10 U.S.C. § 404 — Foreign disaster assistance

submitted 32 years ago by Pub. L. 103-337 to r/title-10-ARMED-FORCES · 286 words · no verdicts yet

in plain englishAI-generated · not legal advice

The President may direct the Secretary of Defense to give disaster help outside the U.S. to save lives or protect the environment. Within 48 hours, the President must report the assistance to Congress. Transportation help for environmental harm alone is limited to cases where no other transportation is available.

(a) The President may order the Secretary of Defense to provide disaster assistance outside the United States, for manmade or natural disasters, when necessary to prevent loss of life or serious environmental harm. (b) This assistance can include transportation, supplies, services, and equipment. (c) Within 48 hours after assistance activities begin, the President must send Congress a report notifying it of the assistance given and planned, describing — as much as is then known — the disaster itself, the threat it poses to lives or the environment, the U.S. military people and resources involved or expected to be involved, any assistance other nations or relief organizations are giving or expected to give, and how long the assistance is expected to last. (d) Money Congress gives the Defense Department each year for its Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid programs may be used to organize general policies and programs for disaster relief outside the United States. (e) Transportation assistance under subsection (b) may be given for a disaster that threatens serious environmental harm, when no human lives are at risk, only if no other transportation is readily available.

the actual law source: uscode.house.gov ↗public domain

(a)In General.—

The President may direct the Secretary of Defense to provide disaster assistance outside the United States to respond to manmade or natural disasters when necessary to prevent loss of lives or serious harm to the environment.

(b)Forms of Assistance.—

Assistance provided under this section may include transportation, supplies, services, and equipment.

(c)Notification Required.—

Not later than 48 hours after the commencement of disaster assistance activities to provide assistance under this section, the President shall transmit to Congress a report containing notification of the assistance provided, and proposed to be provided, under this section and a description of so much of the following as is then available:

(1)

The manmade or natural disaster for which disaster assistance is necessary.

(2)

The threat to human lives or the environment presented by the disaster.

(3)

The United States military personnel and material resources that are involved or expected to be involved.

(4)

The disaster assistance that is being provided or is expected to be provided by other nations or public or private relief organizations.

(5)

The anticipated duration of the disaster assistance activities.

(d)Organizing Policies and Programs.—

Amounts appropriated to the Department of Defense for any fiscal year for Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid (OHDACA) programs of the Department shall be available for organizing general policies and programs for disaster relief programs for disasters occurring outside the United States.

(e)Limitation on Transportation Assistance.—

Transportation services authorized under subsection (b) may be provided in response to a manmade or natural disaster to prevent serious harm to the environment, when human lives are not at risk, only if other sources to provide such transportation are not readily available.

Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title XIV, § 1412(a), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2912; amended Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title III, § 312(c), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1430.)

history & why it existsrecord from the source credit

1994Enacted · Pub. L. 103-337 · 108 Stat. 2912
2003Amended · Pub. L. 108-136 · 117 Stat. 1430

A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 103-337 on 1994-10-05.

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