Executive Order 13118: Implementation of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998
President: Bill Clinton
Reassigned foreign-assistance delegations and funding responsibilities as agencies were reorganized under the 1998 law.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13118 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13118 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13118 do?
EO 13118 revised executive delegations under EO 12163 to implement the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998. It assigned specified Foreign Assistance Act functions to the Secretary of State, defined USAID’s responsibilities and consultation role, revoked older delegation provisions, and distributed certain presidentially available foreign-assistance funds among State, Defense and Treasury subject to law. It took effect mostly on April 1, 1999; the order delayed two specified changes until October 1. The statute and related reorganization plans—not this order alone—abolished ACDA and USIA on their respective statutory dates. Aid awards remained subject to appropriations and other law.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 12163 and related orders assigned presidential foreign-assistance functions across earlier agency structures.
After the order
The State Secretary received revised delegations; USAID and fund allocations were described under the reorganized framework.
GAO later documented State’s assumption of arms-control functions under the 1998 statute.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State | Exercise listed foreign-assistance functions, subject to exceptions and consultation | From applicable 1999 dates |
| USAID Administrator | Administer agency responsibilities and consult on Foreign Service personnel compatibility | Under revised delegation |
| State, Defense and Treasury | Allocate or transfer specified funds consistent with law | Subject to appropriations |
What happened next
EO 13118 signed.
Most provisions took effect.
Two specified provisions took effect.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order amended EO 12163 and several other orders; its section 10 revoked EO 12599 and changed multiple older delegations. Section 11 provides the staggered effective dates. Individual aid awards still depend on statute, appropriations and later agency action.
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 13118 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- State Department — reorganization plan (opens in a new tab) Official record
- GAO — State restructuring (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 1, 2026. How we research →