E.O.13534
National Export Initiative
·Barack Obama·75 FR 12433
E.O.13533
Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Defense
·Barack Obama·75 FR 10163
Sets an order of succession within the Department of Defense, listing 19 tiers of officials, beginning with the Deputy Secretary of Defense and continuing through the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, various Under Secretaries, and other officials, who would act as Secretary of Defense if the Secretary dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to serve. It specifies that when multiple officials share the same tier, precedence goes to whoever was appointed or sworn in earliest. It excludes officials serving only in an acting capacity and requires that anyone acting as Secretary have been appointed by the President with Senate confirmation and be eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. It preserves the President's discretion to depart from this order when naming an acting Secretary, revokes Executive Order 13394, and states that it creates no legally enforceable rights for outside parties.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13532
Promoting Excellence, Innovation, and Sustainability at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
·Barack Obama·75 FR 9749
Establishes the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), housed in the Department of Education, to help these institutions increase participation in federal programs, build public-private partnerships, share best practices, and improve their relationship with the federal government. Requires the Secretary of Education to designate agencies that must prepare annual plans detailing efforts to boost HBCU participation in federal grants, contracts, and programs, with measurable goals and annual performance reviews, and to appoint senior liaison officials. Creates an Interagency Working Group to coordinate these efforts. Establishes the President's Board of Advisors on HBCUs, up to 25 presidentially appointed members from education, business, philanthropy, and finance sectors, to advise the President and Secretary on strengthening HBCU competitiveness, visibility, and fiscal security, and to report annually. Applies to designated executive departments and agencies, which must provide information and bear their own participation costs. Revokes Executive Order 13256.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13531
National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform
·Barack Obama·75 FR 7927
Establishes the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform within the Executive Office of the President, made up of 18 members: six appointed by the President, and twelve current members of Congress selected by the Senate and House majority and minority leaders. Two of the President's appointees, from different political parties, are designated as Co-Chairs. The Commission is tasked with proposing recommendations to balance the federal budget, excluding interest payments, by 2015, and to improve the long-term fiscal outlook, including addressing entitlement spending growth and gaps between projected revenues and expenditures. It must vote on a final report by December 1, 2010, requiring approval from at least 14 of its 18 members. Members serve without additional pay but may receive travel expenses, and the Commission has a staff led by an Executive Director. It terminates 30 days after submitting its final report.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13530
President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability
·Barack Obama·75 FR 5481
Establishes the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability within the Department of the Treasury to promote financial capability among Americans. The Council consists of the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Education, and up to 22 presidentially appointed members from outside the federal government, including academics and researchers in financial education. It is tasked with gathering input from federal, state, local, and tribal officials, financial services providers, consumers, and experts; advising the President and Treasury Secretary on ways to build financial education and access, especially for underserved populations; and reporting periodically on the state of financial capability and progress made. The Treasury Department will fund and administer the Council, and members serve unpaid, though travel expenses may be reimbursed. The Secretary will designate an Executive Director to oversee administrative support. The Council terminates two years after the order's date unless extended by the President.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13529
Ordering the Selected Reserve and Certain Individual Ready Reserve Members of the Armed Forces to Active Duty
·Barack Obama·75 FR 3331
Authorizes the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the Coast Guard when not operating as part of the Navy, to order units and individual members of the Selected Reserve, as well as certain members of the Individual Ready Reserve designated as essential, to active duty. The order states this action is needed to increase the active Armed Forces to conduct operational missions, including humanitarian assistance, related to relief efforts in Haiti following the January 12, 2010 earthquake. It also allows those officials to terminate the active-duty service of such units and members. The order specifies that it does not create any legally enforceable right or benefit for any party against the United States or its officers, employees, or agents.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13528
Establishment of the Council of Governors
·Barack Obama·75 FR 2053
Establishes a Council of Governors made up of 10 state governors appointed by the President, with no more than five from the same political party, serving two-year terms that may be renewed. The President designates two Members from different parties as Co-Chairs. The Council meets at the call of the Secretary of Defense or the Co-Chairs to exchange views and advice with defense and homeland security officials, including the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and military commanders, on matters involving the National Guard, homeland defense, civil support, and coordination between state and federal military activities. The Secretary of Defense designates an Executive Director to coordinate the Council's work and provides administrative support upon request of the Co-Chairs. Members serve without pay but may receive travel expenses. The Council may form subcommittees and adopt a charter to refine its operations. The order defines relevant terms and states it does not alter existing legal authorities or create enforceable rights.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13527
Establishing Federal Capability for the Timely Provision of Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack
·Barack Obama·75 FR 737
Establishes a national policy to prepare for rapid federal distribution of medical countermeasures, such as vaccines or antibiotics, to the public following a biological attack. Directs the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security, working with the U.S. Postal Service, to create within 180 days a model using postal workers to deliver medical countermeasures to homes in affected cities, with anthrax as the primary scenario. Also directs those officials, along with the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General, to develop plans within 180 days for supplementing local law enforcement to escort postal workers during deliveries. Requires the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services, with the Secretary of Defense, to develop within 90 days a concept of operations for a federal rapid response capability to dispense countermeasures after a large-scale attack. Also requires a plan within 180 days to ensure federal employees performing essential functions receive countermeasures so government operations can continue.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13526
Classified National Security Information
·Barack Obama·75 FR 707
Establishes a uniform system for classifying, safeguarding, and declassifying national security information. Sets three classification levels (Top Secret, Secret, Confidential), limits who may originally classify information, requires annual training for classifying officials, and bars classification to conceal wrongdoing or avoid embarrassment. Sets default declassification timelines of 10 to 25 years, with automatic declassification of most records after 25 years unless agencies obtain specific exemptions, and further review points at 50 and 75 years. Creates a National Declassification Center within the National Archives to coordinate declassification of historical records, and continues the Information Security Oversight Office and an Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel to issue guidance, resolve disputes, and hear challenges and appeals from agencies and members of the public. Sets rules for access, special access programs, handling of foreign government information, and sanctions for misclassification or unauthorized disclosure. Revokes Executive Order 12958 and its amendment, Executive Order 13292. Applies to all executive branch agencies handling classified information, with most provisions effective 180 days after signing.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13525
Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay
·Barack Obama·74 FR 69231
Sets adjusted rates of basic pay and salary schedules for various federal employee categories, including the General Schedule, the Foreign Service Schedule, Veterans Health Administration schedules, the Senior Executive Service, the Executive Schedule, the Vice President and Congress, federal judges, uniformed service members and military cadets and midshipmen, and administrative law judges. It also directs locality-based comparability payments under existing law and instructs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to implement these payments and publish notice of them in the Federal Register. Most of the pay schedules take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period on or after January 1, 2010, while the schedule for uniformed services pay takes effect January 1, 2010. The order supersedes Executive Order 13483 of December 18, 2008, and attaches ten detailed pay schedules covering these categories.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13524
Amending Executive Order 12425 Designating Interpol as a Public International Organization Entitled To Enjoy Certain Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities
·Barack Obama·74 FR 67803
Amends Executive Order 12425, which designated the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) as a public international organization entitled to certain privileges, exemptions, and immunities under the International Organizations Immunities Act. The order removes language in the earlier order that had excluded INTERPOL from privileges and immunities covered by specific sections of that Act, extending those additional protections to INTERPOL.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13523
Half-Day Closing of Executive Departments and Agencies on Thursday, December 24, 2009
·Barack Obama·74 FR 66563
Directs executive branch departments and agencies to close, and excuses their employees from duty, for the second half of the scheduled workday on Thursday, December 24, 2009. Allows the heads of departments and agencies to keep certain offices or employees on duty for the full day if needed for national security, defense, or other public purposes. Specifies that the half-day falls under the pay and leave provisions of Executive Order 11582 and related federal statutes governing employee compensation. States that the order does not create any legally enforceable rights or benefits against the United States or its officials.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13522
Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services
·Barack Obama·74 FR 66203
Establishes the National Council on Federal Labor-Management Relations, co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget, with membership including federal union leaders, agency officials, and management associations. The Council is to advise the President on labor-management relations, promote labor-management forums across federal agencies, and develop pilot programs for bargaining over certain subjects under federal labor law. Directs heads of executive departments and agencies with union-represented employees to create labor-management forums allowing employee and union input on workplace matters, and to submit implementation plans to the Council within 90 days, with certification required within 150 days. Directs the Council to recommend pilot bargaining projects within 150 days and report on their results within 18 months of implementation. States it does not override existing collective bargaining agreements or create enforceable legal rights, and the Council terminates two years after signing unless extended.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13521
Establishing the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues
·Barack Obama·74 FR 62671
Establishes the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues within the Department of Health and Human Services, replacing the commission created by Executive Order 13237. The commission is tasked with advising the president on bioethical issues arising from advances in biomedicine, science, and technology, identifying relevant legal and social concerns, recommending policy actions, and examining international collaboration possibilities. It may study specific technologies such as stem cell creation and genetic screening, as well as broader issues like research participant protections and scientific integrity, but cannot approve specific projects. The commission will have up to 13 presidentially appointed members from fields including bioethics, science, law, and theology, serving two-year terms, with a Chair and Vice Chair designated by the president. The Department of Health and Human Services will fund and staff the commission, and other federal agencies must provide requested information. The commission terminates two years after the order's date unless the president extends it.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13520
Reducing Improper Payments
·Barack Obama·74 FR 62201
Directs federal agencies to reduce improper payments in major government programs. Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to identify high-priority programs with the largest improper payments and set targets for reducing them, and directs the Secretary of the Treasury, with the Attorney General and OMB Director, to publish online data on improper payment rates, recoveries, and accountable officials, and to create a public website for reporting suspected fraud. Agency heads must designate senior accountable officials to meet reduction targets, report methodologies and plans to their Inspector General, and submit remedial plans if targets are missed for two years. Establishes working groups on measuring program access, improving single audits, and increasing state and local accountability. Directs the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council to recommend measures holding contractors accountable for improper payments, and instructs OMB to develop policy and legislative proposals for future budgets. States it does not create enforceable rights and must be implemented consistent with existing law and available funding.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13519
Establishment of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force
·Barack Obama·74 FR 60123
Establishes the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force, chaired by the Attorney General, to strengthen investigation and prosecution of significant financial crimes tied to the financial crisis and economic recovery efforts. Membership includes senior officials from numerous federal departments and agencies, including Treasury, Homeland Security, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and various inspectors general, among others. The Attorney General must convene the first meeting within 30 days and may form subgroups, including a Steering Committee. The Task Force is to advise on prosecuting fraud and financial crimes, recommend ways to improve cooperation among federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial authorities, coordinate law enforcement operations, and conduct outreach to financial institutions and other organizations. State and local law enforcement associations may be invited to participate. The Department of Justice will provide administrative support. The order replaces and terminates the Corporate Fraud Task Force created by Executive Order 13271, and the new Task Force ends when directed by the President or Attorney General.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13518
Employment of Veterans in the Federal Government
·Barack Obama·74 FR 58533
Establishes an interagency Council on Veterans Employment, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Labor and Veterans Affairs with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as Vice Chair, to coordinate efforts to increase veteran hiring across the federal government. The Council includes heads of numerous federal agencies and creates a Steering Committee led by the Secretaries of Defense, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security. Directs participating agencies to develop veteran employment operational plans, establish or designate Veterans Employment Program Offices within 120 days, provide annual training to hiring staff on veterans' preferences, and identify key occupations for veteran recruitment. Directs OPM to create a Government-wide Veterans Recruitment and Employment Strategic Plan, publish hiring statistics, and, within one year, recommend improvements to veterans' preference laws. Assigns the Secretaries of Defense, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Homeland Security specific roles in counseling, training, and supporting the Transition Assistance Program for transitioning service members. States it creates no enforceable legal rights and applies subject to existing law and appropriations.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13516
Amending Executive Order 13462
·Barack Obama·74 FR 56521
Amends Executive Order 13462, which established the President's Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB) and the Intelligence Oversight Board (IOB). Updates the definition of "intelligence activities" to match Executive Order 12333, caps PIAB membership at 16 non-federal-employee members, and lets the President designate a Chair or Co-Chairs to run its meetings and agenda. Adds a duty for the board to forward information about possible federal criminal violations in intelligence activities to the Attorney General, and requires the Director of National Intelligence and relevant agency heads to provide information and assistance needed by the PIAB and IOB. Updates a cross-reference to Executive Order 12333 and revises rules requiring PIAB and IOB members with access to classified information to sign nondisclosure agreements consistent with Executive Orders 12958 and 12968. States that it does not alter existing legal authorities, must be implemented consistent with law and available funding, and creates no enforceable rights against the government.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13517
Amendments to Executive Orders 13183 and 13494
·Barack Obama·74 FR 57239
Amends Executive Order 13183, which established a Task Force on Puerto Rico's status. It adds a policy goal of improving Puerto Rico's treatment in federal programs and promoting job creation, education, health care, clean energy, and economic development there, and expands the Task Force's duties to include advising the President and Congress on these matters and identifying beneficial federal initiatives. It also resets the reporting deadline, requiring the Task Force to submit its report within one year of this order rather than the original deadline. Separately, it amends Executive Order 13494 by revising which labor-relations costs contracting agencies may treat as allowable, including costs for labor-management committees and employee publications, while excluding costs of activities meant to influence employees' unionizing decisions. The order states it creates no enforceable legal rights against the government.Read the full summaryShow less
E.O.13515
Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs
·Barack Obama·74 FR 53635