Memorandum on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Council on Environmental Quality
Issued 2017-01-13 by Barack Obama
Plain-English Overview
AI-generated summary explaining what this action does, who it affects, and why it matters
This memorandum establishes a clear chain of command for the Council on Environmental Quality, a federal agency that advises the president on environmental issues. It specifies who takes over the duties of the Chairman if that person dies, resigns, or is otherwise unable to serve. The order of succession runs from the Managing Associate Director to the Chief of Staff, then to the General Counsel, the Associate Director for National Environmental Policy Act, and finally to other Associate Directors based on when they were appointed.
The memorandum affects officials within the Council on Environmental Quality and ensures the agency can continue functioning during leadership transitions. It includes specific limitations, such as preventing someone who is already serving in an acting capacity from moving up the succession line under this order. The president retains the discretion to bypass this order and designate someone else as acting Chairman if needed.
This action matters because it prevents confusion or paralysis in environmental policy leadership during vacancies. By establishing a predetermined succession plan under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, the memorandum ensures continuity in the council's work without requiring emergency decisions about who should temporarily lead the agency. It also revoked a previous succession order from 2015, updating the arrangement for the council's leadership structure.
AI-generated summary for educational purposes
Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Memorandum on Providing an Order of Succession Within the Council on Environmental Quality January 13, 2017 Memorandum for the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality Subject: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Council on Environmental Quality By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq . (the "Act"), it is hereby ordered that: Section 1 . Order of Succession . Subject to the provisions of section 2 of this memorandum and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Council on Environmental Quality, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality (Chairman), during any period in which the Chairman has died, resigned, or is otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of that office: (a) Managing Director; (b) Chief of Staff; (c) General Counsel; (d) Associate Director for National Environmental Policy Act; and (e) Other Associate Directors in the ord