[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 181 (Friday, September 18, 2015)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 56365-56367]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23630]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 80 , No. 181 / Friday, September 18, 2015 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 56365]]

                Executive Order 13707 of September 15, 2015

                
Using Behavioral Science Insights To Better Serve 
                the American People

                A growing body of evidence demonstrates that behavioral 
                science insights--research findings from fields such as 
                behavioral economics and psychology about how people 
                make decisions and act on them--can be used to design 
                government policies to better serve the American 
                people.

                Where Federal policies have been designed to reflect 
                behavioral science insights, they have substantially 
                improved outcomes for the individuals, families, 
                communities, and businesses those policies serve. For 
                example, automatic enrollment and automatic escalation 
                in retirement savings plans have made it easier to save 
                for the future, and have helped Americans accumulate 
                billions of dollars in additional retirement savings. 
                Similarly, streamlining the application process for 
                Federal financial aid has made college more financially 
                accessible for millions of students.

                To more fully realize the benefits of behavioral 
                insights and deliver better results at a lower cost for 
                the American people, the Federal Government should 
                design its policies and programs to reflect our best 
                understanding of how people engage with, participate 
                in, use, and respond to those policies and programs. By 
                improving the effectiveness and efficiency of 
                Government, behavioral science insights can support a 
                range of national priorities, including helping workers 
                to find better jobs; enabling Americans to lead longer, 
                healthier lives; improving access to educational 
                opportunities and support for success in school; and 
                accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

                NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as 
                President by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, I hereby direct the following:

                Section 1. Behavioral Science Insights Policy 
                Directive.

                    (a) Executive departments and agencies (agencies) 
                are encouraged to:

(i) identify policies, programs, and operations where applying behavioral 
science insights may yield substantial improvements in public welfare, 
program outcomes, and program cost effectiveness;

(ii) develop strategies for applying behavioral science insights to 
programs and, where possible, rigorously test and evaluate the impact of 
these insights;

(iii) recruit behavioral science experts to join the Federal Government as 
necessary to achieve the goals of this directive; and

(iv) strengthen agency relationships with the research community to better 
use empirical findings from the behavioral sciences.

                    (b) In implementing the policy directives in 
                section (a), agencies shall:

(i) identify opportunities to help qualifying individuals, families, 
communities, and businesses access public programs and benefits by, as 
appropriate, streamlining processes that may otherwise limit or delay 
participation--for example, removing administrative hurdles, shortening 
wait times, and simplifying forms;

(ii) improve how information is presented to consumers, borrowers, program 
beneficiaries, and other individuals, whether as directly conveyed by the 
agency, or in setting standards for the presentation of information, by 
considering how the content, format, timing, and medium by which

[[Page 56366]]

information is conveyed affects comprehension and action by individuals, as 
appropriate;

(iii) identify programs that offer choices and carefully consider how the 
presentation and structure of those choices, including the order, number, 
and arrangement of options, can most effectively promote public welfare, as 
appropriate, giving particular consideration to the selection and setting 
of default options; and

(iv) review elements of their policies and programs that are designed to 
encourage or make it easier for Americans to take specific actions, such as 
saving for retirement or completing education programs. In doing so, 
agencies shall consider how the timing, frequency, presentation, and 
labeling of benefits, taxes, subsidies, and other incentives can more 
effectively and efficiently promote those actions, as appropriate. 
Particular attention should be paid to opportunities to use nonfinancial 
incentives.

                    (c) For policies with a regulatory component, 
                agencies are encouraged to combine this behavioral 
                science insights policy directive with their ongoing 
                review of existing significant regulations to identify 
                and reduce regulatory burdens, as appropriate and 
                consistent with Executive Order 13563 of January 18, 
                2011 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and 
                Executive Order 13610 of May 10, 2012 (Identifying and 
                Reducing Regulatory Burdens).

                Sec. 2. Implementation of the Behavioral Science 
                Insights Policy Directive. (a) The Social and 
                Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), under the National 
                Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and chaired by 
                the Assistant to the President for Science and 
                Technology, shall provide agencies with advice and 
                policy guidance to help them execute the policy 
                objectives outlined in section 1 of this order, as 
                appropriate.

                    (b) The NSTC shall release a yearly report 
                summarizing agency implementation of section 1 of this 
                order each year until 2019. Member agencies of the SBST 
                are expected to contribute to this report.
                    (c) To help execute the policy directive set forth 
                in section 1 of this order, the Chair of the SBST 
                shall, within 45 days of the date of this order and 
                thereafter as necessary, issue guidance to assist 
                agencies in implementing this order.

                Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to a department or agency, or the head 
thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to 
                comply with the requirements of this order.

[[Page 56367]]

                    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    September 15, 2015.

[FR Doc. 2015-23630
Filed 9-17-15; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F5