Executive Order 13183: Establishment of the President's Task Force on Puerto Rico's Status
President: Bill Clinton
Created an interagency task force to clarify constitutionally permissible options for Puerto Rico’s political status.
Status: In effect as amended. Is Executive Order 13183 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13183 was amended by Executive Orders 13209, 13319, and 13517. Those orders changed the task force’s membership, reporting requirements, and mission; EO 13517 added economic, education, health, and energy issues. The disposition table establishes the amendments, not whether the task force currently meets or whether Puerto Rico’s status has been resolved. See National Archives EO 13183 disposition entry (opens in a new tab).
What does Executive Order 13183 do?
EO 13183 established a President’s Task Force to examine Puerto Rico’s status options, consult Puerto Rican and congressional leaders and report on a process for resolving the question. EO 13209, EO 13319 and EO 13517 amended its membership, deadlines and mission; the 2009 amendment added economic, education, health and energy issues. The task force issued reports through 2011. Its recommendations did not themselves change Puerto Rico’s territorial status.
Claim-level review October 2, 2026: The official disposition table records amendments in 2001, 2003 and 2009. The 2011 report is evidence of later work, not proof that the task force currently meets or that Congress or Puerto Rico has resolved the status question.
Before and after
Before the order
Federal status analysis occurred without this continuing interagency task-force mechanism.
After the order
Successive administrations updated the task force and produced reports on status and policy.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Task force | Consult, analyze options and report | Historical reports completed |
| Attorney General and designees | Coordinate executive-branch participation | As amended |
| President and Congress | Consider lawful status proposals | Continuing political responsibility |
What happened next
EO 13183 created the task force.
EO 13209 amended membership and timing.
EO 13517 broadened the mission.
Signed text, official disposition and the cited later implementation records for EO 13183 rechecked.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
Puerto Rico remains subject to Congress’s Territory Clause authority unless lawfully admitted, made independent or placed in another constitutional status. Task-force reports and local plebiscites inform but do not alone complete that legal change.
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 13183 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- GovInfo — EO 13517 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- Justice Department — 2011 task-force report (opens in a new tab) Official record
- National Archives — 2000 disposition table (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on October 2, 2026. How we research →