Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies Page: 2 of 16
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Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies
Summary
The principles of disaster management assume a leadership role by the local, state, and tribal
governments affected by the incident. The federal government provides coordinated supplemental
resources and assistance, only if requested and approved. The immediate response to a disaster is
guided by the National Response Framework (NRF), which details roles and responsibilities at
various levels of government, along with cooperation from the private and nonprofit sectors, for
differing incidents and support functions. A possible declaration of a major disaster or emergency
under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the
Stafford Act, P.L. 93-288, as amended) must, in almost all cases, be requested by the governor of
a state or the chief executive of an affected Indian tribal government, who at that point has
declared that the situation is beyond the capacity of the state or tribe to respond. The
governor/chief also determines for which parts of the state/tribal territory assistance will be
requested, and suggests the types of assistance programs that may be needed. The President
considers the request, in consultation with officials of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency (FEMA), within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and makes the initial
decisions on the areas to be included as well as the programs that are implemented.
The majority of federal financial disaster assistance is made available from FEMA under the
authority of the Stafford Act. In addition to that assistance, other disaster aid may be available
through programs of the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Transportation (DOT), and the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), among other federal programs.
While the disaster response and recovery process is fundamentally a relationship between the
federal government and the requesting state or tribal government, there are roles for congressional
offices. For instance, congressional offices may help provide information to survivors on
available federal and nonfederal assistance, oversee the coordination of federal efforts in their
respective states and districts, and consider legislation to supplemental disaster assistance or
authorities. Congressional offices also serve as a valuable source of accurate and timely
information to their constituents on response and relief efforts.Congressional Research Service
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Brown, Jared T.; Lindsay, Bruce R. & Petruzzelli, Jaclyn. Congressional Primer on Responding to Major Disasters and Emergencies, report, September 8, 2017; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1020826/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.