Executive Order 13736: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Veterans Affairs
President: Barack Obama
Established who may act as Veterans Affairs Secretary when both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary cannot serve.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13736 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13736 remains unrevoked in the Federal Register disposition table and supplies a standing Veterans Affairs succession sequence. Its signed text preserves the President's power to designate another officer and makes eligibility subject to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act; it does not guarantee that every listed officeholder can act as Secretary. Sources: Office of the Federal Register: current 2016 executive order disposition table; Executive Order 13736: signed text.
What does Executive Order 13736 do?
EO 13736 sets a sequence beginning with specified assistant secretaries and continuing through other VA officials for periods when both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary are unavailable. It replaced earlier succession documents and requires anyone serving to be eligible under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. The order has not been expressly revoked, while statute and any valid later presidential designation remain controlling.
Before and after
Before the order
Several older orders and memoranda defined VA succession.
After the order
A consolidated sequence governed vacancies below the Deputy Secretary.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Listed VA officials | Act when conditions and eligibility are met | As needed |
| VA leadership | Maintain continuity planning | Continuing |
| President | Choose another eligible officer where law permits | Retained |
What happened next
EO 13736 set the order.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
38 USC 304 and the Federal Vacancies Reform Act govern acting service and limit the order’s operation.
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.
- U.S. Code — 38 USC 304 (opens in a new tab) Official record
- GAO — Federal Vacancies Reform Act (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 15, 2026. How we research →