6 U.S.C. § 753: Federal preparedness

Summary

The President must make sure every federal agency that helps under the National Response Plan can respond to disasters. Each agency must have the people to make and share decisions, trained teams and the right organization, enough equipment and supplies, and reliable command, control, and communications. Agencies must follow the National Incident Management System, including credentialing and typing of resources as required under section 320. They must keep trained rosters of response personnel, build plans and crisis capabilities for natural or man-made disasters, and regularly update the inventory called for in section 751 and give it to the Administrator. Operations plans must use one common system and language and be made with State, local, and tribal officials to cover regional and national risks. Plans should explain how the agency will operate, list key tasks and responsibilities, give detailed resource and staffing needs and sourcing, and allow rapid integration into the overall response. Plans must, as appropriate, cover evacuations, sheltering and special needs (including family reunification and pets), public health and medical support, search and rescue, law enforcement roles, critical infrastructure protection, maritime salvage, DoD and National Guard support, use of aircraft and satellite imagery when practical, private-sector and NGO support, safe debris disposal and recovery planning, and surge capacity. The President must also ensure preset mission assignments (for logistics, communications, mass care, health services, and public safety) are developed, and must certify each year to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committees on Homeland Security and on Transportation and Infrastructure that agencies comply. Nothing here limits the Secretary of Defense’s authority over military command, training, planning, use, or allocation of Department of Defense resources.

Title 6, §753

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Agency responsibility

In support of the national preparedness system, the President shall ensure that each Federal agency with responsibilities under the National Response Plan—

(1)has the operational capability to meet the national preparedness goal, including—

(A)the personnel to make and communicate decisions;

(B)organizational structures that are assigned, trained, and exercised for the missions of the agency;

(C)sufficient physical resources; and

(D)the command, control, and communication channels to make, monitor, and communicate decisions;

(2)complies with the National Incident Management System, including credentialing of personnel and typing of resources likely needed to respond to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster in accordance with section 320 of this title;

(3)develops, trains, and exercises rosters of response personnel to be deployed when the agency is called upon to support a Federal response;

(4)develops deliberate operational plans and the corresponding capabilities, including crisis planning, to respond effectively to natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters in support of the National Response Plan to ensure a coordinated Federal response; and

(5)regularly updates, verifies the accuracy of, and provides to the Administrator the information in the inventory required under section 751 of this title.

(b)Operational plans

An operations plan developed under subsection (a)(4) shall meet the following requirements:

(1)The operations plan shall be coordinated under a unified system with a common terminology, approach, and framework.

(2)The operations plan shall be developed, in coordination with State, local, and tribal government officials, to address both regional and national risks.

(3)The operations plan shall contain, as appropriate, the following elements:

(A)Concepts of operations.

(B)Critical tasks and responsibilities.

(C)Detailed resource and personnel requirements, together with sourcing requirements.

(D)Specific provisions for the rapid integration of the resources and personnel of the agency into the overall response.

(4)The operations plan shall address, as appropriate, the following matters:

(A)Support of State, local, and tribal governments in conducting mass evacuations, including—

(i)transportation and relocation;

(ii)short- and long-term sheltering and accommodation;

(iii)provisions for populations with special needs, keeping families together, and expeditious location of missing children; and

(iv)policies and provisions for pets.

(B)The preparedness and deployment of public health and medical resources, including resources to address the needs of evacuees and populations with special needs.

(C)The coordination of interagency search and rescue operations, including land, water, and airborne search and rescue operations.

(D)The roles and responsibilities of the Senior Federal Law Enforcement Official with respect to other law enforcement entities.

(E)The protection of critical infrastructure.

(F)The coordination of maritime salvage efforts among relevant agencies.

(G)The coordination of Department of Defense and National Guard support of civilian authorities.

(H)To the extent practicable, the utilization of Department of Defense, National Air and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and commercial aircraft and satellite remotely sensed imagery.

(I)The coordination and integration of support from the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.

(J)The safe disposal of debris, including hazardous materials, and, when practicable, the recycling of debris.

(K)The identification of the required surge capacity.

(L)Specific provisions for the recovery of affected geographic areas.

(c)Mission assignments

To expedite the provision of assistance under the National Response Plan, the President shall ensure that the Administrator, in coordination with Federal agencies with responsibilities under the National Response Plan, develops prescripted mission assignments, including logistics, communications, mass care, health services, and public safety.

(d)Certification

The President shall certify to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives on an annual basis that each Federal agency with responsibilities under the National Response Plan complies with subsections (a) and (b).

(e)Construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary of Defense with regard to—

(1)the command, control, training, planning, equipment, exercises, or employment of Department of Defense forces; or

(2)the allocation of Department of Defense resources.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 110–53, § 407(1)(A), struck out “coordinating, primary, or supporting” before “responsibilities” in introductory provisions. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 110–53, § 407(1)(B), inserted “, including credentialing of personnel and typing of resources likely needed to respond to a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster in accordance with section 320 of this title” before semicolon at end. Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 110–53, § 407(1)(C)–(E), added par. (5). Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 110–53, § 407(2), inserted “to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives” after “certify” and struck out “coordinating, primary, or supporting” before “responsibilities”.

§753 Federal Preparedness

Summary

Title 6, §753

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata