Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) (Public Law 100-707) is a United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments in carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens.

The Stafford Act is a 1988 amended version of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-288). It created the system in place today by which a Presidential Disaster Declaration of an emergency triggers financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Act gives FEMA the responsibility for coordinating government wide relief efforts. The Federal Response Plan it implements includes the contributions of 28 federal agencies and non governmental organizations, such as the American Red Cross. It is named for Robert Stafford, who helped pass the law.

Congress amended it by passing the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390), and again in 2006 with the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (Public Law 109-308).