Navigating Disaster Responder Laws Across the United States by Role, Jurisdiction, and Topic

All laws are current through at least February 2023.

ELI Disaster

Emergency Law Inventory

Laws Impacting Emergency Responders

Understanding liability, licensure, scope of practice, workers’ benefits, and protections from threats:

Navigating laws in emergency situations

Liability ELI disaster

Liability

Will I be legally responsible if I hurt someone or damage property?

License Reciprocity

Licensure

Will I be able to provide disaster response services without additional credentialing?

Scope of Practice

Scope of Practice

What can and can't I do in another jurisdiction?

threats icon

Workers’ Benefits

What if I am injured while providing disaster response services? What happens to my job if I am deployed?

ELI disaster protection

Protections from Threats

Will I be protected if I am threatened while providing disaster response services?

About the project

The Emergency Law Inventory identifies and summarizes over 1800 laws that are important to emergency responders.

NOTE: The content on this site is offered only as a public service and does not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. This site and this tool should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. You should always consult a suitably qualified attorney regarding any specific legal problem or matter.

 

Funding for this resource was generously provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under a contract from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (CDC cooperative agreement numbers 6 NU38OT000306-04-01, 5 NU38OT000306-05-00, and 6 NU38OT000306-05-05)