34 USC § 50101 - Application for assistance

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t34/s50101"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "34 USC § 50101 - Application for assistance"
title_number: 34
title_name: "CRIME CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT"
section_number: "50101"
section_name: "Application for assistance"
chapter_number: 501
chapter_name: "EMERGENCY FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 609M, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2103; Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1113, Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3103.)"
---


# § 50101. Application for assistance

**(a)** **State as applicant** In the event that a law enforcement emergency exists throughout a State or a part of a State, a State (on behalf of itself or another appropriate unit of government) may submit an application under this section for Federal law enforcement assistance.

**(b)** **Execution of application; period for action of Attorney General on application** An application for assistance under this section shall be submitted in writing by the chief executive officer of a State to the Attorney General, in a form prescribed by rules issued by the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall, after consultation with the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs and appropriate members of the Federal law enforcement community, approve or disapprove such application not later than 10 days after receiving such application.

**(c)** **Criteria** Federal law enforcement assistance may be provided if such assistance is necessary to provide an adequate response to a law enforcement emergency. In determining whether to approve or disapprove an application for assistance under this section, the Attorney General shall consider—

**(1)** the nature and extent of such emergency throughout a State or in any part of a State,

**(2)** the situation or extraordinary circumstances which produced such emergency,

**(3)** the availability of State and local criminal justice resources to resolve the problem,

**(4)** the cost associated with the increased Federal presence,

**(5)** the need to avoid unnecessary Federal involvement and intervention in matters primarily of State and local concern, and

**(6)** any assistance which the State or other appropriate unit of government has received, or could receive, under any provision of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 [34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.].

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 609M, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2103; Pub. L. 109–162, title XI, § 1113, Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 3103.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, referred to in subsec. (c)(6), is , , . Title I of the Act is classified principally to chapter 101 (§ 10101 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 1968 Act note set out under  and Tables.

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to , The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b).  substituted “the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs” for “the Director of the Office of Justice Assistance”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Chapter effective , see , set out as a note under .