President Donald Trump has suggested he could designate the coronavirus pandemic a “major disaster,” a move that would open up more avenues of federal assistance. Trump on Friday declared the pandemic a more limited “national emergency.”
Legal Problem: It’s unclear if a pandemic qualifies as a major disaster within the text and meaning of “natural catastrophe” in the Stafford Act, and it’s never been tested.
Waiving Regulations: A national emergency designation was needed to allow the Department of Health and Human Services to waive certain regulations, and has prompted other federal agencies to waive rules as well.
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