6 U.S.C. § 314 — Authority and responsibilities

(a) In general. The Administrator^* must give federal leadership to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, or reduce the harm from a natural disaster, a terrorist act, or another man-made disaster. That includes 21 specific jobs:

(1) Help make sure emergency^* responders can handle terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.

(2) For the Nuclear Incident Response Team^* — whether or not it is currently part of the Department^* — the Administrator must set standards and certify when they are met, run joint training and exercises and grade performance, and give money to the Department of Energy and the EPA for related planning, training, and equipment.

(3) Run the federal government's response to terrorist attacks and major disasters. That means managing the response, directing the Domestic Emergency Support Team (and the Nuclear Incident Response Team when it is part of the Department), overseeing the Metropolitan Medical Response System, and coordinating other federal response resources^*, including ordering the Strategic National Stockpile into action.

(4) Help the country recover from terrorist attacks and major disasters.

(5) Build a full national incident management system^* using federal, state^*, and local people and agencies.

(6) Merge existing federal emergency response plans into one coordinated national response plan^*.

(7) Help federal, state, local, and tribal governments and responders get communications equipment that works and works together.

(8) Help the President carry out the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and carry out everything that Act gives the Administrator authority to do.

(9) Reduce loss of life and property by leading a risk-based, all-hazards emergency management^* system built on four parts: (A) mitigation — taking lasting steps to cut long-term risks to people and property; (B) preparedness — planning, training, and building up the emergency management profession; (C) response — running emergency operations such as positioning equipment and supplies, evacuating people, providing food, water, shelter, and medical care, and restoring public services; and (D) recovery — rebuilding communities so people, businesses, and governments can return to normal and guard against future hazards.

(10) Make things more efficient by coordinating preparedness, protection, response, recovery, and mitigation work.

(11) Help make sure emergency responders can handle a natural disaster, terrorism, or another man-made disaster.

(12) Supervise the Agency's grant programs.

(13) Run the National Response Plan and make sure every emergency support function under it is ready.

(14) Coordinate with the National Advisory Council created under section 318.

(15) Prepare and carry out the federal government's plans for (A) continuity of operations, (B) continuity of government, and (C) continuity of plans.

(16) Cut down, as much as practical, on planning and reporting duties that overlap for state, local, and tribal governments and private businesses.

(17) Run the National Response Coordination Center (or whatever replaces it).

(18) Build a national emergency management system able to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and reduce the harm of catastrophic incidents.

(19) Help the President carry out the national preparedness goal and system, and exercise all of the Administrator's authority under that system.

(20) Carry out all authority that section 315 of this title transferred from FEMA and the Department's Preparedness Directorate.

(21) Otherwise carry out the Agency's mission as described in section 313(b).

(b) All-hazards approach. In doing all of this, the Administrator must coordinate a risk-based, all-hazards strategy. That means building the common capabilities needed for natural disasters, terrorism, and other man-made disasters generally, while also building the special capabilities needed for the specific kinds of incidents that pose the biggest risk to the country.