Title 6Domestic SecurityRelease 119-73

§311 Definitions

Title 6 › Chapter CHAPTER 1— - HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT › § 311

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lists and explains key words used in this part of the law. Administrator means the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Agency means FEMA. Catastrophic incident means a natural, terrorist, or other human-made disaster that causes extreme deaths, damage, or disruption to people, infrastructure, the environment, the economy, national morale, or government functions, and may cause mass evacuations. Credentialed/credentialing means having given or being given proof that a person meets required training, experience, fitness, and capability under standards set elsewhere in the law. Federal coordinating officer means the federal official who coordinates response activities as defined elsewhere. Interoperable has the same meaning as interoperable communications in the law. National Incident Management System means the system that helps different groups work together during incidents. National Response Plan means the current plan or any later plan that replaces it. Regional Administrator means the regional head appointed under the law. Regional Office means a regional FEMA office set up under the law. Resources means people and main equipment, supplies, and facilities available for disaster response. Surge capacity means the ability to quickly and greatly increase search and rescue, food, water, medicine, shelter, medical care, evacuations, staff, and other needed resources in a major disaster. Tribal government means the government of certain Native American tribes as defined elsewhere in the law. Typed/typing means a resource has been evaluated under standards set elsewhere in the law.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §311

Domestic Security — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

In this subchapter—
(1)the term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Agency;
(2)the term “Agency” means the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
(3)the term “catastrophic incident” means any natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster that results in extraordinary levels of casualties or damage or disruption severely affecting the population (including mass evacuations), infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, or government functions in an area;
(4)the terms “credentialed” and “credentialing” mean having provided, or providing, respectively, documentation that identifies personnel and authenticates and verifies the qualifications of such personnel by ensuring that such personnel possess a minimum common level of training, experience, physical and medical fitness, and capability appropriate for a particular position in accordance with standards created under section 320 of this title;
(5)the term “Federal coordinating officer” means a Federal coordinating officer as described in section 5143 of title 42;
(6)the term “interoperable” has the meaning given the term “interoperable communications” under section 194(g)(1) of this title;
(7)the term “National Incident Management System” means a system to enable effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management;
(8)the term “National Response Plan” means the National Response Plan or any successor plan prepared under section 314(a)(6) 11 See References in Text note below. of this title;
(9)the term “Regional Administrator” means a Regional Administrator appointed under section 317 of this title;
(10)the term “Regional Office” means a Regional Office established under section 317 of this title;
(11)the term “resources” means personnel and major items of equipment, supplies, and facilities available or potentially available for responding to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster;
(12)the term “surge capacity” means the ability to rapidly and substantially increase the provision of search and rescue capabilities, food, water, medicine, shelter and housing, medical care, evacuation capacity, staffing (including disaster assistance employees), and other resources necessary to save lives and protect property during a catastrophic incident;
(13)the term “tribal government” means the government of any entity described in section 101(13)(B) of this title; and
(14)the terms “typed” and “typing” mean having evaluated, or evaluating, respectively, a resource in accordance with standards created under section 320 of this title.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 314(a)(6) of this title, referred to in par. (8), was in the original “section 502(a)(6)” and was translated as meaning section 502 of Pub. L. 107–296 prior to its redesignation as section 504 by Pub. L. 109–295, § 611(8), and not section 506 which was redesignated section 502 by Pub. L. 109–295, § 611(9), and is classified to section 312 of this title, to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 311, Pub. L. 107–296, title V, § 501, Nov. 25, 2002, 116 Stat. 2212, provided for an Under Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and Response, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 611(2), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1395.

Amendments

2016—Par. (13). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted “101(13)(B)” for “101(11)(B)”. 2007—Pars. (4) to (12). Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(1)–(4), added pars. (4) and (11) and redesignated former pars. (4) to (10) as (5) to (10) and (12), respectively. Former par. (11) redesignated (13). Par. (13). Pub. L. 110–53, § 502(c)(1), substituted “101(11)(B)” for “101(10)(B)”. Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(1), redesignated par. (11) as (13). Par. (14). Pub. L. 110–53, § 401(a)(5)–(7), added par. (14).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Any reference to the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in title VI of Pub. L. 109–295 or an amendment by title VI to be considered to refer and apply to the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency until Mar. 31, 2007, see section 612(f)(2) of Pub. L. 109–295, set out as a note under section 313 of this title. Interim Actions Pub. L. 109–295, title VI, § 612(f)(1), Oct. 4, 2006, 120 Stat. 1411, provided that: “During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 4, 2006] and ending on
March 31, 2007, the Secretary [of Homeland Security], the Under Secretary for Preparedness, and the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall take such actions as are necessary to provide for the orderly implementation of any amendment under this subtitle [subtitle A (§§ 611–614) of title VI of Pub. L. 109–295, see Tables for classification] that takes effect on
March 31, 2007.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 311

Title 6Domestic Security

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73