This article deals with the role of emergency institutes in countering the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The author examines such types of emergency as Public Health Emergency, National Emergency, Major Disaster Regime and Emergency Regime. The entire layer of emergency legislation is analysed, including National Emergencies Act of 1976, Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988, Social Security Act of 1935, Public Health Service Act of 1944, Defense Production Act of 1950. Acts of the President of the United States and the Congress adopted directly during the pandemic and aimed at countering COVID-19 and protecting the rights of American citizens are considered as well. In conclusion it’s being argued that the formal availability of federal mechanisms of mobilization of assistance to state and local government in the conditions of emergency (especially in the sphere of public health protection) by itself doesn’t guarantee effective response of the state machine to this situation, adequate and timely funding of the corresponding efforts.