42 USC § 5203 - Excess disaster assistance payments as budgetary emergency requirements

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t42/s5203"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "42 USC § 5203 - Excess disaster assistance payments as budgetary emergency requirements"
title_number: 42
title_name: "THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE"
section_number: "5203"
section_name: "Excess disaster assistance payments as budgetary emergency requirements"
chapter_number: 68
chapter_name: "DISASTER RELIEF"
subchapter_number: "V"
subchapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 102–229, title I, Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1711.)"
---


# 1 Excess disaster assistance payments as budgetary emergency requirements

See References in Text note below.

42 U.S.C. 5121[^1]December 12, 1991

Beginning in fiscal year 1993, and in each year thereafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law, all amounts appropriated for disaster assistance payments under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( et seq.) that are in excess of either the historical annual average obligation of $320,000,000, or the amount submitted in the President’s initial budget request, whichever is lower, shall be considered as “emergency requirements” pursuant to section 901(b)(2)(D)  of title 2, and such amounts shall on and after , be so designated.

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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 102–229, title I, Dec. 12, 1991, 105 Stat. 1711.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in text, is , , , which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.

, referred to in text, was amended by , , , and , , . As so amended,  no longer refers to “emergency requirements”.

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the Dire Emergency Supplemental Appropriations and Transfers for Relief From the Effects of Natural Disasters, for Other Urgent Needs, and for Incremental Cost of “Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm” Act of 1992, and not as a part of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act which comprises this chapter.