Health and social policy

Executive Order 13137: Amendment to Executive Order 12975, as Amended, National Bioethics Advisory Commission

President: Bill Clinton

Revised the National Bioethics Advisory Commission’s membership rules and extended its sunset to October 2001.

Status: Revoked — by EO 13316 in 2003.

Is Executive Order 13137 still in effect? No. EO 13316 revoked it in 2003.

What does Executive Order 13137 do?

EO 13137 amended the order governing the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. It specified a maximum of 18 non-government members, required expertise from five named fields plus at least three members from the public, called for a rough balance between scientists and non-scientists, and moved the commission’s scheduled sunset to October 3, 2001. The commission’s own biennial report documented the extension and a new charter. EO 13316 later revoked the underlying EO 12975 as amended, effective September 30, 2003, after the commission’s work had ended. The amendment did not itself change human-subject research rules.

Administration position: The amendment concerned advisory-commission structure and duration, not direct regulation of researchers or patients.
SignedSeptember 15, 1999
Federal RegisterSeptember 20, 1999, 64 FR 50733
MembershipUp to 18 nongovernment members
Underlying order revokedSeptember 30, 2003 by EO 13316

Before and after

Before the order

EO 12975 as amended supplied earlier NBAC membership and sunset terms.

After the order

Membership requirements were restated and the scheduled sunset moved to October 3, 2001.

EO 13316 later revoked EO 12975 as amended.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
PresidentAppoint members across required expertise and public categoriesHistorical commission
National Bioethics Advisory CommissionContinue advisory work under revised structureUntil sunset or later action
HHSHost the commission under FACAHistorical commission

What happened next

EO 13137 amended NBAC’s structure and sunset.

Commission report records a new charter.

Revised sunset date.

EO 13316 revoked EO 12975 as amended.