Executive Order 13091: Administration of Arms Export Controls and Foreign Assistance
President: Bill Clinton
Updated presidential delegations to State and Defense for arms-export notifications, licensing reports and foreign-assistance reporting.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13091 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13091 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13091 do?
EO 13091 amended two older delegation orders to account for statutory changes. It divided responsibility for congressional arms-sale and export-license transmittals between State and Defense, delegated annual reporting on licensed defense exports to State, and assigned specified Foreign Assistance Act reports to State or Defense. In 2013, EO 13637 revoked and replaced the EO 11958 arms-export framework. EO 13091 also amended EO 12163, which continues to appear in current Title 22 with later amendments; that separate foreign-assistance history was not revoked by EO 13637.
Before and after
Before the order
1996 legislation added reporting and transmittal functions not fully reflected in the older delegation orders.
After the order
State and Defense had updated authority to make specified notifications and reports until later delegations replaced the framework.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| State Secretary | Handle specified licensing transmittals and reports | Later redelegated |
| Defense Secretary | Handle specified government-sale transmittals and reports | Later redelegated |
| Both departments | Coordinate where the amended orders required | Continuing under successor authorities |
What happened next
EO 13091 amended EOs 11958 and 12163.
EO 13637 created a new arms-export delegation framework.
EO 13637 took effect and revoked EO 11958.
State materials identify EO 13637 as the current executive delegation basis.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Delegation changes who may exercise a presidential statutory function; it does not alter the Arms Export Control Act’s substantive limits, congressional review or licensing rules.
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 — EO 13091 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- GovInfo — current Title 22 EO 12163 notes (opens in a new tab) Official record
- State Department — defense trade authority (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 1, 2026. How we research →