[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 44, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 44CFR1.4]

[Page 8-9]
 
              TITLE 44--EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND ASSISTANCE
 
 CHAPTER I--FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 
                                SECURITY
 
PART 1--RULEMAKING; POLICY AND PROCEDURES--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 1.4  Policy and procedures.

    (a) In promulgating new regulations, reviewing existing regulations, 
and developing legislative proposals concerning regulation, FEMA, to the 
extent permitted by law, shall adhere to the following requirements:
    (1) Administrative decisions shall be based on adequate information 
concerning the need for and consequences of proposed government action;
    (2) Regulatory action shall not be undertaken unless the potential 
benefits to society for the regulation outweigh the potential costs to 
society;
    (3) Regulatory objectives shall be chosen to maximize the net 
benefits to society;
    (4) Among alternative approaches to any given regulatory objective, 
the alternative involving the least net cost to society shall be chosen; 
and
    (5) FEMA shall set regulatory priorities with the aim of maximizing 
the aggregate net benefits to society, taking into account the condition 
of the particular entities affected by regulations, the condition of the 
national economy, and other regulatory actions contemplated for the 
future.
    (b) It is the policy of FEMA to provide for public participation in 
rulemaking regarding its programs and functions, including matters that 
relate to public property, loans, grants, or benefits, or contracts, 
even though these matters are not subject to a requirement for notice 
and public comment rulemaking by law.
    (c) FEMA will publish notices of proposed rulemaking in the Federal 
Register and will give interested persons an opportunity to participate 
in the rulemaking through submission of written data, views, and 
arguments with or without opportunity for oral presentation.
    (d) In order to give the public, including small entities and 
consumer groups, an early and meaningful opportunity to participate in 
the development of rules, for a number of regulations the Director will 
employ additional methods of inviting public participation. These 
methods include, but are not limited to, publishing advance Notices of 
Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR), which can include a statement with respect 
to the impact of the proposed rule on small entities; holding open 
conferences; convening public forums or panels, sending notices of 
proposed regulations to publications likely to be read by those affected 
and soliciting comment from interested parties by such means as direct 
mail. An ANPR should be used to solicit public comment early in the 
rulemaking process for significant rules.
    (e) It is the policy of FEMA that its notices of proposed rulemaking 
are to afford the public at least sixty days for

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submission of comments unless the Director makes an exception and sets 
forth the reasons for the exception in the preamble to the notice of 
proposed rulemaking. This period shall also include any period of review 
required by the Office of Management and Budget in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980.
    (f) Unless required by statute or Executive Order, notice and public 
procedure may be omitted if the Director, for good cause, determines in 
a particular case or class of cases that notice and public procedure is 
impractical, unnecessary or contrary to the public interest and sets 
forth the reason for the determination in the rulemaking document or, 
for a class of cases, in a published rule or statement of policy. In a 
particular case, the reasons for the determination will be stated in the 
rulemaking document. Notice and public procedure may also be omitted 
with respect to statements of policy, interpretative rules, rules 
governing FEMA's organization or its own internal practices or 
procedures, or if a statute expressly authorizes omission.
    (g) A final substantive rule will be published not less than 30 days 
before its effective date unless it grants or recognizes an exemption or 
relieves a restriction or unless the rulemaking document states good 
cause for its taking effect less than 30 days after publication. 
Statements of policy and interpretative rules will usually be made 
effective on the date of publication.
    (h) This part shall not apply to any regulation that responds to an 
emergency situation, provided that, any such regulation shall be 
reported to the Director, Office of Management and Budget, as soon as is 
practicable. FEMA shall publish in the Federal Register a statement of 
the reasons why it is impracticable for the agency to follow the 
procedures of Executive Order 12291 with respect to such a rule, and the 
agency shall prepare and transmit, if needed, as soon as is practicable 
a Regulatory Impact Analysis of any such major rule.

[46 FR 32584, June 24, 1981, as amended at 49 FR 38119, Sept. 27, 1984; 
50 FR 40004, Oct. 1, 1985]