Executive Order 13915: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of the Interior
President: Donald J. Trump
Set a succession list for an acting Interior Secretary if both the Secretary and Deputy cannot serve, with exceptions and presidential discretion under vacancies law.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13915 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13915 remains the succession framework incorporated in Interior’s published Departmental Manual 302 DM 3. It applies when both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary cannot serve, excludes officials serving only in an acting capacity, and preserves the President’s discretion under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. It replaced Executive Order 13244. See Interior — Departmental Manual 302 DM 3 (opens in a new tab); Federal Register — 2020 disposition table (opens in a new tab).
What does Executive Order 13915 do?
Interior’s 302 DM 3 secretarial-succession manual took effect and expressly incorporated EO 13915’s succession list and acting-official limits. The manual documents departmental adoption of the list; it does not establish that an official later acted as Secretary under that list.
Later primary evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: Interior’s 302 DM 3 secretarial-succession manual took effect and expressly incorporated EO 13915’s succession list and acting-official limits. The manual documents departmental adoption of the list; it does not establish that an official later acted as Secretary under that list.
Before and after
Before the order
The order addressed providing an order of succession within the department of the interior. The prior legal and administrative context is identified in its linked full text; this review does not assume every prior policy was displaced.
After the order
Set a succession list for an acting Interior Secretary if both the Secretary and Deputy cannot serve, with exceptions and presidential discretion under vacancies law.
Interior’s 302 DM 3 secretarial-succession manual took effect and expressly incorporated EO 13915’s succession list and acting-official limits.
The manual documents departmental adoption of the list; it does not establish that an official later acted as Secretary under that list.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Interior | Publish secretarial-succession manual using EO 13915’s order and limitations | December 8, 2020 |
What happened next
EO 13915 signed; the linked Federal Register record gives its published text.
Interior’s 302 DM 3 secretarial-succession manual took effect and expressly incorporated EO 13915’s succession list and acting-official limits.
Later primary evidence reviewed and the documented action and limits added to this guide.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The Federal Register publication identifies EO 13915, its title and signing date. The manual documents departmental adoption of the list; it does not establish that an official later acted as Secretary under that list.
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.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →