Title 42The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§5189g Unified Federal review

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 68— - DISASTER RELIEF › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IV— - MAJOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS › § 5189g

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Within 18 months after January 29, 2013, the President must create a faster, single review process that brings federal agencies together. The President must talk with the Council on Environmental Quality and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The process must make sure federal environmental and historic rules are followed for disaster recovery projects and help speed up recovery while obeying the law. The process must include ways to quickly deal with delays that happen during recovery from a major disaster, and it must be updated as needed, consistent with the law.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §5189g

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Not later than 18 months after January 29, 2013, and in consultation with the Council on Environmental Quality and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the President shall establish an expedited and unified interagency review process to ensure compliance with environmental and historic requirements under Federal law relating to disaster recovery projects, in order to expedite the recovery process, consistent with applicable law.
(b)The review process established under this section shall include mechanisms to expeditiously address delays that may occur during the recovery from a major disaster and be updated, as appropriate, consistent with applicable law.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation Review Pub. L. 115–254, div. D, § 1220, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3453, provided that: “(a) Review and Analysis.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 2018], the Administrator [of the Federal Emergency Management Agency] shall review the Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation review process established pursuant to section 429 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5189g), and submit a report to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate that includes the following:“(1) An analysis of whether and how the unified process has expedited the interagency review process to ensure compliance with the environmental and historic requirements under Federal law relating to disaster recovery projects. “(2) A survey and analysis of categorical exclusions used by other Federal agencies that may be applicable to any activity related to a major disaster or emergency declared by the President under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5170, 5191). “(3) Recommendations on any further actions, including any legislative proposals, needed to expedite and streamline the review process. “(b)

Regulations

.—After completing the review, survey, and analyses under subsection (a), but not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and after providing notice and opportunity for public comment, the Administrator shall issue

Regulations

to implement any regulatory recommendations, including any categorical exclusions identified under subsection (a), to the extent that the categorical exclusions meet the criteria for a categorical exclusion under section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of Federal

Regulations

, and section II of DHS Instruction Manual 023–01–001–01.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 5189g

Title 42The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73