---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 5189e"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "5189e"
heading: "Essential service providers"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/5189e"
units:
  - "Chapter 68 — Disaster Relief"
  - "Subchapter IV — Major Disaster Assistance Programs"
---

# §5189e. Essential service providers

- (a) **Definition—** In this section, the term “essential service provider” means an entity that—
  - (1)
    - (A) provides
      - (i) wireline or mobile telephone service, Internet access service, radio or television broadcasting, cable service, or direct broadcast satellite service;
      - (ii) electrical power;
      - (iii) natural gas;
      - (iv) water and sewer services; or
      - (v) any other essential service, as determined by the President; or
    - (B) is a tower [owner](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) or operator;
  - (2) is—
    - (A) a municipal entity;
    - (B) a [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) entity; or
    - (C) a private, for profit entity; and
  - (3) is contributing to efforts to respond to an [emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1) or [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2).
- (b) **Authorization for accessibility—** Unless exceptional circumstances apply, in an [emergency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=1) or [major disaster](/usc/42/5122.md?p=2), the head of a [Federal agency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=9), to the greatest extent practicable, shall not—
  - (1) deny or impede access to the [disaster](/usc/42/5204.md?p=2) site to an essential service provider whose access is necessary to restore and repair an essential service; or
  - (2) impede the restoration or repair of the services described in [subsection (a)(1)](#a-1).
- (c) **Implementation—** In implementing this section, the head of a [Federal agency](/usc/42/5122.md?p=9) shall follow all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 93–288, title IV, § 427, formerly § 425, as added Pub. L. 109–347, title VI, § 607, Oct. 13, 2006, 120 Stat. 1941; renumbered § 427, Pub. L. 113–2, div. B, § 1102(1), Jan. 29, 2013, 127 Stat. 39; amended Pub. L. 115–141, div. P, title III, § 302, Mar. 23, 2018, 132 Stat. 1087.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### 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).