The basic governmental framework under which disaster planning is expected to occur is being developed as a result of recent events.
Creation of a new, cabinet-level agency, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has occurred and is expected to oversee federal involvement “in the event of terrorist attack, national disaster, or other large-scale
emergency.”
The framework and method of implementation is currently under construction, although it appears that DHS intends to manage efforts centrally, but also to delegate responsibilities to a number of other federal agencies(e.g., the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency) and, ultimately, to each state.