(a) The regulations in this part implement Executive Order 12372, “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs,” issued July 14, 1982 and amended on April 8, 1983. These regulations also implement applicable provisions of section 401 of the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968 and section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act of 1966.

(b) These regulations are intended to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened Federalism by relying on state processes and on State, areawide, regional and local coordination for review of proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development.

(c) These regulations are intended to aid the internal management of FEMA, and are not intended to create any right or benefit enforceable at law by a party against FEMA or its officers.

Administrator means the Administrator of FEMA or an official or employee of FEMA acting for the Administrator of FEMA under a delegation of authority.

FEMA means the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Order means Executive Order 12372, issued July 14, 1982, and amended April 8, 1983 and titled “Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.”

State means any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

The Administrator publishes in the Federal Register a list of FEMA's programs and activities that are subject to these regulations and identifies which of these are subject to the requirements of section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Development Act.

The Administrator, to the extent practicable, consults with and seeks advice from all other substantially affected Federal departments and agencies in an effort to assure full coordination between such agencies and FEMA regarding programs and activities covered under these regulations.

(a) A State may select any program or activity published in the Federal Register in accordance with § 4.3 of this part for intergovernmental review under these regulations. Each State, before selecting programs and activities, shall consult with local elected officials.

(b) Each State that adopts a process shall notify the Administrator of FEMA's programs and activities selected for that process.

(c) A State may notify the Administrator of changes in its selections at any time. For each change, the State shall submit to the Administrator an assurance that the State has consulted with local elected officials regarding the change. FEMA may establish deadlines by which States are required to inform the Administrator of changes in their program selections.

(d) The Administrator uses a State's process as soon as feasible, depending on individual programs and activities, after the Administrator is notified of its selections.

(a) For those programs and activities covered by a state process under § 4.6, the Administrator, to the extent permitted by law:

(1) Uses the state process to determine views of State and local elected officials; and,

(2) Communicates with State and local elected officials, through the state process, as early in a program planning cycle as is reasonably feasible to explain specific plans and actions.

(b) The Administrator provides notice to directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities in a State of proposed Federal financial assistance or direct Federal development if:

(1) The State has not adopted a process under the Order; or

(2) The assistance or development involves a program or activity not selected for the State process.

(a) Except in unusual circumstances, the Administrator gives state processes or directly affected State, areawide, regional and local officials and entities at least 60 days from the date established by the Administrator to comment on proposed direct Federal development or Federal financial assistance.

(b) This section also applies to comments in cases in which the review, coordination, and communication with FEMA have been delegated.

(c) Applicants for programs and activities subject to section 204 of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Act shall allow areawide agencies a 60-day opportunity for review and comment.

(a) The Administrator follows the procedures in § 4.10 if:

(1) A State office or official is designated to act as a single point of contact between a state process and all Federal agencies, and

(2) That office or official transmits a state process recommendation for a program selected under § 4.6.

(b)(1) The single point of contact is not obligated to transmit comments from State, areawide, regional or local officials and entities where there is no state process recommendation.

(2) If a state process recommendation is transmitted by a single point of contact, all comments from state, areawide, regional, and local officials and entities that differ from it must also be transmitted.

(c) If a State has not established a process, or is unable to submit a state process recommendation, State, areawide, regional and local officials and entities may submit comments to FEMA.

(d) If a program or activity is not selected for a state process, State, areawide, regional and local officials and entities may submit comments to FEMA. In addition, if a state process recommendation for a nonselected program or activity is transmitted to FEMA by the single point of contact, the Administrator follows the procedures of § 4.10 of this part.

(e) The Administrator considers comments which do not constitute a state process recommendation submitted under these regulations and for which the Administrator is not required to apply the procedures of § 4.10 of this part, when such comments are provided by a single point of contact, by the applicant or directly to FEMA by a commenting party.

(a) If a state process provides a state process recommendation to FEMA through its single point of contact, the Administrator either:

(1) Accepts the recommendation;

(2) Reaches a mutually agreeable solution with the state process; or

(3) Provides the single point of contact with such written explanation of the decision, as the Administrator in his or her discretion deems appropriate. The Administrator may also supplement the written explanation by providing the explanation to the single point of contact by telephone, other telecommunication, or other means.

(b) In any explanation under paragraph (a)(3) of this section, the Administrator informs the single point of contact that:

(1) FEMA will not implement its decision for at least ten days after the single point of contact receives the explanation; or

(2) The Administrator has reviewed the decision and determined that, because of unusual circumstances, the waiting period of at least ten days is not feasible.

(c) For purposes of computing the waiting period under paragraph (b)(1) of this section, a single point of contact is presumed to have received written notification 5 days after the date of mailing of such notification.

(a) The Administrator is responsible for:

(1) Identifying proposed Federal financial assistance and direct Federal development that have an impact on interstate areas;

(2) Notifying appropriate officials and entities in states which have adopted a process and which select FEMA's program or activity;

(3) Making efforts to identify and notify the affected State, areawide, regional, and local officials and entities in those States that have not adopted a process under the Order or do not select FEMA's program or activity;

(4) Responding pursuant to § 4.10 of this part if the Administrator receives a recommendation from a designated areawide agency transmitted by a single point of contact, in cases in which the review, coordination, and communication with FEMA have been delegated.

(b) The Administrator uses the procedures in § 4.10 if a state process provides a state process recommendation to FEMA through a single point of contact.

(a) As used in this section:

(1) Simplify means that a State may develop its own format, choose its own submission date, and select the planning period for a State plan.

(2) Consolidate means that a State may meet statutory and regulatory requirements by combining two or more plans into one document and that the State can select the format, submission date, and planning period for the consolidated plan.

(3) Substitute means that a State may use a plan or other document that it has developed for its own purposes to meet Federal requirements.

(b) If not inconsistent with law, a State may decide to try to simplify, consolidate, or substitute federally required state plans without prior approval by the Administrator.

(c) The Administrator reviews each state plan that a State has simplified, consolidated, or substituted and accepts the plan only if its contents meet Federal requirements.

In an emergency, the Administrator may waive any provision of these regulations.