Executive Order 13763-Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency
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 executive order establishes a specific chain of command at the Environmental Protection Agency for situations when both the EPA Administrator and Deputy Administrator are unable to serve due to death, resignation, or other inability to perform their duties. The order lists sixteen different EPA officials in a particular sequence who would step in to lead the agency temporarily during such situations, starting with the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Solid Waste and continuing through various other assistant administrators, the Chief Financial Officer, regional administrators, and deputy officials.
The order affects the internal leadership structure of the EPA and determines who has authority to run the agency during a leadership vacancy. It matters because federal agencies need clear succession plans to ensure continuity of operations when top officials leave or cannot serve. Without such an order, there could be confusion or disputes about who has the legal authority to make decisions on behalf of the agency.
President Obama issued this order on January 13, 2017, under authority granted by the Constitution and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. The order replaced a previous succession order from August 2016 and includes provisions clarifying that individuals serving in acting capacities cannot use this order to become acting Administrator, and that the President retains discretion to choose someone else if permitted by law.
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Official Summary
Administration of Barack Obama, 2017 Executive Order 13763—Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency January 13, 2017 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, as amended, 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 order, and to the limitations set forth in the Act, the following officials of the Environmental Protection Agency, in the order listed, shall act as and perform the functions and duties of the office of the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Administrator) during any period in which the Administrator and the Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency have died, resigned, or become otherwise unable to perform the functions and duties of the office of Administrator: (a) General Counsel; (b) Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid Waste; (c) Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances (also known as the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention); (d) Assistant Administrator for