Executive Order 13198: Agency Responsibilities With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
President: George W. Bush
Required Justice, Education, Labor, HHS and HUD to create departmental centers, audit barriers facing faith-based and community social-service providers, propose reforms and report their results.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13198 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13198 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13198 do?
EO 13198 required five departments to create faith-based and community initiative centers, review barriers to participation in social-service programs and report on agency actions. Later orders changed the White House office and center names. EO 14205 of 2025 amended EO 13198 and now refers to the White House Faith Office and Centers for Faith. The order remains subject to constitutional and statutory limits, appropriations and the rules for each federal program.
Claim-level review October 2, 2026: EO 14205 expressly amended EO 13198 and directs the Centers for Faith to work with the White House Faith Office. The order remains subject to the Constitution, governing statutes, appropriations and program-specific eligibility rules.
Before and after
Before the order
The five departments had no common presidential structure for reviewing access by faith-based and small community organizations to federal social-service programs.
After the order
The departments created centers, completed barrier reviews and developed outreach and program changes. Later orders expanded and renamed the network; EO 14205 again amended EO 13198 and directs current Centers for Faith.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Five named departments | Establish and staff a departmental center | 45 days |
| Departmental centers | Audit barriers, propose reforms and coordinate outreach | Initial report within 180 days; annually thereafter |
| All executive agencies | Designate a liaison and cooperate with the White House office | Ongoing |
What happened next
EO 13198 signed.
EO 14015 amended EO 13198’s terminology and structure.
EO 14205 amended the order again and re-established the network as Centers for Faith.
Current amendments, revocations and agency implementation for EO 13198 rechecked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The First Amendment, Religious Freedom Restoration Act, program statutes, civil-rights law, grant rules and appropriations constrain implementation. The order creates coordinating offices and review duties; it does not guarantee funding or permit publicly funded religious activity outside applicable law.
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 October 2, 2026. How we research →