Government operations and workforce

Executive Order 13690: Establishing a Federal Flood Risk Management Standard and a Process for Further Soliciting and Considering Stakeholder Input

President: Barack Obama

Established a higher flood-risk standard for federally funded buildings and infrastructure and amended federal floodplain policy.

Status: Revoked.

Is Executive Order 13690 still in effect? No. Revoked in 2017, reinstated in 2021, then rescinded again in January 2025; FEMA stopped implementation in March 2025.

What does Executive Order 13690 do?

EO 13690 amended EO 11988 and created the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard, allowing agencies to use climate-informed science, added elevation or the 500-year floodplain when protecting federal investments. EO 13807 revoked it in 2017; EO 14030 reinstated it in 2021. EO 14148 rescinded that reinstatement in January 2025, and FEMA formally stopped applying its FFRMS policy in March 2025.

Administration position: The standard governed selected federal actions and funding; it was not a nationwide zoning code for every private property.
SignedJanuary 30, 2015
StandardFederal Flood Risk Management Standard
ReinstatedMay 20, 2021 by EO 14030

Before and after

Before the order

EO 11988 generally used existing floodplain definitions and risk-minimization procedures.

After the order

Agencies developed higher-risk design approaches, but the policy went through revocation, reinstatement and a second rescission.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Federal agenciesIssue procedures and apply the higher standardStopped under current policy
FEMAApply Policy 206-24-005Revoked March 25, 2025
Funding recipientsMeet conditions on covered projectsNo longer required by this EO framework

What happened next

EO 13690 established FFRMS.

EO 13807 revoked it.

EO 14030 reinstated it.

EO 14148 rescinded the reinstating order.

FEMA stopped implementation.