White House signs executive order examining state and local preparedness

Key Takeaways

On March 18, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at aligning federal preparedness and response doctrines, while examining state and local preparedness capabilities. The order does not shift any responsibilities or costs to state and local governments, rather produces a set of recommendations for better collaboration across all levels of government.  

View the Executive Order

Key provisions within the Order

• Creation of a National Resilience Strategy: Focus on risk-informed infrastructure investments and preparedness, replacing the traditional all-hazards approach.
• Critical Infrastructure Policy Review: Review of all critical infrastructure policies and recommendations produced to better align with local priorities.  
• National Continuity Policy Review: Existing continuity of government policies will be updated to streamline federal preparedness functions and modernize resilience planning.  
• National Risk Register: A comprehensive register will be developed to assess and quantify risks to critical infrastructure, shaping future federal, state, local and private sector investment priorities.  
• Simplified Federal Coordination Framework: DHS will recommend changes to how federal preparedness functions are organized to reduce confusion and improve state and local engagement.  

Impact on Counties  

Counties are on the frontlines of disaster response and recovery. This Executive Order seeks to better align disaster response and recovery efforts across levels of government. NACo will be actively engaged with the White House and relevant federal agencies on the creation and implementation of any recommendations produced by this action.