ExecutiveOrdersEO
EO 13261Executive OrderG.W. Bush · R

Executive Order 13261

Providing An Order of Succession in the Environmental Protection Agency and Amending Certain Orders on Succession

This executive order establishes the line of succession for the EPA Administrator position, listing 11 senior EPA officials who would assume the role if both the Administrator and Deputy Administrator are unable to serve. It also amends nine prior executive orders from December 2001 to add a uniform restriction preventing acting officials in the succession line from becoming acting Secretary of their respective departments.

Federal Register Open PDF 67 FR 13243

Key directives

  • Establish 11-person EPA succession order (Section 2)
  • Prohibit acting officials from assuming Administrator role via succession (Section 3a)
  • Preserve presidential discretion under Federal Vacancies Reform Act (Section 3b)
  • Amend Section 3(a) or 3(b) of nine prior succession EOs to add acting-official restriction

Timeline

Immediate

  • EPA succession order takes effect upon signing
  • Amendments to nine prior executive orders take effect

Near term (90d)

—

Long term

  • Continuity of EPA leadership in case of vacancies
  • Standardized acting-official restriction across multiple departments

Risks & tensions

  • Minimal tension: procedural housekeeping that aligns multiple EOs with consistent language
  • No explicit emergency triggered this; appears to be administrative standardization following earlier December 2001 orders
Executive Order 13261: Providing An Order of Succession in the Environmental Protection Agency and Amending Certain Orders on Succession · Executive Orders