ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 13244Executive OrderG.W. Bush · R

Executive Order 13244

Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of the Interior

This executive order establishes the line of succession for the Secretary of the Interior, specifying six senior officials who would assume the role if both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary are unavailable. It revokes the previous succession order from 1969 and preserves presidential discretion to depart from the designated order.

Federal Register Open PDF 66 FR 66267

Impact dates

  1. EO takes effect; EO 11487 revoked

Key directives

  • Designate Solicitor as first in succession after Deputy Secretary
  • List five Assistant Secretaries in specified order of succession
  • Prohibit acting officials from assuming Secretary role under this order
  • Preserve presidential discretion to depart from designated order
  • Revoke Executive Order 11487 of October 6, 1969

Timeline

Immediate

  • EO 11487 revoked; new succession order takes effect upon signing

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

  • Succession plan remains in effect until superseded or revoked

Risks & tensions

  • Low institutional tension: routine administrative update of 32-year-old succession plan
  • Vague: 'otherwise unable to perform' leaves undefined trigger for activation
  • Potential tension between fixed succession list and presidential discretion in Section 3(b)
Executive Order 13244: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of the Interior · Executive Orders