Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government
President: Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Directed agencies to assess barriers facing underserved communities, produce equity plans and improve data, engagement and allocation of federal resources.
Status: Revoked.
Is Executive Order 13985 still in effect? No. Executive Order 14148 revoked Executive Order 13985 on January 20, 2025.
What does Executive Order 13985 do?
EO 13985 directed a government-wide examination of barriers facing underserved communities in federal benefits, services and contracting. Biden’s stated rationale was that disparities and exclusion required systematic attention across agencies. The operative approach was assessment, planning, engagement and better data; it did not independently change eligibility criteria in every federal benefit statute or award a particular applicant a contract. Official source.
Each agency was to select programs and policies for review, examine access to services and procurement, assess its civil-rights resources and report findings within 200 days. Plans addressing identified barriers were due within a year. OMB had separate assignments to examine assessment methods and budget allocations, while the Domestic Policy Council coordinated implementation with national-security and economic-policy officials. Official source.
The order created an equitable-data working group cochaired by the Chief Statistician and Chief Technology Officer. It sought more useful data across characteristics including race, disability and income while respecting law and privacy. It also expressly revoked EO 13950’s training restrictions and EO 13958’s original 1776 Commission framework, with agencies given a 60-day period to consider reversing actions arising from EO 13950. Official source.
Before and after
Before the order
Agencies already had program-specific civil-rights, grant and contracting obligations. Before this order, they did not have its common deadlines for barrier assessments and equity plans or its newly created interagency data group. EO 13950’s restrictions were still part of the preceding administration’s executive framework. Official source.
After the order
Agencies acquired review and planning duties across programs rather than a single new benefit payment. State’s equity-plan record documents publication in April 2022, illustrating implementation without proving that every listed barrier was removed. EO 14148 revoked EO 13985 on January 20, 2025 and directed review of related executive actions. Revocation ended this order’s authority but did not itself repeal underlying nondiscrimination statutes or automatically revive every earlier order it had revoked. Official source.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Agency heads | Assess selected policies and programs; report barriers and civil-rights resources; create plans and engage underserved communities. | Assessment within 200 days; barrier-removal plan within one year. |
| OMB Director | Study assessment methods, report best practices, examine resource allocation and support data-group administration. | Methods report within six months; no separate allocation-report deadline. |
| Domestic Policy Council / domestic-policy adviser | Coordinate equity policy and receive assessments; coordinate with National Security Council and National Economic Council leadership. | Throughout implementation; receive 200-day assessments and one-year plans. |
| Chief Statistician / Chief Technology Officer | Cochair equitable-data working group and coordinate recommendations on collection gaps and improvements. | No fixed report deadline. |
| Commerce Secretary / Census Bureau Director | Participate in data-group analysis and recommendations. | During group work. |
| Treasury Secretary / Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy | Participate in equitable-data working group. | During group work. |
| Council of Economic Advisers Chair / Chief Information Officer / Chief Data Scientist | Participate in the data group; CIO also supports agency planning. | During group work and one-year planning period. |
| U.S. Digital Service Administrator | Support agency plans and participate in data-group work. | During planning and group work. |
| Agencies covered by EO 13950 | Identify related actions and consider suspending, revising or rescinding them. | Within 60 days. |
What happened next
Biden signs EO 13985, including revocation of EOs 13950 and 13958. Official source
State’s equity-action-plan publication record documents agency implementation. Official source
EO 14148 revokes EO 13985. Official source
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order operated through existing presidential and agency powers. It repeatedly required lawful implementation, preserved agency authority and appropriations limits, and strongly encouraged rather than required independent agencies to comply. Data improvement had to respect privacy interests. Procurement and program changes therefore still needed their own statutory authority and applicable procedures. The order’s broad equity definition did not authorize officials to disregard eligibility law, civil-rights constraints or congressional control over spending. Official source.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →