As used in this part:

(a) The Act means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.

(b) Disaster assistance plans means those plans which identify tasks needed to deliver disaster assistance and to avoid, reduce, or mitigate natural hazards; make assignments to execute those tasks; reflect State authorities for executing disaster assignments; and provide for adequate training of personnel in their disaster or mitigation assignments.

(c) Mitigation means the process of systematically evaluating the nature and extent of vulnerability to the effects of natural hazards present in society and planning and carrying out actions to minimize future vulnerability to those hazards to the greatest extent practicable.

(d) State means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Requests for technical assistance under section 201(b) of the Act shall be made by the Governor or his/her designated representative to the Regional Director.

(a) The request for technical assistance shall indicate as specifically as possible the objectives, nature, and duration of the requested assistance; the recipient agency or organization within the State; the State official responsible for utilizing such assistance; the manner in which such assistance is to be utilized; and any other information needed for a full understanding of the need for such requested assistance.

(b) The request for assistance requires participation by the State in the technical assistance process. As part of its request for such assistance, the State shall agree to facilitate coordination among FEMA, local governments, State agencies and the businesses and industries in need of assistance in the areas of disaster preparedness and mitigation.

(a) The Regional Administrator may provide to States upon written request by the State Governor or an authorized representative, an annual improvement grant up to $50,000, but not to exceed 50 percent of eligible costs, except where separate legislation requires or permits a waiver of the State's matching share, e.g., with respect to “insular areas”, as that term is defined at 48 U.S.C. 1469a(d). The nonFederal share in all cases may exceed the Federal share.

(b) The improvement grant shall be product-oriented; that is, it must produce something measurable in a way that determines specific results, to substantiate compliance with the grant workplan objectives and to evidence contribution to the State's disaster capability. The following list, which is neither exhaustive nor ranked in priority order, offers examples of eligible products under the Disaster Preparedness Improvement Grant Program:

(1) Evaluations of natural hazards and development of the programs and actions required to mitigate such hazards;

(2) Hazard mitigation activities, including development of predisaster natural hazard mitigation plans, policies, programs and strategies for State-level multi-hazard mitigation;

(3) Updates to State disaster assistance plans, including plans for the Individual and Family Grant (IFG) Program, Public Assistance Program, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, Disaster Application Center operations, damage assessment, etc.;

(4) Handbooks to implement State disaster assistance program activities;

(5) Exercise materials (EXPLAN, scenario, injects, etc.) to test and exercise procedures for State efforts in disaster response, including provision of individual and public assistance;

(6) Standard operating procedures for individual State agencies to execute disaster responsibilities for IFG, crisis counseling, mass care or other functional responsibilities;

(7) Training for State employees in their responsibilities under the State's disaster assistance plan;

(8) Report of formal analysis of State enabling legislation and other authorities to ensure efficient processing by the State of applications by governmental entities and individuals for Federal disaster relief;

(9) An inventory of updated inventory of State/local critical facilities (including State/local emergency operations centers) and their proximity to identified hazard areas;

(10) A tracking system of critical actions (identified in postdisaster critiques) to be executed by State or local governments to improve disaster assistance capabilities or reduce vulnerability to natural hazards.

(11) Plans or procedures for dealing with disasters not receiving supplementary Federal assistance;

(12) Damage assessment plans or procedures;

(13) Procedures for search and rescue operations; and,

(14) Disaster accounting procedures.

(c) The State shall provide quarterly financial and performance reports to the Regional Administrator. Reporting shall be by program quarter unless otherwise agreed to by the Regional Administrator.