Stafford Act
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| Long title | Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act |
|---|---|
| Citations | |
| Public law | 100-707 |
| Codification | |
| Titles amended | 42 U.S.C.: Public Health and Welfare |
| U.S.C. sections created | 42 U.S.C. [1] §§ 5121-5208 |
| Legislative history | |
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) is a United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Congress's intention was to encourage states and localities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans, prepare for better intergovernmental coordination in the face of a disaster, encourage the use of insurance coverage, and provide federal assistance programs for losses due to a disaster.
The Stafford Act is a 1988 amended version of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. It created the system in place today by which a presidential disaster declaration or an emergency declaration triggers financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Act gives FEMA the responsibility for coordinating government-wide relief efforts. The Federal Response Plan implements includes the contributions of 28 federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross. It is named for Sen. Robert Stafford (in Senate 1971–89), who helped pass the law.
Congress amended it by passing the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, and again in 2006 with the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act.
Title I provides the intent of Congress to provide continued and orderly assistance from the federal government to state and local governments to relieve hardship and damage that result from disasters. As defined by Title I, an emergency is any instance, or thought that is determined by the President, in which state or local efforts need federal assistance to save lives and protect the health and welfare of the people in a community. A major disaster is defined as any natural catastrophe, fire, flood, or explosion, determined by the president to warrant the additional resources of the federal government to alleviate damages or suffering they cause.
Title II authorizes the President to establish a disaster preparedness program that utilizes the appropriate agencies and gives the President the right to provide technical assistance to states in order to complete a comprehensive plan to prepare against disasters. The President can also administer grants to states to provide funding for the preparation and revitalization of emergency plans.
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