44 CFR § 209.3 - Roles and responsibilities.

The following describes the general roles of FEMA, the State, local communities or other organizations that receive grant assistance, and participating homeowners.

(a) Federal. We will notify States about the availability of funds, and will allocate available funding to States that received major disaster declarations during the period covered by the supplemental authority. Our Regional Administrators will verify project eligibility, provide technical assistance to States upon request, make grant awards, and oversee program implementation.

(b) State. The State will be the Grantee to which we award funds and will be accountable for the use of those funds. The State will determine priorities for funding within the State. This determination must be made in conformance with the HMGP project identification and selection criteria (44 CFR 206.435). The State also will provide technical assistance and oversight to applicants for project development and to subgrantees for project implementation. The State will report program progress and results to us. The States also will recover and return to us any funds made available from other sources for the same purposes. When Native American tribes apply directly to us, they will be the grantee and carry out “state” roles.

(c) Applicant (pre-award) and subgrantee (post-award). The applicant (a State agency, local government, or qualified private nonprofit organization) will coordinate with interested homeowners to complete an application to the State. The subgrantee implements all approved projects, generally takes title to all property, and agrees to dedicate and maintain the property in perpetuity for uses compatible with open-space, recreational, or wetlands management practices. The subgrantee will receive, review and make final decisions about any appraisal disputes that are brought by participating homeowners. The subgrantee is accountable to the State, as well as to us, for the use of funds.

(d) Participating homeowners. The participating homeowners will notify the community of their interest to participate; provide necessary information to the community coordinator about property ownership, disaster damage, and other disaster benefits received or available; review the offer made from the community; and accept it or request a review appraisal.