Executive Order 13267: Establishing a Transition Planning Office for the Department of Homeland Security Within the Office of Management and Budget
President: George W. Bush
Created a temporary OMB office to coordinate executive-branch planning for the proposed Department of Homeland Security, assist congressional work on authorizing legislation and organize personnel, funding and administrative support for the transition.
Status: Completed/expired.
Is Executive Order 13267 still in effect? No. Completed; office and order terminated in February 2003.
What does Executive Order 13267 do?
The order assigned these duties: Transition Planning Office — Coordinate and conduct executive-branch transition planning and work with Congress; OMB Director — Provide personnel, funding and administrative support.
Compared the OMB transition office’s duties and 90-day sunset with the signed order and Homeland Security Act. The transition office’s completion is separated from DHS’s later statutory launch and operations.
Before and after
Before the order
The administration had proposed a cabinet department combining homeland-security functions but needed a dedicated transition office while Congress considered the legislation.
After the order
The office organized component and cross-cutting planning teams. Congress enacted the Homeland Security Act on November 25, 2002, and the President submitted a reorganization plan. DHS became effective on January 24, 2003 and began operations on March 1; EO 13267 terminated no later than February 23, 2003 under its own 90-day clause.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Transition Planning Office | Coordinate and conduct executive-branch transition planning and work with Congress | Until the order terminated |
| OMB Director | Provide personnel, funding and administrative support | Subject to appropriations during the transition |
| Executive departments and agencies | Assist the transition director without surrendering existing authority | Throughout the temporary planning period |
What happened next
EO 13267 signed.
EO 13267 established the OMB transition office.
The Homeland Security Act became law and created DHS.
The new department’s statutory effective date arrived.
The order and office had to terminate under the 90-day clause.
Major component transfers began and DHS commenced operations.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The office was temporary and could plan but not transfer statutory functions before Congress acted. The Homeland Security Act and the presidential reorganization plan supplied the legal basis and schedule for the department itself. GAO identified the office as an important first step while warning that the larger merger required sustained leadership. No order-specific merits judgment was located.
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.
- DHS — department history (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →