Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73
§5132 Disaster warnings
Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 68— - DISASTER RELIEF › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION ASSISTANCE › § 5132
Summary
President must ensure federal agencies are ready to warn state and local officials and must have them help local governments give timely, effective warnings. He can use federal communications, including the civil defense network, and accept volunteered private systems, paid or unpaid, to warn officials and the public.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §5132
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The President shall insure that all appropriate Federal agencies are prepared to issue warnings of disasters to State and local officials.
(b)The President shall direct appropriate Federal agencies to provide technical assistance to State and local governments to insure that timely and effective disaster warning is provided.
(c)The President is authorized to utilize or to make available to Federal, State, and local agencies the facilities of the civil defense communications system established and maintained pursuant to section 5196(c) of this title or any other Federal communications system for the purpose of providing warning to governmental authorities and the civilian population in areas endangered by disasters.
(d)The President is authorized to enter into agreements with the officers or agents of any private or commercial communications systems who volunteer the use of their systems on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis for the purpose of providing warning to governmental authorities and the civilian population endangered by disasters.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted “section 5196(c) of this title” for “section 2281(c) of title 50, Appendix,”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 5132
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73