42 U.S.C. § 5195: Declaration of policy

The purpose of this subchapter is to provide a system of emergency preparedness for the protection of life and property in the United States from hazards and to vest responsibility for emergency preparedness jointly in the Federal Government and the States and their political subdivisions. The Congress recognizes that the organizational structure established jointly by the Federal Government and the States and their political subdivisions for emergency preparedness purposes can be effectively utilized to provide relief and assistance to people in areas of the United States struck by a hazard. The Federal Government shall provide necessary direction, coordination, and guidance, and shall provide necessary assistance, as authorized in this subchapter so that a comprehensive emergency preparedness system exists for all hazards. initiate, within one year after the date of enactment of this Act [ Oct. 19, 1980 ], studies with the objective of defining and developing a multihazard research, planning, and implementation process within the Agency; develop, within one year after the date of enactment of this Act [ Oct. 19, 1980 ], in cooperation with State and local governments, prototypical multihazard mitigation projects which can be used to evaluate several approaches to the varying hazard mitigation needs of State and local governments and to assess the applicability of these prototypes to other jurisdictions with similar needs; investigate and evaluate, within one year after the date of enactment of this Act [ Oct. 19, 1980 ], the effectiveness of a range of incentives for hazard reductions that can be applied at the State and local government levels; prepare recommendations as to the need for legislation that will limit the legal liability of those third party persons or groups which are called upon to provide technical assistance and advice to public employees, including policemen, firemen, and transportation employees, who are generally the first to respond to a hazardous incident; which recommendations shall be provided to the appropriate committees of Congress within one hundred and eighty days after the date of enactment of this Act [ Oct. 19, 1980 ]; the advisability of developing a single, unified emergency information and communication system for use by the Agency in carrying out its emergency management activities; the potential for using communication and remote sensing satellites as part of the Agency’s emergency information and communication system; and the type of system to be developed, if needed, including the relationship of the proposed system and its needs to the existing and emerging information and communication systems in other Federal agencies; conduct a program of multihazard research, planning, and mitigation in coordination with those studies and evaluations authorized in paragraphs (1) through (5), as well as other hazard research, planning, and mitigation deemed necessary by the Director; conduct emergency first response programs so as to better train and prepare emergency personnel to meet emergencies outside of their primary field of service; and conduct a program of planning, preparedness, and mitigation related to the multiple direct and indirect hazards resulting from the occurrence of large earthquakes. For the fiscal year ending September 30, 1981 , there are authorized to be appropriated to the Director $1,000,000 to carry out paragraphs (1) through (5) of section 301 and such sums as may be necessary to carry out paragraph (6) of such section. not less than $700,000 to carry out the purposes of paragraphs (1) through (6) of such section; such sums as may be necessary, but in any case not less than $939,000, for use by the United States Fire Administration in carrying out paragraph (7) of such section; and not less than $3,300,000 to carry out paragraph (8) of such section with respect to those large California earthquakes which were identified by the National Security Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment of Consequences and Preparations for a Major California Earthquake; and such further sums as may be necessary for adjustments required by law in salaries, pay, retirement, and employee benefits incurred in the conduct of activities for which funds are authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection. not less than $300,000 to carry out the purposes of paragraphs (1) through (6) of such section; such sums as may be necessary, but in any case not less than $939,000, for use by the United States Fire Administration in carrying out paragraph (7) of such section; and not less than $1,535,000 to carry out paragraph (8) of such section with respect to those large California earthquakes which were identified by the National Security Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Assessment of Consequences and Preparations for a Major California Earthquake and with respect to other high seismic risk areas in the United States; and such further sums as may be necessary for adjustments required by law in salaries, pay, retirement, and employee benefits incurred in the conduct of activities for which funds are authorized by paragraph (1) of this subsection.”