The Governor of Texas declared a State of Disaster using his powers under state law. This declaration has been renewed through a series of proclamations to the present day.

The Texas Department of State Health Services Commissioner has declared a "state of public health disaster." The declaration includes several actions that individuals and businesses must take to avoid the spread of COVID-19.

View this list to see whether your county has an emergency declaration or a "shelter in place" policy enacted at the county level.

The President of the United States declared a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act.

The President issued a Major Disaster Declaration for Texas under the Stafford Act on 3/25/2020. This type of declaration makes the state eligible for many federal assistance programs for both individuals and public infrastructure.

The President issued an Emergency Declaration for Texas under the Stafford Act on 3/13/2020. This type of declaration provides federal assistance to supplement certain types of state emergency operations.

This chapter, also known as the Texas Disaster Act, sets out the emergency powers of government entities in Texas. It provides a definition of what is considered a "disaster."

This statutes gives the definition of "disaster" as it applies in the chapter.

This subchapter sets out the steps the Governor of Texas can take in an emergency situation.

This subchapter sets out the powers of local governments to declare and mitigate an emergency.

This section gives "the presiding officer of the governing body of a political subdivision" the power to declare a local state of disaster.

This chapter, also known as the National Emergencies Act, sets out procedural requirements for declaring a national emergency.

This chapter of the U.S. Code, also known as the Stafford Act, sets out the procedures for declaring certain types of disasters or emergencies. It has definitions of the two types of declarations under this chapter: "Emergency" and "Major Disaster."

These federal rules set out the procedures that state, tribal, or territorial leaders must take to request relief from the President under the Stafford Act.

This page describes the steps that state, tribal, or territorial leaders must take to request relief from the President under the Stafford Act.

This report provides a chart of 136 identified statutes that become available in some way when the President or Congress declares a “national emergency.”

This website allows you to ask a lawyer a legal question in writing for free. You can even upload documents for an attorney to review.

Our Legal Help guide has information on free legal hotlines, legal clinics, and legal aid organizations, as well as information on how to find a lawyer who could represent you.

Questions? Ask us! Librarians at the State Law Library can provide information about the law, but cannot give legal advice.