Economy, finance and labor

Executive Order 13764: Amending the Civil Service Rules, Executive Order 13488, and Executive Order 13467 To Modernize the Executive Branch-Wide Governance Structure and Processes for Security Clearances, Suitability and Fitness for Employment, and Credentialing, and Related Matters

President: Barack Obama

Unified governance for security clearances, suitability, contractor fitness and federal credentials across the executive branch.

Status: In effect.

Is Executive Order 13764 still in effect? Yes. Active as part of the amended EO 13467 personnel-vetting framework, with investigations largely performed by DCSA and continuous vetting expanding.

What does Executive Order 13764 do?

EO 13764 amended the Civil Service Rules and EOs 13467 and 13488 to align position designation, investigations, adjudication, reciprocity and continuous evaluation across security clearances, suitability, fitness and credentialing. It formalized the Director of National Intelligence as Security Executive Agent and OPM as Suitability and Credentialing Executive Agent. EO 13869 later transferred the main government-wide background-investigation operation from OPM’s NBIB to the Defense Department, now DCSA, without ending the executive-agent framework. Trusted Workforce 2.0 and updated OPM rules continue implementing it.

Administration position: The order standardizes governance and reciprocity; it does not guarantee a clearance, make every position equally sensitive or remove agency-specific adjudication and review procedures.
SignedJanuary 17, 2017
Security Executive AgentDirector of National Intelligence
Suitability and Credentialing Executive AgentOPM Director

Before and after

Before the order

Clearance, suitability, fitness and credentialing systems used overlapping governance and inconsistent standards.

After the order

Executive agents received clearer government-wide policy and oversight roles, while investigations and continuous vetting moved toward shared standards.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Director of National IntelligenceSet security-clearance and sensitive-position policyContinuing
OPM DirectorSet suitability fitness and credentialing policyContinuing
DCSA and agenciesInvestigate adjudicate and continuously vet covered peopleContinuing

What happened next

EO 13764 modernized governance.

EO 13869 transferred the principal background-investigation mission to Defense.

DCSA absorbed NBIB operations.