Interagency Recovery Authorities

The following authorities grant FEMA the ability to leverage other agency capabilities during disaster recovery:

Stafford Act

The Stafford Act constitutes the statutory authority for most federal disaster response and recovery activities. Specifically, Section 402 of the Stafford Act (42 U.S.C 5170a), focuses on general Federal Assistance. The authority includes but is not limited to the following:

Mission Assignments – §402.1 authorizes FEMA to “direct any Federal agency, with or without reimbursement, to utilize its authorities and the resources granted to it under Federal law (including personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and managerial, technical, and advisory services) in support of State and local assistance response or recovery efforts.”

Coordination - – §402.2 authorizes FEMA to “coordinate all disaster relief assistance (including voluntary assistance) provided by Federal agencies, private organizations, and State and local governments, including precautionary evacuations and recovery.”

Recovery Activities –§402.3 authorizes FEMA to “provide technical and advisory assistance to affected State and local governments” in several areas including “essential community services” and “recovery activities, including disaster impact assessments and planning.”

Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8)

PPD-8 aims to strengthen the security and resilience of the United States through systematic preparedness. It established the National Preparedness System and required the creation and maintenance of “integrated national planning frameworks, covering prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery”. This requirement led to the creation of the National Planning Frameworks, including the National Disaster Recovery Framework, which define how the federal interagency will work together to best execute each of the five mission areas identified in PPD-8.

National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF)

The NDRF serves as the foundational document for achieving coordinated recovery through the federal interagency. It defines six Recovery Support Functions (RSF) which are “scalable, flexible, and adaptable coordinating structure[s] to align key roles and responsibilities to deliver the necessary capabilities” as required by PPD-8. Each RSF has a coordinating agency, which organizes federal technical and advisory support for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial governments in its area of expertise and authority.

Use Cases

This document could be used for:

Training and Orientation – Educating new emergency management personnel, interagency partners, or policymakers on FEMA’s legal and policy basis for recovery coordination.
Operational Guidance – Helping response and recovery officials understand how FEMA can direct, coordinate, and provide assistance under the Stafford Act, PPD-8, and the NDRF.
Interagency Collaboration – Clarifying roles and responsibilities across federal agencies to ensure effective cooperation during disaster recovery efforts.
Policy Justification – Supporting decision-makers in referencing statutory and policy authorities when justifying FEMA’s actions or requests for interagency support.
Strategic Planning – Informing disaster recovery frameworks, plans, and exercises by reinforcing the foundational authorities governing recovery coordination.