President Donald J. Trump issued an executive order on March 13 amending Executive Order 13603, which concerns the delegation of certain presidential authorities under the Defense Production Act to specific executive department and agency heads. The new order also provides clarification regarding section 2(a) of Executive Order 14156, which addresses national energy emergencies.
The changes are significant because they adjust how authority is distributed among federal agencies during times when national defense resources or energy emergencies require swift action. By allowing both the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy to exercise delegated authority independently, the amendment aims to streamline decision-making processes in critical situations.
According to the order, section 203 of Executive Order 13603 is amended so that both the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy may now exercise delegated authority independently. This replaces previous language that only referenced the Secretary of Commerce.
The order further clarifies that under section 2(a) of Executive Order 14156, agency heads are required to recommend actions to the President only when such authority has not already been delegated to them. If an agency head already possesses delegated authority through Executive Order 13603 or another presidential delegation, a recommendation is not necessary.
General provisions in the order state that it does not affect existing legal authorities granted to executive departments or their heads, nor does it alter functions related to budgetary or legislative proposals managed by the Office of Management and Budget. The implementation of this order will be consistent with applicable law and subject to available appropriations. Additionally, publication costs for this order will be covered by the Department of Energy.
These adjustments reflect ongoing efforts by the administration to clarify lines of authority within federal agencies during national emergencies involving defense resources or energy supply.
