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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-110

§5132 Disaster Warnings

Title 42 › CHAPTER 68 — DISASTER RELIEF › SUBCHAPTER II — DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND MITIGATION ASSISTANCE › § 5132

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The President must make sure federal agencies are ready to warn state and local officials about disasters. The President must also have those agencies help state and local governments so warnings are sent quickly and work well. The President can use federal communications networks, including the civil defense system under section 5196(c), to warn officials and the public. The President can also agree with private or commercial communications companies that volunteer their systems, with or without pay, to send warnings.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §5132

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

(a)Readiness of Federal agencies to issue warnings to State and local officials
The President shall insure that all appropriate Federal agencies are prepared to issue warnings of disasters to State and local officials.
(b)Technical assistance to State and local governments for effective warnings
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)Warnings to governmental authorities and public endangered by disaster
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)Agreements with commercial communications systems for use of facilities
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

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110