20036,

(202) 857–3800. Documents are also

available for review and copying at the

Reference Center, Room 239, 1919 M

Street, NW., Washington, D.C., Monday,

from 9:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and

Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m.

to 4:30 p.m., (202) 418–0270.

10. This proceeding is a non-restricted

proceeding. See 47 CFR 1.1200(a),

1.1206. Accordingly, ex parte

presentations are permitted, provided

that they are disclosed in conformance

with the Commission’s ex parte rules.

11. Paperwork Reduction Act. We

note that substantially all of the data

included in the proposed Monitoring

Reports is obtained pursuant to existing

information collections that have

previously been approved by the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB),

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act of 1995, Public Law No. 104–13. We

tentatively conclude that certain

proposals in this Public Notice might be

subject to approval by the OMB,

pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction

Act, since they might impose new or

modified collection requirements. Our

analysis indicates that the following

proposals may require OMB approval:

(1) any collection of voluntarily

submitted data from states concerning

state universal service mechanisms (See

paragraph 9 of the Public Notice); (2)

any expansion of the Commission’s

local rate survey (See paragraphs 37–38

of the Public Notice); and (3) collection

of certain usage data (See paragraph 43–

45 of the Public Notice). All other

proposals associated with the program

either require responses from fewer than

ten parties or are continuations of

requirements that already have OMB

approval. We invite the general public

to comment on the new or modified

information collections. Comments

should address: (a) whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the Commission,

including whether the information shall

have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of

the Commission’s burden estimates; (c)

ways to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information collected; and

(d) ways to minimize the burden of

collection of information on

respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

Federal Communications Commission.

Peyton L. Wynns,

Chief, Industry Analysis Division.

[FR Doc. 98–13562 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712–01–P

FEDERAL EMERGENCY

MANAGEMENT AGENCY

National Flood Insurance Program;

Standard Flood Hazard Determination

Form

AGENCY: Federal Emergency

Management Agency (FEMA).

ACTION: Notice with request for

comments.

SUMMARY: The Federal Emergency

Management Agency gives notice of

certain changes to the FEMA Standard

Flood Hazard Determination form,

which form is used to ensure that

buildings and mobile homes located

within an identified Special Flood

Hazard Area (SFHA) will be covered by

flood insurance. We invite public

comment on the changes to the form.

DATES: Please submit any comments in

writing on or before July 20, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Please submit any

comments to the Rules Docket Clerk,

Office of the General Counsel, Federal

Emergency Management Agency, 500 C

Street SW., room 840, Washington, DC

20472, (facsimile) (202) 646–4536, or

(email) rules@fema.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As part of

our implementation of the National

Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994,

FEMA published a final rule at 60 FR

35276, July 6, 1995, to establish a

standard form for determining whether

a building or mobile home is located in

an SFHA, whether flood insurance is

required, and whether federal flood

insurance is available. The federal

entities for lending regulation published

a final rule (60 FR 35286, July 6, 1995)

requiring use of the form. Use of the

form by federally regulated lenders

became mandatory on January 2, 1996.

The OMB number for the current form

expires on April 30, 1998 but OMB has

extended the expiration date for an

additional 90 days.

During the two years that this form

has been in use, many users have

commented on the form asking FEMA to

make minor changes and clarifications.

By separate rule published today in the

Federal Register we have removed the

form from 44 CFR part 65, Appendix A.
27970 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices

The form will continue in use and will

continue to be available by written

request, by fax-on-demand, and through

the Internet at http://www.fema.gov/

nfip/ mpurfi.htm. Removal of the form

from the Code of Federal Regulations

will enhance FEMA’s ability to

incorporate changes to the form outside

of the rulemaking process, while

continuing to provide full notice of the

availability of the form to the public and

to affected parties. By this notice we

propose changes to the form and we

request comments on the proposed

changes from the public and from other

Federal agencies.

Our proposed changes to the form

include:

(1) a new reference to Otherwise

Protected Areas (OPAs) in Section C,

‘‘Federal Flood Insurance Availability.’’

OPAs have restrictions on the sale of

flood insurance similar to those on

Coastal Barrier Resources Areas;

(2) a minor wording change to Section

D, ‘‘Determination,’’ to simplify the

statement as follows: The parenthetical

phrase (Zones beginning with the letters

‘‘A’’ or ‘‘V’’) would be changed to

(Zones containing the letters ‘‘A’’ or

‘‘V’’);

(3) numbering of the items listed in

Sections A, B, and C to facilitate their

reference in the instructions.

(4) revision of the instructions to

include some clarifications and to

include information on the form’s

availability via the FEMA fax-ondemand line and Internet site.

We notified users informally about

the proposed revision by letter dated

January 23, 1998, including lending

regulators, federal agency lenders,

government-sponsored enterprises for

housing, flood zone determination

companies, and lender trade

associations.

Collection of Information

Title: Standard Flood Hazard

Determination.

Type of Information Collection:

Revision of a currently approved

collection.

OMB Number: 3067–0264.

Form Number: Form Number 83–91,

Standard Flood Hazard Determination.

Abstract. Federally regulated lending

institutions (or third party), federal

agency lenders, and governmentsponsored enterprises for housing,

complete this form when making,

increasing, extending, renewing or

purchasing any loan to document the

factors considered when determining

whether flood insurance is required and

whether flood insurance is available.

The statutory requirement for these

parties to determine whether a building

or mobile home securing a loan is

located in an area having special flood

hazards and whether flood insurance is

available was first enacted in the Flood

Disaster Protection Act of 1973. The

Standard Flood Hazard Determination

form was later required by the National

Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 and

provides a consistent method for

documenting the required information.

Federally regulated lending

institutions, federal agency lenders, and

government-sponsored enterprises for

housing process an estimated

12,000,000 loan applications each year

that require the information. If they do

not collect the information on the

revised Standard Flood Hazard

Determination form for each loan, then

federally-backed loans may be

inadequately insured against flood

losses. Flood insurance is designed to

decrease the financial impact of

flooding on the federal government, on

taxpayers, and on citizens in areas

prone to flooding.

Affected Public: Business or other forprofit.

Estimated Total Annual Burden

Hours. 4,000,000 hours.

FEMA form

Number of

respondents

(A)

Frequency of

response

(B)

Hours per

response (C)

Annual

burden hours

(A×B×C)

81–93 12,000,000 1 .33 4,000,000

Estimated Cost. $99,000,000

(12,000,000 × .33 × $25 = $99,000,000).

Comments

FEMA does not collect the

information contained on the Standard

Flood Hazard Determination form.

FEMA developed the form in response

to a congressional mandate to establish

a standard form for determining

whether a building or mobile home is

located in an SFHA and whether federal

flood insurance is available. This form

is considered a recordkeeping

requirement. FEMA is soliciting written

comments (a) to evaluate whether the

proposed data collection is necessary for

the proper performance of the agency,

including whether the information has

practical utility; (b) to 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) to enhance the quality, utility, and

clarity of the information to be

collected; and (d) to 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: May 14, 1998.

Michael J. Armstrong,

Associate Director for Mitigation.

FEMA Form 81–93, Federal

Emergency Management Agency,

Standard Flood Hazard Determination,

as proposed to be amended, reads as

follows:

BILLING CODE 6718–04–P
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 98 /Thursday, May 21, 1998 / Notices 27971

[FR Doc. 98–13444 Filed 5–20–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6718–04–C