Document ID: FEMA-2019-0025-0001
Agency: fema
Document Type: Notice
Title: Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Public Assistance Program
Posted Date: 2019-11-14T05:00Z

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 220 (Thursday, November 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61922-61923]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-24719]

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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Federal Emergency Management Agency

[Docket ID FEMA-2019-0025; OMB No. 1660-0017]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; Public Assistance Program

AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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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 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 
information collected for the Public Assistance (PA) program 
eligibility determinations, grants management, and compliance with 
Federal laws and regulations.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before January 13, 2020.

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-2019-0025. 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 of 
www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Hildebrand, Process Improvement 
Section Chief, Public Assistance Program Delivery Branch, 202-646-3484. 
You may contact the Information Management Division for copies of the 
proposed collection of information at email address: FEMA-Information-Collections-Management@fema.dhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and 
Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-5207 (the Stafford Act), 
authorizes grants to assist State, Tribal, and local governments and 
certain Private Non-Profit entities with the response to and recovery 
from disasters following Presidentially declared major disasters and 
emergencies. 44 CFR part 206 specifies the information collections 
necessary to facilitate the provision of assistance under the Public 
Assistance (PA) Program. 44 CFR 206.202 describes the general 
application procedures for the PA Program.
    FEMA is seeking a revision to the already existing collection of 
information, OMB Control Number 1660-0017, because FEMA proposes 
changing the title from ``Request for Appeals and Recommendation/No 
Forms'' to ``Request for Appeals or Arbitrations and Recommendations/No 
Forms.'' Section 1219 of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018, 
which amended Section 423(d) of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C. 5189a), 
provides a right of arbitration to certain applicants of the PA Program 
that have a dispute concerning the eligibility for assistance or 
repayment of assistance. Plus, the annual cost to the Federal 
Government is increasing from $805,311.96 to $1,891,473. Finally, there 
has been a change in the annual burden hours due to a correction of 
errors in burden estimates. For example, in the past, FEMA incorrectly 
used 1.3 hours to represent 1.5 hours for FEMA Form 009-0-91.

Collection of Information

    Title: Public Assistance Program.
    Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved 
collection.
    OMB Number: 1660-0017.
    FEMA Forms: FEMA Form-009-0-49 Request for Public Assistance; FEMA 
Form 009-0-91 Project Worksheet (PW); FEMA Form 009-0-91A Project 
Worksheet (PW)--Damage Description and Scope of Work Continuation 
Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91B Project Worksheet (PW)--Cost Estimate 
Continuation Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91C Project Worksheet (PW)--Maps 
and Sketches Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-91D Project Worksheet (PW)--Photo 
Sheet; FEMA Form 009-0-120 Special Considerations Questions; FEMA Form 
009-0-121 PNP Facility Questionnaire; FEMA Form 009-0-123 Force Account 
Labor Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-124 Materials Summary Record;

[[Page 61923]]

FEMA Form 009-0-125 Rented Equipment Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-
126 Contract Work Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-127 Force Account 
Equipment Summary Record; FEMA Form 009-0-128 Applicant's Benefits 
Calculation Worksheet; FEMA Form 009-0-111, Quarterly Progress Report; 
FEMA Form 009-0-141, FAC-TRAX System.
    Abstract: The information collected is utilized by FEMA to make 
determinations for Public Assistance grants based on the information 
supplied by the respondents.
    Affected Public: State, local or Tribal government.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,012.
    Estimated Number of Responses: 398,068.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 466,025.
    Estimated Total Annual Respondent Cost: $29,601,921.
    Estimated Respondents' Operation and Maintenance Costs: N/A.
    Estimated Respondents' Capital and Start-Up Costs: N/A.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to the Federal Government: $1,891,473.

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.

Maile Arthur,
Deputy Director, Information Management Division, Office of the Chief 
Administrative Officer, Mission Support, Federal Emergency Management 
Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
[FR Doc. 2019-24719 Filed 11-13-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-23-P