FEMA Media Library

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Archived: Mitigation Assistance: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities FEMA Policy FP-104-008-05

The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) policy establishes the framework and requirements for the program while allowing flexibility to promote continuous program improvement through priorities and criteria set forth in the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The BRIC program is designed to promote a national culture of preparedness and public safety through encouraging investments to protect the nation’s communities and infrastructure and through strengthening national mitigation capabilities to foster resilience.

This policy was effective from February 14, 2022 through March 22, 2023.

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Archived: Policy Clarification: Project Eligibility for Private Nonprofit Houses of Worship under Hazard Mitigation Assistance

The purpose of this policy clarification is to implement policy changes in Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs based on requirements related to houses of worship established in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law No: 115-123) (BBA). The policy changes are as follows: (1) HMA will include a house of worship in the definition of a private nonprofit (PNP), distinct from other PNPs such as community centers; (2) a house of worship, with properly documented PNP status, will be eligible to receive HMGP funding as a subapplicant; (3) HMA will fund eligible mitigation activities for a house of worship, as it would for any eligible PNP facility, including retrofitting and elevation which primarily benefit the house of worship; and, (4) the definition of a private nonprofit organization (or facility) in the HMA Guidance (2015) at Part III.B (in box) and Part VIII.A.6 is changed from “essential governmental service(s)” to “essential social service(s)”.

This policy clarification was effective from May 3, 2018 through March 22, 2023.

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HMA Guide Summary of Changes

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NRI Data Version and Update Documentation

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Archived: Ecosystem Service Benefits in Benefit-Cost Analysis for FEMA’s Mitigation Programs Policy

FEMA Policy FP-108-024-02: This policy allows for ecosystem service benefits to be included in a mitigation project’s Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) regardless of the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR). Ecosystem service benefits are positive effects provided to people by nature, such as aesthetic value, air quality, recreation space, and water filtration.

By removing the previous BCR threshold, ecosystem service benefits can be used for all project types eligible under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) and Public Assistance (PA) 406 mitigation programs that support the incorporation of ecosystem service benefits and result in the improvement of the natural environment.

This policy was effective from September 28, 2020 through March 22, 2023.

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Archived: Partial Implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs (Interim)

FEMA Policy FP-206-21-0003
This interim policy partially implements the FFRMS by requiring the use of higher flood elevations established by the FFRMS Freeboard Value Approach (FVA) for certain non-critical actions involving structures in the base floodplain (Special Flood Hazard Area).Under this interim policy, the FFRMS FVA will be utilized to determine the minimum flood protection elevation for certain project types. This interim policy applies to all HMA programs.

This policy was effective from August 27, 2021 through December 6, 2022.

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Archived: HMA Grants Termination

Information Bulletin (01-2022-HMA) amends the language in the Hazard Mitigation Assistance Guidance, dated February 27, 2015 (hereinafter HMA Guidance), which states that consent by “all parties” is required for grant termination.
This information bulletin explains that “all parties” refers to two parties when FEMA and the recipient agree to terminate the grant and does not include the subrecipient. With this bulletin, FEMA wants to better ensure that grant termination under HMA programs and implemented under the HMA Guidance are consistent with the requirements in 2 C.F.R. § 200.340(a)(3).

This information bulletin was effective from April 8, 2022 through March 22, 2023.

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Archived: Hazard Mitigation Assistance HMA Acquisition Projects: Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Directional Drilling

This policy issued in July 2017 provides program guidance about Hydraulic Fracturing and Horizontal Directional Drilling (hydraulic fracturing/HDD) as it relates to properties acquired by Hazard Mitigation Assistance grants for open space. FEMA reviewed activities occurring above-ground as well as below-ground to determine compatible use of the open space.

This policy was effective from July 6, 2017 through March 22, 2023.

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Archived Policy: Eligibility of Flood Risk Reduction Measures under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Programs

This policy updates the eligibility of flood risk reduction measures under the Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs. This policy was effective from June 27, 2014 through March 22, 2023.

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Archived: Partial Implementation of the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs (Final)

In alignment with the Executive Order 14030 Climate-Related Financial Risk, which seeks to strengthen the state of nationwide resilience, FEMA is partially implementing the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (FFRMS) for Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Programs. It applies to federally-funded mitigation projects and sets elevation requirements for structures in floodplains —requiring them to either be elevated or floodproofed (only allowable for non-residential structures). This policy (FEMA Policy FP-206-21-0003-0001) supersedes the 2021 policy FP-206-21-003. This partial implementation covers non-critical and critical action structure elevation requirements for HMA-funded mitigation projects. It also describes requirements for new construction, substantially improved and substantially damaged structures.

This policy was effective from December 7, 2020 through March 22, 2023.

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