Maximizing Assistance To Respond to COVID-19

Memorandum of August 17, 2021

Maximizing Assistance To Respond to COVID-19

Memorandum for the Secretary of Homeland Security [and]
the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster
Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121-
5207 (the ``Stafford Act''), I hereby order as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Consistent with the nationwide
emergency declaration of March 13, 2020, concerning the
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is the
policy of my Administration to combat and respond to
COVID-19 with the full capacity and capability of the
Federal Government to protect and support our families,
schools, and businesses, and to assist State, local,
Tribal, and territorial governments to do the same,
including through emergency and disaster assistance
available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA).

Sec. 2. Assistance for Category B COVID-19 Emergency
Protective Measures. FEMA shall provide a 100 percent
Federal cost share for all work eligible for assistance
under Public Assistance Category B, pursuant to
sections 403 (42 U.S.C. 5170b), 502 (42 U.S.C. 5192),
and 503 (42 U.S.C. 5193) of the Stafford Act, including
work described in section 3(a) of the Presidential
Memorandum of January 21, 2021 (Memorandum to Extend
Federal Support to Governors' Use of the National Guard
to Respond to COVID-19 and to Increase Reimbursement
and Other Assistance Provided to States), and in
section 2 of that memorandum on the Governors' use of
the National Guard, performed from January 20, 2020,
through December 31, 2021.

Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this
memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise
affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent
with applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.
(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does
not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any
party against the United States, its departments,
agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or
agents, or any other person.

(d) The Administrator of FEMA is authorized and
directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal
Register.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

Washington, August 17, 2021