Reagan Signs Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

President Ronald Reagan signed the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (PL 100-707) on November 23, 1988, amending the Disaster Relief Act of 1974. The law gives the president authority to declare major disasters and emergencies, triggering federal aid through FEMA. Senator Robert Stafford of Vermont led the bipartisan effort that established the per-capita damage threshold framework still used today.