[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 14 (Monday, January 25, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 7019-7021]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01759]


 
 
                         Presidential Documents 
 
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 14 / Monday, January 25, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 7019]]


                Executive Order 13987 of January 20, 2021

                
Organizing and Mobilizing the United States 
                Government To Provide a Unified and Effective Response 
                To Combat COVID-19 and To Provide United States 
                Leadership on Global Health and Security

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Purpose. The Federal Government must act 
                swiftly and aggressively to combat coronavirus disease 
                2019 (COVID-19). To that end, this order creates the 
                position of Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and 
                Counselor to the President and takes other steps to 
                organize the White House and activities of the Federal 
                Government to combat COVID-19 and prepare for future 
                biological and pandemic threats.

                Sec. 2. Organizing the White House to Combat COVID-19. 
                (a) In order to effectively, fully, and immediately 
                respond to COVID-19, there is established within the 
                Executive Office of the President the position of 
                Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response and Counselor to 
                the President (COVID-19 Response Coordinator) and the 
                position of Deputy Coordinator of the COVID-19 
                Response. The COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall 
                report directly to the President; advise and assist the 
                President and executive departments and agencies 
                (agencies) in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; 
                coordinate all elements of the COVID-19 response; and 
                perform such duties as the President may otherwise 
                direct. These duties shall include:

(i) coordinating a Government-wide effort to reduce disparities in the 
response, care, and treatment of COVID-19, including racial and ethnic 
disparities;

(ii) coordinating the Federal Government's efforts to produce, supply, and 
distribute personal protective equipment, vaccines, tests, and other 
supplies for the Nation's COVID-19 response, including through the use of 
the Defense Production Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.);

(iii) coordinating the Federal Government's efforts to expand COVID-19 
testing and the use of testing as an effective public health response;

(iv) coordinating the Federal Government's efforts to support the timely, 
safe, and effective delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to the United States 
population;

(v) coordinating the Federal Government's efforts to support the safe 
reopening and operation of schools, child care providers, and Head Start 
programs, and to help ensure the continuity of educational and other 
services for young children and elementary and secondary students during 
the COVID-19 pandemic; and

(vi) coordinating, as appropriate, with State, local, Tribal, and 
territorial authorities.

                    (b) The COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall have 
                the authority to convene principals from relevant 
                agencies, in consultation with the Assistant to the 
                President for Domestic Policy (APDP) on matters 
                involving the domestic COVID-19 response, and in 
                consultation with the Assistant to the President for 
                National Security Affairs (APNSA) on matters involving 
                the global COVID-19 response. The COVID-19 Response 
                Coordinator shall also coordinate any corresponding 
                deputies and interagency processes.

[[Page 7020]]

                    (c) The COVID-19 Response Coordinator may act 
                through designees in performing these or any other 
                duties.

                Sec. 3. United States Leadership on Global Health and 
                Security and the Global COVID-19 Response.

                    (a) Preparing to Respond to Biological Threats and 
                Pandemics. To identify, monitor, prepare for, and, if 
                necessary, respond to emerging biological and pandemic 
                threats:

(i) The APNSA shall convene the National Security Council (NSC) Principals 
Committee as necessary to coordinate the Federal Government's efforts to 
address such threats and to advise the President on the global response to 
and recovery from COVID-19, including matters regarding: the intersection 
of the COVID-19 response and other national security equities; global 
health security; engaging with and strengthening the World Health 
Organization; public health, access to healthcare, and the secondary 
impacts of COVID-19; and emerging biological risks and threats, whether 
naturally occurring, deliberate, or accidental.

(ii) Within 180 days of the date of this order, the APNSA shall, in 
coordination with relevant agencies, the COVID-19 Response Coordinator, and 
the APDP, complete a review of and recommend actions to the President 
concerning emerging domestic and global biological risks and national 
biopreparedness policies. The review and recommended actions shall 
incorporate lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and, among other things, 
address: the readiness of the pandemic supply chain, healthcare workforce, 
and hospitals; the development of a framework of pandemic readiness with 
specific triggers for when agencies should take action in response to 
large-scale biological events; pandemic border readiness; the development 
and distribution of medical countermeasures; epidemic forecasting and 
modeling; public health data modernization; bio-related intelligence; 
bioeconomic investments; biotechnology risks; the development of a 
framework for coordinating with and distributing responsibilities as 
between the Federal Government and State, local, Tribal, and territorial 
authorities; and State, local, Tribal, and territorial preparedness for 
biological events.

                    (b) NSC Directorate on Global Health Security and 
                Biodefense. There shall be an NSC Directorate on Global 
                Health Security and Biodefense, which shall be headed 
                by a Senior Director for Global Health Security and 
                Biodefense. The Senior Director shall be responsible 
                for monitoring current and emerging biological threats, 
                and shall report concurrently to the APNSA and to the 
                COVID-19 Response Coordinator on matters relating to 
                COVID-19. The Senior Director shall oversee the Global 
                Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council, 
                which was established pursuant to Executive Order 13747 
                of November 4, 2016 (Advancing the Global Health 
                Security Agenda To Achieve a World Safe and Secure From 
                Infectious Disease Threats), and is hereby reconvened 
                as described in that order.
                    (c) Responsibility for National Biodefense 
                Preparedness. Notwithstanding any statements in the 
                National Security Presidential Memorandum-14 of 
                September 18, 2018 (Support for National Biodefense), 
                the APNSA shall be responsible for coordinating the 
                Nation's biodefense preparedness efforts, and, as 
                stated in sections 1 and 2 of this order, the COVID-19 
                Response Coordinator shall be responsible for 
                coordinating the Federal Government's response to the 
                COVID-19 pandemic.

                Sec. 4. Prompt Resolution of Issues Related to the 
                United States COVID-19 Response. The heads of agencies 
                shall, as soon as practicable, bring any procedural, 
                departmental, legal, or funding obstacle to the COVID-
                19 response to the attention of the COVID-19 Response 
                Coordinator. The COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall, 
                in coordination with relevant agencies, the APDP, and 
                the APNSA, as appropriate, immediately bring to the 
                President's attention any issues that require 
                Presidential guidance or decision-making.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

[[Page 7021]]

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive 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 availability of 
                appropriations.
                    (c) 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,

                    January 20, 2021.

[FR Doc. 2021-01759
Filed 1-22-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P