Presidential Actions

Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of Tennessee and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Helene beginning on September 26, 2024, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Carter, Johnson, and Unicoi.

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Cocke, Hawkins, and Washington.

Mr. Darryl L. Dragoo of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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     On this solemn day, we honor the memories of the patriots who served our Nation, defended our freedom, and made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  We hold close to our hearts the Gold Star mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, sisters and brothers, daughters and sons, and other loved ones, who grieve their loss and carry on their legacy.  And we recommit to fulfilling our sacred obligation to care for all of our Gold Star families.

     Each of our service members is a link in the chain of honor that stretches back to the founding days of our Nation.  They are bound not just by their bravery but also by their commitment to an idea unlike any other in human history:  the idea of the United States of America.  Decade after decade, our service members have fought for our freedom and the freedom of others because they knew that freedom has never been guaranteed.  And just as our fallen heroes have kept the ultimate faith in our country and our democracy, we must keep faith in them.

     To everyone who has loved and lost someone in the service of our country and to everyone with a loved one still missing or unaccounted for, I know how hard these days of remembrance can be.  No matter how much time has passed or how much pride you have in their legacy, the grief and the hurt never fully go away.  The First Lady and I are keeping all Gold Star families in our prayers.  Since I took office, I have signed over 30 bipartisan laws supporting service members and veterans as well as their families, caregivers, and survivors.  And I will continue to do everything I can to support our Gold Star families, to whom our Nation owes a debt of gratitude we can never fully repay. 

     Today, we join Gold Star families in their grief and express our gratitude:  gratitude to our fallen heroes, gratitude for the sacrifices of the families left behind, and gratitude to the brave souls who continue to uphold the flame of liberty all across our country and around the world.  Because of them, our country stands today.  As we honor Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day, we recommit to making a more perfect Union, for which our fallen heroes lived and died.  That is our promise.

     The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 115 of June 23, 1936 (49 Stat. 1895 as amended), has designated the last Sunday in September as “Gold Star Mother’s Day.”

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, September 29, 2024, as Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day.  I call upon all Government officials to display the flag of the United States over Government buildings on this special day.  I also encourage the American people to display the flag and hold appropriate ceremonies as a public expression of our Nation’s gratitude and respect for our Gold Star Mothers and Families.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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     Generations of Americans have enjoyed hunting and fishing — cherished traditions that bring us closer to our Nation’s natural wonders and embody America’s spirit of resourcefulness and adventure.  During National Hunting and Fishing Day, we celebrate our Nation’s hunters and anglers, honor their contributions, and continue the conservation work that so many of them have led.  

     Americans who hunt and fish have immense appreciation for our environment.  They know that when we take care of the natural world, we ensure that all generations to come will also have the opportunity to hunt, fish, and enjoy the great outdoors.  Passing down this tradition is especially important to rural communities, where hunting and fishing are time-honored pastimes, and to Tribal Nations, where hunting and fishing remain central to their cultures and livelihoods.  My Administration set the most ambitious conservation goal ever — committing to conserve at least 30 percent of all our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030.  That goal is at the heart of my “America the Beautiful” initiative to support locally led, voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across the country.  And within our national wildlife refuge system, I approved a 2-million-acre expansion of land available for hunting and fishing.  The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior are working with the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council to improve hunters’ and anglers’ access to public lands and waters.  I also launched the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation to create more safe, affordable, and equitable opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hunting and fishing.  My Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investment ever in addressing the climate crisis, harnessing the power of nature as a climate solution and working to ensure that our fish and wildlife are healthy and abundant for years to come.

     During National Hunting and Fishing Day, we celebrate hunting and fishing and the place they hold in our hearts, cultures, and national story.  We recommit to protecting these activities, which are important to upholding our sacred trust, treaty, and subsistence responsibilities to Tribal Nations.  And we honor all the incredible contributions of the hunters and fishers, land owners, State and territorial officials, Tribal Nations, Indigenous communities, and local leaders working to conserve our lands and waters.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 28, 2024, as National Hunting and Fishing Day.  I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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     America’s natural wonders are our Nation’s heart and soul.  Our public lands protect many of these treasures and ensure that generations can enjoy their splendor — from our national parks and monuments to our forests and wildlife refuges.  On National Public Lands Day, we honor these irreplaceable lands and waters and recommit to working together to preserve them.

     Whether it is the soaring cliffs of Yosemite National Park, the striking geysers of Yellowstone National Park, or the lush hills of the Appalachians in the Monongahela National Forest — our Nation’s public lands inspire and unite us through the ages.  They hold pieces of our country’s history, etched into our lands and waters.  Some public lands are considered sacred by Tribal Nations, which have stewarded them since time immemorial.  And these lands and waters also carry so much promise:  helping protect us against climate change, providing the clean air we breathe and clean water we drink, and sustaining the livelihoods of ranchers, outfitters, guides, and rural and Indigenous communities.  

     Since the beginning of my Administration, I have taken historic steps to conserve our natural treasures for future generations.  That began when I signed an Executive Order that established the most ambitious conservation goal in the history of our country — committing to conserve at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030.  To that end, my “America the Beautiful” initiative is supporting voluntary, locally led conservation and restoration efforts across the country.  I also signed an Executive Order to safeguard and steward our Nation’s forests and enlist nature to help address the climate crisis, including through the development of the first National Nature Assessment. 

     Since I came into office, my Administration has conserved more than 42 million acres of our Nation’s lands and waters.  I established and expanded eight national monuments — including the stunning Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada, thought to be one of the most sacred places on Earth by some Tribal Nations.  I restored protections for lands and waters across the country that had been rolled back by the previous administration — including the desert buttes of the Bears Ears National Monument and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the stunning Tongass National Forest, and the underwater canyons of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument. 

     To protect our waters, I took executive action to direct consideration of more than 700,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean southwest of Hawaii as a new National Marine Sanctuary — which could make this one of the largest protected marine areas on the planet.  And I protected the United States Arctic Ocean from new oil and gas leasing.  My Administration is also advancing the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which stretches along 116 miles of California coastline.

     My Administration has also made historic investments to preserve our Nation’s ecosystems and safeguard our communities against the impact of climate change.  Our Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investment in history to confront the climate crisis, and together with our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these investments will help support conservation and restoration, including $50 billion dedicated to strengthening community and ecosystem resilience to climate change.  We have also worked to promote equitable access to outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands and waters through the “America the Beautiful” initiative, launching the Federal Interagency Council on Outdoor Recreation to address common challenges and opportunities in expanding outdoor recreation activities and access to the great outdoors.

     I also launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans — putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice.  And, upon completing this program, we are working to ensure they have a pathway to getting high-quality, good-paying clean energy and climate resilience jobs in the public and private sectors.

     Our Nation’s public lands have always been and will always be central to our country’s heritage and essential to our identity.  On National Public Lands Day, I encourage every American to enjoy the wonder of our public lands.  All of our country’s national parks, forests, refuges, and grasslands will have a “Fee-Free Day” on September 28 — anyone can visit them free of charge.  There are several more fee-free days throughout the year, the last of which will occur on Veterans Day, November 11.  Whether you go for the incredible vistas, the lush forests, or the rolling grasslands, our public lands will never fail to inspire awe and connect us to something bigger than ourselves.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim September 28, 2024, as National Public Lands Day.  I invite all Americans to join me in a day of service for our public lands.  I also encourage volunteers from across the Nation to celebrate and care for our lands and waters by reforesting the land, maintaining trails, nurturing ecosystems, removing invasive species, and doing other conservation work to serve the lands and waters that support and sustain us.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh day of September, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves South Carolina Emergency Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Helene beginning on September 25, 2024, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe.

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, and Spartanburg

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care including evacuation and shelter support will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Calhoun, Chester, Colleton, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenwood, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, Sumter, Union, and York.

Public Assistance (Category B) emergency protective measures, limited to direct Federal assistance will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding for the counties of Berkeley, Charleston, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Lee, Marion, Marlboro, and Williamsburg.

Mr. Brett H. Howard of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Policy.  During 2020, the last year of the prior administration, homicides in the Nation increased nearly 30 percent over the previous year — the largest 1-year increase in murders ever recorded.  After that, the Vice President and I took action to reduce gun crime and other forms of violent crime.  By the middle of 2022, we had already taken more executive action to reduce gun violence than any other administration at that point in time.  On June 25, 2022, I signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (Public Law 117-159) — the most significant new gun violence prevention law in nearly 30 years.  Rates of homicide in the United States are falling at one of the fastest rates ever recorded.  Year-over-year comparison shows that 2023 had one of the largest declines in the homicide rate in recent history.  This life-saving progress has continued in 2024.  While we have made great progress, much more work remains to be done to reduce gun violence and save lives.

     It is the policy of my Administration to coordinate across executive departments and agencies (agencies) to reduce gun violence and save lives.  This order directs enhanced coordination for two key challenges:  combating emerging firearms threats and understanding and improving school-based active-shooter drills.

     One way to continue the progress on reducing gun violence is to stay ahead of emerging violent crime threats involving firearms.  My Administration has always taken these threats seriously.  In April 2021, one of my Administration’s first executive actions to reduce gun violence was directed at stopping the proliferation of firearms without serial numbers, often referred to as “ghost guns.”  To expand these efforts, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) of the Department of Justice established an Emerging Threats Center, which focuses ATF’s resources on identifying developments in illicit firearm marketplaces, including the use of new technologies to make and unlawfully distribute undetectable firearms and devices that convert semiautomatic firearms into illegal machineguns.  The Vice President and I strongly disagreed with the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down an important gun safety regulation on bump stocks — the device used in the shooting at a crowded music festival in Las Vegas — and called on the Congress to clarify that this dangerous accessory is a machinegun.

The Court’s decision addressing bump stocks did not alter the statutory prohibition on machinegun conversion devices, which are prohibited for non-governmental possession even when not installed on a firearm.  The threat posed by the continued proliferation of these devices is particularly acute.  These devices enable semiautomatic firearms, including easily concealable handguns, to match or exceed the rate of fire of many military machineguns with a single engagement of the trigger — up to 20 bullets in one second and 1,200 rounds in one minute.  From 2017 through 2021, ATF recovered 5,454 of these devices — a 570 percent increase over the previous 5-year period.  These devices are often illegally imported or illegally made on a 3D printer.  

Unserialized, 3D printed firearms — which can be used for illicit purposes such as gun trafficking, possession by people convicted of felonies or subject to domestic violence restraining orders, or unlawful engagement in the business of manufacturing or selling firearms — are another emerging threat.  These firearms can be 3D printed from computer code downloaded from the internet and produced without serial numbers, which law enforcement uses to trace firearms recovered in criminal investigations.  Some 3D printed firearms can be rendered undetectable by magnetometers used to secure airports, courthouses, and certain events.  3D printing technology is developing quickly, which can cause the safety threat of 3D printed firearms to suddenly increase.

In addition to the threat of domestic crime, these emerging firearms threats pose a significant risk to the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States.  Many foreign countries have heavily regulated automatic weapons and 3D printed and undetectable firearms.  The wide availability of these emerging firearms threats would undermine other nations’ gun laws and the safety and security of our allies.  Technical data and software for 3D printed firearms and machinegun conversion devices can be used by international gangs, criminals, and terrorists in a manner contrary to United States national security and foreign policy interests.    

Multiple agencies have the authority to help stop the proliferation of these emerging threats, and it is the policy of the United States to work collectively across agencies to identify threats, engage in information sharing, and work together to develop and implement effective strategies to combat these threats.  Authorities that can address emerging firearms threats extend beyond the Gun Control Act (Public Law 90-618) and the National Firearms Act (Public Law 73-474).  Focused and enhanced coordination is needed to ensure a unified and robust strategy for enforcing existing legal authorities and using every available tool and resource.  This interagency effort will build on the life-saving work that has occurred to date to stop the proliferation of machinegun conversion devices, including the ongoing efforts at the Department of Justice and ATF.

     My Administration also has invested significant resources in school safety and has taken steps to keeps firearms out of schools.  These steps have focused on preventing unauthorized access to firearms for youth and individuals in crisis; supporting schools that are implementing evidence-based safety and gun-violence prevention and intervention solutions; and addressing the mental health needs of students, particularly those impacted by gun violence.  

Keeping students and educators, including teachers and other school personnel, safe from gun violence in their schools is a top priority for my Administration, but there is more to do to make our schools safer.  Since the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999, according to one analysis, there have been more than 400 school shootings that exposed more than 375,000 students to gun violence.  Exposure to school shootings takes a terrible toll on students and educators.  A nationally representative study found that 51 percent of 14- to 17‑year‑olds in the United States worry about school shootings.

     The majority of States require schools to conduct active-shooter drills for students and educators.  About 95 percent of K-12 public schools in the United States conduct lockdown drills, which include drills to prepare for an active-shooter situation.  These drills vary widely in their approach, and many parents, students, and educators have expressed concerns over the effectiveness of and trauma caused by some approaches to these drills. 

     Despite their ubiquity, there is very limited research on how to design and deploy these drills to maximize their effectiveness and minimize any collateral harms they might cause.  While additional research is ongoing, it is difficult to conclusively determine which specific practices are most effective in preparing schools for active-shooter incidents, preventing injuries and fatalities, and minimizing any associated psychological impacts or traumas.  The Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security continue to work together on a range of school safety issues, including the beginnings of research into these important questions.  It is time for these agencies to extend their efforts to help schools better design and conduct effective and age- and developmentally appropriate active-shooter drills.

Sec. 2.  Definitions.  For purposes of this order:

(a)  The term “machinegun” has the meaning given by 18 U.S.C. 921(a)(24) and 26 U.S.C. 5845(b), and includes a “machinegun conversion device,” which is any part designed and intended solely and exclusively, or combination of parts designed and intended, for use in converting a weapon into a machinegun.

(b)  The term “undetectable firearm” means a firearm as proscribed by 18 U.S.C. 922(p).

(c)  The term “3D printing” refers to the additive manufacturing process, during which producers transmit digital designs to 3D printers.  The computerized design guides the fabrication of products, building them up layer by layer rather than cutting away from a large block of existing material as in most traditional manufacturing.  This term includes additive manufacturing technology used to produce a firearm, firearm frame or receiver, or machinegun conversion device.

Sec. 3.  Combating Emerging Firearms Threats.  (a)  There is hereby established an interagency Emerging Firearms Threats Task Force (Task Force).  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention.  In addition to the Chair, the Task Force shall consist of the following members:

(i)     the Secretary of State;

(ii)    the Attorney General;

(iii)   the Secretary of Commerce;

(iv)    the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(v)     the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(vi)    the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy;

(vii)   the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor;

(viii)  the Counsel to the President;

(ix)    the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council;

(x)     the Deputy Assistant to the President and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President; and

(xi)    the heads of such other agencies and offices as the Chair may from time to time invite to participate.

(b)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall submit to the President, through the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a report containing a risk assessment and strategy to stop the proliferation of machinegun conversion devices, with a particular emphasis on the devices used to convert a standard, semiautomatic firearm to a machinegun.  The risk assessment and strategy shall include:

(i)     information regarding the use, recovery, origins, and distribution channels of machinegun conversion devices, including:

(A)  the software or technology used for 3D printing machinegun conversion devices; and

(B)  the origins of machinegun conversion devices that are seized at ports of entry, illegally imported into the United States, or otherwise recovered by law enforcement agencies in the United States;

(ii)    an assessment of existing applicable legal authorities of the agencies represented on the Task Force and other agencies identified at the direction of the Chair to regulate software or technology used to make machinegun conversion devices, which shall include a review of export and import laws;

(iii)   an assessment of the technological and legal feasibility of 3D printing companies designing 3D printers that block the functional capacities of software that can 3D print machinegun conversion devices;

(iv)    an assessment of the operational capabilities and legal authorities of agencies to detect, intercept, and seize machinegun conversion devices that are illegally imported or illegally produced domestically, including through 3D printing;

(v)     an interagency plan for expanding U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiatives with Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement to stop the flow into the United States of machinegun conversion devices;

(vi)    an interagency plan for seizing as criminal instrumentalities 3D printers that are acquired for the purpose of illegally making machinegun conversion devices and recommendations for additional administrative actions necessary to facilitate such seizure;

(vii)   an interagency plan for expanding partnerships with State, Tribal, and local law enforcement for Federal training on identifying machinegun conversion devices, tracing the firearms to which they were attached, and submitting seizure data to ATF;

(viii)  an interagency plan — with input from 3D data providers, technology companies, and civil society — for voluntary, regulatory, and international mechanisms to limit the availability on the internet of files used for the purpose of unlawfully producing machinegun conversion devices;

(ix)    an interagency plan for effective coordination to limit the illegal export and import of software or technology on the internet that can be readily used to 3D print machinegun conversion devices; and

(x)     recommendations for any additional authorities or funding agencies need from the Congress to more effectively address the proliferation of machinegun conversion devices.

(c)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Task Force shall submit to the President, through the Director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, a report containing a risk assessment and strategy to address the emerging threat related to 3D printed firearms, including unserialized or undetectable 3D printed firearms.  The risk assessment and strategy shall include:

(i)     information regarding the usage, recovery, origins, and distribution channels of 3D printed unserialized firearms and 3D printed undetectable firearms, including the software or technology used for 3D printing unserialized firearms or undetectable firearms;

(ii)    an assessment of how 3D printing of firearms can facilitate violation of the Undetectable Firearms Act (18 U.S.C. 922(p));

(iii)   an assessment of existing authorities, including export and import laws, that regulate software or technology used for 3D printing firearms, including undetectable firearms;

(iv)    an assessment of the technological feasibility of 3D printers proactively blocking the functional capacities of software used to 3D print undetectable firearms;

(v)     an interagency plan for seizing as criminal instrumentalities 3D printers acquired for the purpose of illegally producing or dealing in firearms, including unserialized or undetectable firearms, or for the purpose of producing firearms for criminal purposes, and recommendations for additional administrative actions that may be necessary to facilitate such seizures;

(vi)    an interagency plan for effective coordination between the Department of Justice and the Department of Commerce to limit the illegal export or import of software or technology on the internet that can be readily used to illegally 3D print firearms, including unserialized or undetectable firearms;

(vii)   an interagency plan for expanding partnerships with Federal, State, Tribal, and local law enforcement to train them on identifying undetectable or unserialized firearms made with 3D printing software or technology and reporting recoveries of such firearms to ATF; and

(viii)  recommendations for any additional authorities or funding the agencies need from the Congress to more effectively address the problem of 3D printed firearms, including unserialized or undetectable firearms.

(d)  The Task Force shall be responsible for interagency coordination necessary to facilitate agencies’ implementation of the recommendations and strategies in the reports described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section.

(e)  At the direction of the Chair, the Task Force may coordinate interagency efforts to address additional emerging firearms threats.

     Sec. 4.  Understanding and Improving School-Based Active-Shooter Drills.  (a)  Within 110 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Surgeon General, shall develop and publish information about school-based active-shooter drills for schools, including institutions of higher education, and for State, Tribal, and local educational agencies.  Such information shall include:

(i)   a summary of existing research and recommendations on active-shooter drills, including information on:

(A)  how educators can collaborate within schools — as well as with families; communities; State, Tribal, and local law enforcement; and other emergency response officials — to implement drills that effectively prepare a response to school-based active-shooter situations, including by accounting for the particular needs of educators and students with disabilities; sharing evidence-informed age- and developmentally appropriate practices, such as those that prevent or limit trauma and psychological harm to those participating in drills; and facilitating effective and timely communication with students, educators, first responders, family members, and other relevant stakeholders; and

(B)  how schools must comply with Federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and disability when creating, implementing, and evaluating active-shooter drills, including by effectively serving educators and students with disabilities as well as ensuring that communications with educators and students consider their language-related needs (e.g., communicating in a manner and language that educators and students are able to understand); and

(ii)  resources on school-based active-shooter drills, including information on:

(A)  the types of drills that may be appropriate to prepare students and educators for school-based active-shooter situations; and

(B)  how to create, implement, and evaluate evidence-informed, effective, and age- and developmentally appropriate school-based drills, including:

(1)  how best to engage with students, family members, educators, law enforcement, and other relevant stakeholders on the process for creating, implementing, and evaluating these drills;

(2)  how best to communicate with students, family members, educators, and other relevant stakeholders before, during, and after the drill, including through the use of notification plans for students, educators, parents, and other parties;

(3)  how to prevent or limit trauma or psychological distress associated with active-shooter drills and support students and educators who may experience such trauma or psychological distress; and

(4)  how best to serve people with disabilities and those with unique language-related needs.

(b)  Within 110 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Surgeon General, shall develop and publish information on recommended areas for future research that can help inform policymakers, educators, students, parents, and other relevant stakeholders about different types of school-based active-shooter drills, the appropriate frequency of such drills, and the effects of such drills on students and educators.  This information shall include potential funding sources that could help advance research on, and inform improvements to, active-shooter drills.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order 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 order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order 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.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 26, 2024.

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Vermont and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by the severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides from July 29 to July 31, 2024.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides in the counties of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. William F. Roy of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

In accordance with section 114(b) of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (H.R. 9747; the “Act”), I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding (including the transfer and repurposing of funds) so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts.

The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. 

                             Sincerely,

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Designation of Funding as Emergency Requirements in Accordance with Section 114(b) of the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to $5.55 billion in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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