Executive Order 13401: Responsibilities of Federal Departments and Agencies With Respect to Volunteer Community Service
President: George W. Bush
Required senior agency liaisons to promote voluntary service and report measurable progress.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13401 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13401 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13401 do?
Agency heads had 20 days to name a senior liaison. Liaisons were to inventory volunteer-related activities, work with USA Freedom Corps and OPM, coordinate recognition and report within 180 days and annually thereafter. EO 12820 was revoked. The signed order specifies annual reporting, but this review did not locate a complete set of agency reports or evidence that every agency met the deadlines.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 12820 had addressed federal employee participation in community service; the USA Freedom Corps office was established under EO 13254.
After the order
Agency heads had 20 days to name a senior liaison. Liaisons were to inventory volunteer-related activities, work with USA Freedom Corps and OPM, coordinate recognition and report within 180 days and annually thereafter. EO 12820 was revoked.
The signed order specifies annual reporting, but this review did not locate a complete set of agency reports or evidence that every agency met the deadlines.
What did the signed order change?
EO 12820 had addressed federal employee participation in community service; the USA Freedom Corps office was established under EO 13254. Agency heads had 20 days to name a senior liaison. Liaisons were to inventory volunteer-related activities, work with USA Freedom Corps and OPM, coordinate recognition and report within 180 days and annually thereafter. EO 12820 was revoked.
What happened later?
Signed EO 13401 — reporting and revocation clauses: The signed order specifies annual reporting, but this review did not locate a complete set of agency reports or evidence that every agency met the deadlines.
What does that evidence establish?
Implementation is subject to appropriations and applicable law. Section 5 disclaims a private enforceable right. The directive and deadlines alone do not establish agency compliance. Read the signed order for its original terms.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Executive agency heads and designated liaisons | Name liaisons, coordinate volunteer programs and file performance reports | Under the signed order and governing law |
What happened next
EO 13401 signed.
The signed order specifies annual reporting, but this review did not locate a complete set of agency reports or evidence that every agency met the deadlines.
Signed order and identified follow-up evidence checked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Implementation is subject to appropriations and applicable law. Section 5 disclaims a private enforceable right.
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 →