Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Public Health Emergency: Coordinating Public Assistance and Other Sources of Federal Funding

The President’s March 13, 2020, COVID-19 nationwide emergency declaration and subsequent major disaster declarations authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide Public Assistance (PA) Program funding under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) government entities and certain private nonprofit (PNP) organizations for emergency protective measures. For COVID-19, Congress authorized over $3 trillion to multiple federal agencies for them to provide assistance to SLTTs in addressing the effects of this public health emergency pandemic.

The extensive COVID-19 authority of other federal agencies in some cases overlaps with FEMA’s authority.