42 U.S.C. § 5189E
Section 5189e · Essential service providers
Amended 3 times on record
In this section, the term “essential service provider” means an entity that—
provides
wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service;
electrical power;
natural gas;
water and sewer services; or
any other essential service, as determined by the President; or
is a tower owner or operator;
is—
a municipal entity;
a nonprofit entity; or
a private, for profit entity; and
is contributing to efforts to respond to an emergency or major disaster.
Unless exceptional circumstances apply, in an emergency or major disaster, the head of a Federal agency, to the greatest extent practicable, shall not—
deny or impede access to the disaster site to an essential service provider whose access is necessary to restore and repair an essential service; or
impede the restoration or repair of the services described in subsection (a)(1).
In implementing this section, the head of a Federal agency shall follow all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Amendments
2018—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 115–141 designated existing provisions as subpar. (A), redesignated former subpars. (A) to (E) as cls. (i) to (v), respectively, of subpar. (A), substituted “wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service” for “telecommunications service” in cl. (i), and added subpar. (B).