E.O.13640
Continuance of Advisory Council
·Barack Obama·78 FR 21211
E.O.13639
Establishment of the Presidential Commission on Election Administration
·Barack Obama·78 FR 19979
Creates the Presidential Commission on Election Administration, made up of up to nine presidential appointees with experience in state or local election administration or customer-service-oriented business, with two members designated as Co-Chairs. The commission is tasked with identifying best practices and making recommendations to improve election administration and voter experience, considering issues such as polling place management, poll worker training, voting technology, ballot design, accessibility for people with disabilities or limited English proficiency, provisional and absentee ballot handling, and disaster contingency planning. It must hold public meetings, coordinate with federal, state, and local officials, and submit a final report to the President within six months of its first public meeting, after which it terminates 30 days later. The General Services Administration will provide administrative support, and members serve without pay but may receive travel expenses.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13638
Amendments to Executive Order 12777
·Barack Obama·78 FR 17589
Amends Executive Order 12777 by rewriting its Section 4 to redistribute authority for adjusting liability limits under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. It delegates power to raise liability limits for oil spills, to reflect increases in the Consumer Price Index, among several federal officials: the Secretary of the department housing the Coast Guard handles vessels, deepwater ports, and marine transportation-related onshore facilities; the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator handles non-transportation-related onshore facilities; the Secretary of Transportation handles non-marine transportation-related onshore facilities; and the Secretary of the Interior handles offshore facilities and pipelines other than deepwater ports. Each official must consult with the others, plus the Attorney General, when setting or adjusting these limits, and each is also responsible for reporting to Congress on whether further adjustments are needed. The order states it does not alter existing statutory authority of agencies or create any enforceable legal rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13637
Administration of Reformed Export Controls
·Barack Obama·78 FR 16129
Delegates numerous presidential functions under the Arms Export Control Act to the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, covering areas such as approval of defense article and service transfers, foreign military sales, credit and guaranty transactions, licensing, brokering registration, and related notifications to Congress. Specific provisions assign certain determinations to the Attorney General and require consultation among the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Commerce, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget on particular matters. Directs that funds appropriated to the President for the Act be allocated to the Secretary of Defense automatically. Revokes Executive Order 11958 while keeping prior actions taken under it in effect until changed. Amends Executive Order 13222 to add new sections requiring the Secretary of Commerce to establish procedures for notifying Congress about firearm and Major Defense Equipment exports, and authorizing the Secretary of State to license certain Commerce-jurisdiction exports in agreement with the Secretary of Commerce, while keeping such items under Commerce's jurisdiction. States it does not alter existing agency authority or create enforceable rights, and applies subject to available appropriations.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13636
Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity
·Barack Obama·78 FR 11739
Directs federal agencies to strengthen protection of the nation's critical infrastructure against cyber threats. Requires the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and Director of National Intelligence to establish, within 120 days, processes for sharing unclassified and classified cyber threat reports with targeted private entities, and to expand programs providing classified threat information and security clearances to critical infrastructure owners and operators. Directs the Department of Homeland Security to assess privacy and civil liberties risks in an annual public report. Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to lead development of a voluntary "Cybersecurity Framework" of standards and practices, with a preliminary version due within 240 days and a final version within one year. Establishes a voluntary program for critical infrastructure owners to adopt the framework, with agencies recommending incentives and reviewing whether existing regulations are sufficient. Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify, within 150 days, critical infrastructure where a cyber incident could cause catastrophic harm, excluding commercial IT products. Defines key terms and clarifies that the order does not expand agencies' existing legal authority or create enforceable rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13635
Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay
·Barack Obama·78 FR 649
Sets updated pay rates for various categories of federal employees and officials, attaching schedules covering the General Schedule, the Foreign Service Schedule, Veterans Health Administration pay, the Senior Executive Service, the Executive Schedule, the Vice President and Congress, federal justices and judges, uniformed services members, locality-based pay adjustments, and administrative law judges. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to implement the locality-based comparability payments and publish notice of them in the Federal Register. States that the uniformed services pay schedule takes effect January 1, 2013, while the other schedules take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period after a date specified in the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2013. Supersedes Executive Order 13594 of December 19, 2011, as of these effective dates. Applies to civilian federal employees, senior executives, certain elected and appointed officials, judges, and members of the uniformed services.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13634
Reestablishment of Advisory Commission
·Barack Obama·77 FR 77249
Reestablishes the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, which had been set up under Executive Order 13555 of October 19, 2010. The commission is set to terminate on September 30, 2013, unless the President extends it. The same individuals who were serving as members on October 19, 2012, are reappointed to the reestablished commission as though it had continued operating without interruption. The order also clarifies that it does not alter the legal authority of any federal department or agency, does not affect the budgetary or administrative functions of the Office of Management and Budget, and does not create any legally enforceable rights or benefits for any party against the United States or its officials.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13633
Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government on Monday, December 24, 2012
·Barack Obama·77 FR 76339
Closes all executive branch departments and agencies on Monday, December 24, 2012, the day before Christmas, and excuses federal employees from duty, except where agency heads determine that certain offices or personnel must remain operating for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need. Treats that day as covered by Executive Order 11582 and related federal pay and leave statutes for purposes of employee compensation. Directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to take actions needed to carry out the order. States it will be implemented consistent with existing law and available funding, does not alter existing agency authority or the budgetary functions of the Office of Management and Budget, and does not create any enforceable legal rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13632
Establishing the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force
·Barack Obama·77 FR 74341
Establishes the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, to coordinate federal, state, local, and tribal rebuilding efforts in areas hit by Hurricane Sandy and the following nor'easter. The Task Force includes representatives from numerous federal departments and agencies and works alongside the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Disaster Recovery Framework to remove obstacles to resilient rebuilding, address housing, infrastructure, and economic recovery, and engage local officials and the public. The Chair may create an Advisory Group of elected state, local, and tribal officials to provide input. Within 180 days of first convening, the Task Force must produce a Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Strategy covering its activities, a long-term rebuilding plan, specific goals and actions, and a monitoring plan; agencies must align programs with this Strategy where possible. The Task Force is to be supported administratively by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and will terminate 60 days after the Strategy's completion, after which FEMA and other agencies continue coordination duties.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13631
Reestablishment of Advisory Group
·Barack Obama·77 FR 74101
Reestablishes the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health, a body originally created by Executive Order 13544 and previously continued by Executive Order 13591. The order reappoints the same members who were serving on the Advisory Group as of September 30, 2012, treating it as though it had continued without interruption. The reestablished Advisory Group is set to terminate on September 30, 2013, unless the President extends it. The order also states it does not alter the legal authority of any federal department or agency, does not affect the budgetary or legislative functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and does not create any enforceable legal rights for any party against the United States or its officials.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13630
Establishment of an Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy
·Barack Obama·77 FR 73893
Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Commercial Advocacy, chaired by the Secretary of Commerce, to support U.S. businesses competing for international contracts, building on the National Export Initiative created by Executive Order 13534. Membership includes senior officials from the Departments of State, Treasury, Defense, Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Transportation, Energy, and Homeland Security, along with agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development, Export-Import Bank, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Small Business Administration, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency. The task force is directed to review and prioritize commercial advocacy cases, coordinate agency leaders' engagement with foreign officials, raise awareness among U.S. businesses, gather information on foreign procurement opportunities, allow short-term personnel exchanges of up to 120 days between agencies, and submit progress reports to the Export Promotion Cabinet every 180 days. The Commerce Department will fund and administer the task force, and the order defines key terms like 'commercial advocacy' and 'foreign project or procurement opportunities.'Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13629
Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council
·Barack Obama·77 FR 66353
Establishes a White House Homeland Security Partnership Council to build local partnerships between the federal government and the private sector, nonprofits, foundations, and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments and law enforcement on homeland security issues. The Council is chaired by the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism and made up of field-office officials nominated by member agencies. A companion Steering Committee, with deputy-level representatives from nineteen listed departments and agencies including State, Defense, Justice, Homeland Security, and the FBI, sets the Council's scope, nomination criteria, and guidance. The Council is tasked with advising on partnership priorities, promoting collaboration, sharing best practices, conducting outreach, and holding an annual meeting, while the Steering Committee must report to the President on the Council's work within one year of member selection and annually afterward. Agencies must support the Council but cover their own costs, and the order does not alter existing legal authorities or create enforceable rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13628
Authorizing the Implementation of Certain Sanctions Set Forth in the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 and Additional Sanctions With Respect to Iran
·Barack Obama·77 FR 62139
Implements sanctions authorities from the Iran Sanctions Act, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act, and the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, building on the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12957. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to implement sanctions selected by the President or those officials against designated persons, including asset blocking, financial restrictions, import bans, and investment prohibitions. Authorizes blocking property of persons who transfer goods or technology enabling human rights abuses in Iran or who engage in censorship limiting Iranian citizens' free expression. Restricts foreign entities owned by U.S. persons from transactions with Iran's government, with penalties waived if divestment occurs by February 6, 2013. Authorizes the Secretary of State to sanction persons involved in past petroleum-related dealings with Iran. Suspends U.S. entry for aliens meeting specified criteria, prohibits related donations and evasion schemes, amends Executive Order 13622's wording, and directs all federal agencies to carry out its provisions.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13627
Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts
·Barack Obama·77 FR 60029
Directs the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council, within 180 days and in consultation with several agencies, to amend federal contracting rules to strengthen prohibitions on trafficking in persons by federal contractors and subcontractors. It bars practices such as fraudulent recruitment, charging recruitment fees, confiscating workers' identity documents, and failing to pay return transportation for certain overseas workers. Contracts and subcontracts performed abroad valued over $500,000 must require contractors to maintain compliance plans covering employee awareness, reporting channels, recruitment and wage practices, housing standards, and subcontractor monitoring, plus annual certifications of compliance, with exceptions for commercially available off-the-shelf items. Within a year, the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons must help identify domestic industries at risk and prompt agencies to adopt safeguards. It also directs the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy to issue guidance and training for the federal acquisition workforce on preventing and addressing trafficking violations, and requires agencies to share risk-related information.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13626
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration
·Barack Obama·77 FR 56749
Terminates the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, created by Executive Order 13554 after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, no later than 60 days after the newly established Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, created under the RESTORE Act, begins its work. Executive Order 13554 is revoked once the Task Force ends. The order affirms the roles of the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund and the Gulf Restoration Council in developing a comprehensive Gulf Coast restoration plan, and directs federal members of the Council and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Trustee Council to coordinate closely and avoid duplicating efforts. It designates the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Agriculture as additional trustees for natural resource damage assessment related to the spill, and directs the EPA Administrator to revise the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan to reflect this. It clarifies that existing agency authorities and budgetary functions are unaffected and creates no enforceable legal rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13625
Improving Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families
·Barack Obama·77 FR 54783
Directs the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, Education, and Homeland Security to expand mental health and suicide-prevention support for veterans, service members, and military families. Requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand Veterans Crisis Line capacity by 50 percent by December 31, 2012, connect veterans in crisis to care within 24 hours, and hire 800 peer counselors by December 31, 2013, alongside a goal of 1,600 new mental health professionals by June 2013. Orders a joint Defense-Veterans Affairs suicide prevention campaign, at least 15 pilot projects partnering Veterans Affairs with community providers, and guidance promoting community and telehealth mental health services. Calls for a National Research Action Plan within eight months on PTSD and traumatic brain injury, and a longitudinal study aiming to enroll 100,000 service members by the end of 2012. Establishes an Interagency Task Force on Military and Veterans Mental Health, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services, to recommend and review strategies, with an initial report due within 180 days and annual reviews thereafter.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13624
Accelerating Investment in Industrial Energy Efficiency
·Barack Obama·77 FR 54779
Directs the Departments of Energy, Commerce, and Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, coordinating with the National Economic Council, Domestic Policy Council, Council on Environmental Quality, and Office of Science and Technology Policy, to work together and with states, manufacturers, utilities, and other stakeholders to encourage investment in industrial energy efficiency and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Sets a national goal of deploying 40 gigawatts of new, cost-effective industrial CHP by the end of 2020. Instructs the agencies to hold public workshops to develop best-practice state policies and investment models, use existing authorities such as helping states account for CHP benefits in air quality plans, provide incentives like emissions allowance set-asides, grants, and loans, apply output-based compliance approaches in regulations, expand the Department of Energy's Better Buildings, Better Plants program, and offer technical, data, and financial guidance to states, utilities, and industrial facility owners. Agencies are told to consult the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as appropriate, and the order applies only within existing legal authority and available funding.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13623
Preventing and Responding to Violence Against Women and Girls Globally
·Barack Obama·77 FR 49345
Establishes an Interagency Working Group to coordinate the U.S. Government's multi-year Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence Globally. The group is co-chaired by the Secretary of State and the Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, with representatives from the Departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Homeland Security, the Office of Management and Budget, National Security Staff, the Office of the Vice President, the Peace Corps, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the White House Council on Women and Girls, among others. Within 120 days it must hold its first meeting to set implementation benchmarks and a review timetable; within 18 months it must produce a progress report; within 3 years a final evaluation; and within 180 days after that, an updated strategy. Member agencies are directed to coordinate efforts, integrate gender-based violence programming into existing foreign policy and assistance work, improve data collection and research, and expand relevant programming, subject to available funding.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13622
Authorizing Additional Sanctions With Respect to Iran
·Barack Obama·77 FR 45897
Invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and building on the national emergency first declared in Executive Order 12957, this order expands sanctions related to Iran. It authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to restrict foreign financial institutions' access to U.S. correspondent accounts if they knowingly conduct significant transactions with the National Iranian Oil Company, Naftiran Intertrade Company, or involving Iranian petroleum or petrochemical purchases. It also authorizes the Secretary of State, with other agencies, to impose sanctions—such as export credit denial, loan and financial restrictions, asset blocking, and import bans—on persons who engage in such transactions or support Iran's central bank or oil sector. Exceptions apply for food, medicine, medical devices, and an Azerbaijan-to-Europe gas pipeline project. It bars evasion or conspiracy to violate its terms, waives advance notice for blocking actions, defines key terms, and directs agencies to implement these measures, which take effect July 31, 2012.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13621
White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans
·Barack Obama·77 FR 45471