[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 27-28]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28520]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 1 / Monday, January 3, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 27]]


                Memorandum of December 27, 2021

                
Maximizing Assistance to Respond to COVID-19

                Memorandum for the Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services[,] 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. It is the policy of my 
                Administration to combat and respond to the coronavirus 
                disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic 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. This policy includes the 
                use of emergency and disaster assistance available from 
                the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to get 
                COVID-19 testing to the places that need it most.

                Sec. 2. Assistance for COVID-19 Screening as an 
                Emergency Protective Measure. (a) With respect to a 
                request to FEMA from any State, Tribal, or territorial 
                government for direct Federal assistance to establish 
                or expand COVID-19 testing sites, the Administrator of 
                FEMA shall issue a mission assignment to the Department 
                of Health and Human Services (HHS), on a fully 
                reimbursable basis, to provide testing sites, launched 
                and operated by HHS in close coordination with State, 
                local, Tribal, and territorial public health 
                departments.

                    (b) FEMA's mission assignments will require HHS to 
                adjudicate State, Tribal, and territorial requests 
                through the Emergency Support Function 8 
                Advisory Council.
                    (c) FEMA shall fund 100 percent of the cost of 
                activities associated with the mission assignments to 
                HHS to provide COVID-19 testing sites as described in 
                section 2(a) of this memorandum, as authorized by 
                sections 403 (42 U.S.C. 5170b), 502 (42 U.S.C. 5192), 
                and 503 (42 U.S.C. 5193) of the Stafford Act.

                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.

[[Page 28]]

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

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    Washington, December 27, 2021

[FR Doc. 2021-28520
Filed 12-30-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 9111-23-P