Executive Order 13381: Strengthening Processes Relating to Determining Eligibility for Access to Classified National Security Information
President: George W. Bush
Directed coordinated federal processes for eligibility to access classified information, including security clearances.
Status: Revoked — by EO 13467 in 2008.
Is Executive Order 13381 still in effect? No. EO 13467 revoked it in 2008.
What does Executive Order 13381 do?
EO 13467 expressly revoked EO 13381 in June 2008 and established a successor suitability and security-clearance reform framework.
Before and after
Before the order
Agencies used differing eligibility and clearance procedures under existing national-security and personnel authorities.
After the order
EO 13467 expressly revoked EO 13381 in June 2008 and established a successor suitability and security-clearance reform framework.
The later order replaced executive process directions; it did not create a personal right to a clearance or eliminate separate statutory safeguards.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| OMB Director | May assign and supervise clearance processes and revise existing delegations; perform unassigned processes. May issue general guidelines after consultation, intelligence-program guidelines with DNI concurrence, and other special-access guidelines with the responsible head’s concurrence. Submit legally required congressional reports and an implementation report to the President. | Presidential report on or before April 1, 2006; order expires July 1, 2006 unless extended. Optional periodic presidential reporting has no fixed interval. |
| Agency heads | Carry out assigned processes, assist OMB, implement its instructions, and supply lawful requested information; account for counterintelligence interests and protection of intelligence sources/methods. Concur where required for their non-intelligence special-access programs. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Secretary of State | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Secretary of Defense | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Attorney General | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Secretary of Energy | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Secretary of Homeland Security | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| OPM Director | Consult with OMB before it issues general clearance-process guidelines. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Director of National Intelligence | Consult on general guidelines and provide required concurrence for OMB guidelines covering Sensitive Compartmented Information and intelligence special-access programs. | No fixed deadline stated. |
| Later action | EO 13467 expressly revoked EO 13381 in June 2008 and established a successor suitability and security-clearance reform framework. | June 30, 2008 |
What happened next
EO 13381 signed.
EO 13467 expressly revoked EO 13381 in June 2008 and established a successor suitability and security-clearance reform framework.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The later order replaced executive process directions; it did not create a personal right to a clearance or eliminate separate statutory safeguards.
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.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →