STAND Act

The STAND Act prohibits the U.S. State Department and USAID from using federal funds for non-defense foreign aid (including bilateral, multilateral, and humanitarian assistance) for 60 days after the President declares a major disaster under the Stafford Act for a U.S. event. This policy directly affects U.S. foreign aid programs by imposing an automatic funding freeze during the initial response period for domestic disasters. The key mechanism is a mandatory 60-day delay in aid disbursements triggered by a domestic disaster declaration, with limited waiver authority requiring a new joint resolution. The bill focuses on redirecting immediate domestic disaster response resources rather than altering long-term aid policies.