Executive Order 11575—Providing for the Administration of the Disaster Relief Act of 1970

By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Disaster Relief Act of 1970, hereinafter referred to as the Act, and section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: SECTION 1. (a) The authorities vested in the President by section 102 (1) of the Act to declare a major disaster, by section 251 of the Act to provide for the restoration of Federal facilities, and by section 253 of the Act to prescribe time limits for granting priorities for certain public facilities and certain public housing assistance are reserved to the President. (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (a), (c), and (d) of this section, the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President, all of the authority vested in the President by the Act. (c) The Secretary of Defense is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President, all of the authority vested in the President by section 210 of the Act concerning the utilization and availability of the civil defense communications system for the purpose of disaster warnings. (d) The Secretary of Agriculture is designated and empowered to exercise, without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President, all of the authority vested in the President by section 238 of the Act concerning food coupons and surplus commodities. SEC. 2. The Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness may delegate or assign to the head of any agency of the executive branch of the Government, subject to the consent of the agency head concerned in each case, any authority or function delegated or assigned to the Director by the provisions of this order. Any such head of agency may redelegate any authority or function so delegated or assigned to him by the Director to any officer or employee subordinate to such head of agency whose appointment is required to be made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. SEC. 3. Rules, regulations, procedures, and documents issued under the authority of the Act of September 30, 1950 (64 Stat. 1109); the Disaster Relief Act of 1966 (80 Stat. 1316); and the Disaster Relief Act of 1969 (83 Stat. 125) shall remain in effect for purposes of the Act unless otherwise modified, superseded, or revoked by the appropriate Federal official, and, unless inappropriate, all references in those rules, regulations, procedures, and documents or in any Executive order or other document to the Act of September 30, 1950, the Disaster Relief Act of 1966, or the Disaster Relief Act of 1969 shall be deemed to be references to the Act. SEC. 4. In order to assure the most effective utilization of the personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, and other resources of Federal agencies pursuant to the Act, agencies shall make and maintain suitable plans and preparations in anticipation of their responsibilities in the event of a major disaster. The Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness shall coordinate, on behalf of the President, such plans and preparations. SEC. 5. Executive Order No. 10427 of January 16, 1953, Executive Order No. 10737 of October 29, 1957, and Executive Order No. 11495 of November 18, 1969, are hereby revoked. Unless inappropriate, any reference to those Executive orders in any rule, regulation, procedure, document, or other Executive order, shall be deemed to be a reference to this Executive order. RICHARD NIXON The White House December 31, 1970