Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
Other short titles	Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Amendments of 1988; Great Lakes Coastal Barrier Act of 1988; Great Lakes Erosion Damage Assistance and Prevention Act of 1988; Great Lakes Planning Assistance Act of 1988; Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act;
Long title	An Act to amend the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 to provide for more effective assistance in response to major disasters and emergencies, and for other purposes.
Nicknames	Major Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Amendments of 1987
Enacted by	the 100th United States Congress
Effective	November 23, 1988
Citations
Public law	100-707
Statutes at Large	102 Stat. 4689
Codification
Titles amended	42: The Public Health and Welfare
U.S.C. sections amended	42 U.S.C. ch. 68 § 5121 et seq.
Legislative history
	Introduced in the House as H.R. 2707 by Tom Ridge (R–PA) on June 17, 1987; Committee consideration by House Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Environment and Public Works; Passed the House on March 17, 1988 (Passed); Passed the Senate on October 21, 1988 (Passed) with amendment; House agreed to Senate amendment on October 21, 1988 (Agreed); Signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 23, 1988;
Major amendments
	Disaster Assistance Deadlines Alignment Act

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act)^[1] is a 1988 United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systematic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Congress's intention was to encourage states and localities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans, prepare for better intergovernmental coordination in the face of a disaster, encourage the use of insurance coverage, and provide federal assistance programs for losses due to a disaster.^[2] ^{[better source needed]}

The Stafford Act is a 1988 amended version of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. It created the system in place today by which a presidential disaster declaration or an emergency declaration triggers financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency^[3] (FEMA). The Act gives FEMA the responsibility for coordinating government-wide relief efforts. The Federal Response Plan includes contributions from 28 federal agencies and non-governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross. It is named for Vermont Sen. Robert Stafford (in Senate 1971–89), who helped pass the law.

Congress amended it by passing the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, in 2006 with the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, and again in 2018 with the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA).

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