Presidential Documents

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


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

(d) The Administrator of FEMA is authorized and directed to publish 

this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, December 27, 2021 

[FR Doc. 2021–28520 

Filed 12–30–21; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 9111–23–P 


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