Executive Orders

EO 13527: Establishing Federal Capability for the Timely Provision of Medical Countermeasures Following a Biological Attack (2009): EO 13527 calls for the creation of a policy on providing, coordinating, and delivering treatments after a biological attack. The goals of the policy are to reduce or treat illness, prevent death, and sustain critical infrastructure, including the necessary workforce. The policy also requires the creation of a U.S. Postal Service medical drug-dispensing model to supplement local distribution strategies.

EO 13486: Strengthening Laboratory Biosecurity in the United States (2009): EO 13486 creates an interagency working group whose goal is to strengthen biosecurity in the U.S. This is accomplished through the evaluation and enhancement of current policies applying to federal and nonfederal facilities that:

• conduct research on biological select agents and toxins
• manage clinical or environmental laboratory operations involving biological select agents and toxins
• handle biological select agents and toxins
• store biological select agents and toxins or
• transport biological select agents and toxins.

The charge to the working group includes developing recommendations for new legislation, regulations, guidance, or practices for security and personnel reliability and options for establishing oversight mechanisms.

EO 13636 - Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (2013): The cyber threat to critical infrastructure continues to grow and represents one of the most serious national security challenges. The national and economic security of the United States depends on the reliable functioning of the Nation's critical infrastructure in the face of such threats. It is the policy of the United States to enhance the security and resilience of the Nation's critical infrastructure and to maintain a cyber environment that encourages efficiency and innovation. These goals can be achieved through partnerships with the owners and operators of critical infrastructure to improve cybersecurity information sharing and collaboratively develop and implement risk-based standards.