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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

83.548:  Hazard Mitigation Grant

Popular Name:  HMGP

Objectives:  To provide States and local governments financial assistance to implement measures that will permanently reduce or eliminate future damages and losses from natural hazards through safer building practices and improving existing structures and supporting infrastructure.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

83.548 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  State agencies, local governments, public entities, private nonprofit organizations as defined in 44 CFR Section 206.2, Native American Tribes or authorized tribal organizations, and Alaskan Native villages or organizations, but not Alaskan native corporations with ownership vested in private individuals.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  States and communities.

Credentials/Documentation:  Administrative and State 409 Plans must be approved and reviewed by FEMA before funding can be awarded under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

83.548 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  Rather than require applicants to submit a separate pre-application in order for FEMA and the State to identify the need for assistance, FEMA will employ the administrative and 409 plans in this manner. When States submit plans for review and indicate their intention to apply for assistance to implement one or more projects described in it, FEMA will use the plan to identify a need for funding assistance, and to discourage applications that are unlikely to be funded. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:  The State solicits, reviews, prioritizes and selects applications from the community for funding then forwards the applications to FEMA for review. FEMA reviews each project application to ensure projects meet environmental regulations and minimum eligibility requirements. In addition to a State Administrative Plan, and a State 409 Plan, the forms required are: SF-424 fact sheet, and a project narrative and description. States who manage the HMGP program may prescribe forms.

Award Procedure:  FEMA will notify the State in writing of the awards. Funds are posted in the SmartLink system. The State awards all subgrants.

Deadlines:  Contact Headquarters Office listed below for deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  About 60 days to 1 year, depending on project scope.

Appeals:  An eligible applicant, subgrantee, or State may appeal any determination previously made related to an application for or the provision of Federal assistance according to procedures set forth in Section 206.440.

Renewals:  Not applicable.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  It is the State's responsibility to identify and select hazard mitigation projects. The State will establish procedures and priorities for the selection of mitigation measures. At a minimum the criteria must be consistent with the criteria stated in 44 CFR 206.434(b) and include those in 206.435(b)(1)(2)(3)(c). After the State reviews the applications they are forwarded to FEMA for final review.

Examples of Funded Projects:  (1) Acquisition and relocation of structures from hazard-prone areas; (2) Strengthening structures against flood, high winds, wildfire, or other hazards to protect structures from future damages; (3) Elevating structures; (4) Development of State or local standards to protect new and substantially improved structures from disaster damage; (5) Drainage improvement projects; and (6) Vegetation management projects.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  Not separately identifiable.

83.548 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 83.536 Flood Mitigation Assistance.

83.548 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

83.548 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  PROGRAM SUPPORT DIVISION, PROGRAM DELIVERY BRANCH, MITIGATION DIRECTORATE, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY

Type of Assistance:  Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) Not separately identifiable.

Budget Account Number:  58-0104-0-1-453.

Authorization:  Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 404, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  44 CFR Subpart N - Hazard Mitigation Grant Program - Sections 206.430-206.440; Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended; Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, L-169, February 1996.

83.548 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  See Appendix IV of the Catalog for a listing of FEMA's Regional Offices.

Headquarters Office:  Robert F. Shea, Jr., Program Support Division, FEMA, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472. Phone: (202) 646-3619.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

83.548 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  FEMA can fund up to 75 percent of the eligible costs of each project. The State or project applicant must provide a 25 percent match. The 20 five percent nonfederal share can be a combination of cash, in-kind services, or materials. The amount of funding for the Program is based on 15 percent of all other disaster grants.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Program funds are to be obligated within 2 years after the disaster declaration. States are to agree on project completion deadlines with subgrantees on a project-by-project basis in the grant agreement.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Assistance can be used for the acquisition of real property, relocation, demolition of structures, seismic rehabilitation or retrofitting of existing structures; strengthening of existing structures, initial implementation of vegetation management programs, initial training of architects, engineers, building officials, and other professionals to facilitate the implementation of newly adopted State or local mitigation standards and codes; elevation of residential structures; elevation or dry flood-proofing of non-residential structures in accordance with 44 CFR 60.3, and other activities that bring a structure into compliance with the floodplain management requirements at 44 CFR 60.3, et al.

83.548 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  Each quarter the State completes and submits a financial status report, to report outlays for all approved projects. Also, the State will submit a performance report due quarterly to report on the implementation schedule, any delays, projected overruns, and problems encountered.

Audits:  Recipients that are governments; recipients of $25,000 or more, but less than $100,000 that choose not to have an organization wide single audit must conduct individual grant or contract audits on all FEMA awards over $25,000. Audit reports are submitted to FEMA District Inspector General responsible for the FEMA Region in which the recipient is located.

Records:  Records are not kept over three years. However, FEMA is required to track the use of real property acquired with grant funds in order to ensure that the property is maintained for open space in perpetuity. Subgrantees and State will need to retain real estate transaction and property tracking records indefinitely. FEMA is developing a computerized database to ease this burden.