E.O.13714
Strengthening the Senior Executive Service
·Barack Obama·80 FR 79225
E.O.13713
Half-Day Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on Thursday, December 24, 2015
·Barack Obama·80 FR 78117
Closes executive branch departments and agencies for the second half of the scheduled workday on Thursday, December 24, 2015, excusing employees from duty during that time. Allows the heads of departments and agencies to keep certain offices, installations, or employees on duty for the full day if needed for national security, defense, or other public need. States that the half-day applies under Executive Order 11582 and related federal pay and leave statutes. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to take actions necessary to carry out the order. Notes that it will be implemented consistent with existing law and available funding, does not affect existing legal authorities of agencies or the Office of Management and Budget, and does not create any enforceable rights for outside parties.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13712
Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Burundi
·Barack Obama·80 FR 73633
Declares a national emergency over violence, political repression, and instability in Burundi, and blocks all property and interests in property in the United States belonging to persons listed in an annex or later designated by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State. Designations can cover those responsible for threatening Burundi's peace or democratic institutions, committing human rights abuses, targeting civilians, recruiting child soldiers, blocking humanitarian aid, attacking peacekeeping missions, or materially supporting such conduct, as well as leaders of entities involved and those acting on their behalf. Bars transactions and donations benefiting blocked persons, prohibits evasion or conspiracy to violate the order, and suspends U.S. entry for those meeting the designation criteria, treating them under a prior proclamation on UN and IEEPA sanctions. Authorizes Treasury to issue regulations, delist persons, and report to Congress. Takes effect November 23, 2015.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13711
Establishing an Emergency Board To Investigate Disputes Between New Jersey Transit Rail and Certain of Its Employees Represented by Certain Labor Organizations
·Barack Obama·80 FR 71923
Establishes a second three-member Emergency Board, effective November 13, 2015, to investigate unresolved labor disputes between New Jersey Transit Rail and certain employees represented by specified labor organizations, under section 9A of the Railway Labor Act. This follows an earlier board created by Executive Order 13700, whose recommendations the parties did not accept. Board members may not have financial or other interests in any employee organization or carrier. Requires the disputing parties to submit final settlement offers within 30 days of the board's creation, and requires the board to report to the President within 30 days after that with its selection of the most reasonable offer. Bars the parties from changing the conditions underlying the disputes, except by mutual agreement, until 60 days after the report is submitted. Directs that the board's records be treated as Office of the President records and transferred to the National Mediation Board upon termination. The board terminates once it submits its report.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13710
Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Actions and Policies of Former Liberian President Charles Taylor
·Barack Obama·80 FR 71679
Terminates the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13348, which addressed the actions of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and others involved in unlawfully depleting Liberian resources and secreting funds and property, and revokes that order. The termination is based on findings that Liberia has made significant democratic and institutional progress, including internationally recognized elections in 2005 and 2011 and the 2012 conviction and 50-year sentence of Charles Taylor, upheld on appeal. The order specifies that ending the emergency does not affect any pending legal actions, proceedings based on acts committed before this order, or rights and duties that had already matured. It creates no new enforceable rights for any party against the United States. The order took effect at 2:00 p.m. eastern standard time on November 12, 2015, and directs that it be transmitted to Congress and published in the Federal Register.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13709
National Security Medal
·Barack Obama·80 FR 60793
Amends Executive Order 10431 of 1953, which governs the National Security Medal, to broaden eligibility so the medal may be awarded to any person, regardless of nationality, including members of the Armed Forces, for exceptionally meritorious service or acts of heroism in the field of national security performed on or after July 26, 1947. Adds procedures allowing anyone with personal knowledge of a potential recipient's service or heroism to recommend that person to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, with supporting documentation and, where applicable, agency concurrence. Provides that once the Executive Secretary determines an award is warranted and the President approves, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence will process the recommendation, prepare the medal, and deliver it to the National Security Council for presentation. Supersedes the 1953 regulations on the medal's award and states it does not alter existing agency authority or create enforceable rights against the government.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13708
Continuance or Reestablishment of Certain Federal Advisory Committees
·Barack Obama·80 FR 60271
Continues or reestablishes numerous federal advisory committees, listed by name and originating executive order, until September 30, 2017, including bodies such as the President's Export Council, the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and the Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, among many others spanning agencies from the Department of Commerce to NASA. Assigns the President's functions under the Federal Advisory Committee Act for each listed committee to the head of the department or agency named alongside it, following procedures set by the Administrator of General Services. Supersedes the corresponding continuation provisions of Executive Order 13652 from 2013. Also amends Executive Order 12829 by replacing references to the Administrator of General Services with the National Archives and Records Administration and the Archivist of the United States in specific subsections. Takes effect September 30, 2015.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13707
Using Behavioral Science Insights To Better Serve the American People
·Barack Obama·80 FR 56365
Encourages federal agencies to apply findings from behavioral science, such as behavioral economics and psychology, to improve government policies and programs. Agencies are encouraged to identify programs where such insights could improve outcomes and cost effectiveness, test strategies, recruit behavioral science experts, and build ties with researchers. Agencies are directed to streamline access to public programs and benefits, improve how information is presented to the public, carefully design the structure of choices offered in programs including default options, and review incentives meant to encourage actions like retirement savings or completing education. The Social and Behavioral Sciences Team, under the National Science and Technology Council and chaired by the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, is tasked with providing guidance to agencies, issuing implementation guidance within 45 days, and producing yearly reports on agency progress through 2019. Independent agencies are encouraged, but not required, to comply.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13706
Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors
·Barack Obama·80 FR 54697
Directs federal executive agencies to include a clause in new contracts requiring contractors and subcontractors to let employees earn at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 56 hours per year. Leave may be used for illness, medical care, caring for family members, or absences related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and must carry over year to year and be reinstated for employees rehired within 12 months. Contractors cannot require a replacement worker as a condition of leave or retaliate against employees who use it. The Secretary of Labor must issue implementing regulations by September 30, 2016, defining terms, exclusions, and recordkeeping requirements, after which the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council must add the contract clause to procurement rules. The requirements apply mainly to procurement, service, concession, and federal-property contracts covered by the Service Contract Act, Davis-Bacon Act, or Fair Labor Standards Act, effective for solicitations or awards on or after January 1, 2017.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13705
Designating the International Renewable Energy Agency as a Public International Organization Entitled To Enjoy Certain Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities
·Barack Obama·80 FR 54405
Designates the International Renewable Energy Agency as a public international organization under the International Organizations Immunities Act, making it eligible for the privileges, exemptions, and immunities that law provides. The designation does not reduce any privileges, exemptions, or immunities the organization already has or may later acquire under other law. The order also clarifies that it does not change the legal authority of any federal department or agency, does not affect the Office of Management and Budget's role in budget and legislative matters, must be carried out consistent with existing law and available funding, and does not create any new legal rights or benefits enforceable against the United States.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13704
Presidential Innovation Fellows Program
·Barack Obama·80 FR 50751
Establishes the Presidential Innovation Fellows Program, directing the Administrator of General Services to create it so entrepreneurs, executives, and other innovators can serve time-limited stints in federal agencies working on significant national challenges. A Director appointed by the Administrator will run the program, select and place Fellows, set application processes, salary ranges, and a government-wide cap on the number of Fellows, and coordinate placements with agencies. An Advisory Board, chaired by an Administrator designee and including officials from the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, and the White House Chief Technology Officer, will recommend priorities but not participate in selecting Fellows. Fellows generally serve appointments of six months to two years. Executive agencies are encouraged, but not required, to work with the Director and identify projects that would benefit from a Fellow's involvement. The order does not create enforceable legal rights and is subject to existing law and available funding.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13703
Implementing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States for 2015-2020
·Barack Obama·80 FR 46181
Directs federal implementation of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: Updated to 2020. Assigns the Director of the White House Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), working with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), responsibility for monitoring progress and reporting annually to the President. Designates ten lead agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs, each required to submit an implementation action plan within 100 days and to designate a coordinating official. Requires the Department of State and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to submit related recommendations within the same period. Directs the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, established by Executive Order 12963, to monitor progress and advise the Secretary of Health and Human Services and ONAP. Establishes a National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Interagency Working Group, co-chaired by ONAP and the Secretary, to coordinate agency efforts, share research and best practices, consult outside stakeholders, and report recommendations to the President within 100 days. States it creates no enforceable legal rights and applies subject to existing law and available funding.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13702
Creating a National Strategic Computing Initiative
·Barack Obama·80 FR 46177
Establishes the National Strategic Computing Initiative, a government-wide effort to coordinate research, development, and deployment of high-performance computing (HPC) in collaboration with industry and academia. Sets five objectives, including building an exascale computing system, improving data analytics, planning for computing beyond current semiconductor limits, strengthening the national HPC ecosystem, and fostering public-private collaboration. Designates the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and National Science Foundation as lead agencies; the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity and National Institute of Standards and Technology as foundational research agencies; and NASA, the FBI, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as deployment agencies. Creates an Executive Council co-chaired by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate efforts. Requires the Council to develop an implementation plan within 90 days, update it annually for five years, and prepare yearly status reports to the President during that period. Defines key technical terms used in the order.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13701
Delegation of Certain Authorities and Assignment of Certain Functions Under the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015
·Barack Obama·80 FR 43903
Delegates most presidential authorities and functions under title I of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 to the United States Trade Representative, while withholding certain specified provisions from delegation. Assigns particular functions to other officials: the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Trade Representative and other agencies, handles consultative mechanisms; the Secretary of Labor conducts employment impact and labor rights reviews with the Trade Policy Staff Committee; and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget prepares implementation and enforcement plans for trade agreements, assisted by the Secretaries of State, Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce, and Homeland Security. The Trade Representative also handles reporting on capacity-building activities. The order preserves the Office of Management and Budget's budgetary and legislative functions, allows officials to redelegate authority with Federal Register publication, requires actions to remain consistent with the President's constitutional foreign affairs powers, and states it creates no enforceable legal rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13700
Establishing an Emergency Board To Investigate Disputes Between New Jersey Transit Rail and Certain of Its Employees Represented by Certain Labor Organizations
·Barack Obama·80 FR 43003
Establishes a three-member emergency board under the Railway Labor Act to investigate unresolved labor disputes between New Jersey Transit Rail and certain of its employees represented by specified labor organizations, effective July 16, 2015. Board members must have no financial or other interest in any carrier or employee organization. The board must report to the President on the disputes within 30 days of its creation, after which it terminates. For 120 days from the board's creation, neither the railway nor the unions may change the conditions that gave rise to the disputes except by mutual agreement. The board's records are treated as records of the Office of the President and, once the board dissolves, are to be kept in the physical custody of the National Mediation Board.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13699
Establishing the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health
·Barack Obama·80 FR 37529
Establishes the Advisory Board on Toxic Substances and Worker Health within the Department of Labor, as required by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. The Board will have up to 15 members, appointed by the Secretary of Labor in consultation with worker-health organizations, drawn from scientific, medical, and claimant communities, serving unpaid as Special Government Employees with travel expenses covered. The Secretary will designate a Chair and a Director of staff. The Board advises the Secretary on the Department's site exposure matrices, medical guidance for claims examiners under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, evidentiary standards for lung disease claims, and quality control for the Department's physicians and industrial hygienists. It will coordinate with the existing Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health. The Department of Labor will fund and staff the Board, and it terminates five years after the authorizing law's enactment.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13698
Hostage Recovery Activities
·Barack Obama·80 FR 37131
Directs the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the FBI, to establish a Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell within the FBI to coordinate government efforts to recover U.S. nationals held hostage abroad, drawing staff from the State Department, Treasury, Defense Department, Justice Department, the Director of National Intelligence, the CIA, and other designated agencies. Creates a Hostage Response Group, chaired by the Special Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism, to provide policy guidance and recommend recovery strategies to the President through the National Security Council. Establishes a Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, reporting to the Secretary of State, to lead diplomatic engagement on hostage cases. Requires the Hostage Response Group to report on implementation within 180 days, and requires the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center to submit a public-facing status report within one year, informed by consultation with former hostages and their families. Defines 'U.S. national' for purposes of the order and states it creates no enforceable legal rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13697
Amendment to Executive Order 11155, Awards for Special Capability in Career and Technical Education
·Barack Obama·80 FR 36691
Amends Executive Order 11155, which established the Presidential Scholars program, by adding a provision allowing the Commission on Presidential Scholars to select up to twenty additional scholars each year beyond those already provided for. These additional scholars would be chosen from the same jurisdictions as other Presidential Scholars, based on outstanding scholarship and demonstrated ability and achievement specifically in career and technical education fields.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13696
2015 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States
·Barack Obama·80 FR 35783
Amends Parts II, III, and IV of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, which was originally prescribed by Executive Order 12473, incorporating changes detailed in an attached annex. The amendments apply to the military justice system governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice and take effect as of the order's signing date. The order specifies that the changes cannot be used to punish acts or omissions that occurred before the effective date if those acts were not previously punishable. It also states that the amendments do not invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceedings, restraints, investigations, charge referrals, trials already arraigned, or other actions that began before the effective date, allowing such proceedings to continue as if the amendments had not been issued.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13695
Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created by the Accumulation of a Large Volume of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material in the Territory of the Russian Federation
·Barack Obama·80 FR 30331