Executive Order 13973: Providing an Order of Succession Within the Environmental Protection Agency
President: Donald J. Trump
Set an EPA order of succession below the Deputy Administrator and revoked the agency's earlier succession order.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13973 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13973 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13973 do?
EO 13973 identified which listed EPA officials may act as Administrator when both the Administrator and Deputy Administrator cannot serve. It revoked EO 13763, allowed the Administrator to change the sequence subject to law, and did not appoint anyone to the office. The current official U.S. Code note reproduces the order within the Federal Vacancies Reform Act context.
Later evidence reviewed September 27, 2026: The current official U.S. Code note retains the order in the vacancies-law context; no claim is made that a listed official automatically served.
Before and after
Before the order
EO 13763 supplied the prior EPA succession sequence.
After the order
EO 13973 replaced that sequence for covered vacancies.
Eligibility and service in any actual vacancy still depend on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the office-holder's status at that time.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| President | Revoked EO 13763 and established the new sequence | January 8, 2021 |
| EPA Administrator | May change the sequence subject to applicable law | As needed |
| Listed officials | May act only if the statutory and order conditions are met | Vacancy-specific |
What happened next
EO 13973 signed.
Published in the Federal Register.
Current U.S. Code note and succession limits reviewed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order is a contingent delegation under 5 U.S.C. §§3345–3349d and 3 U.S.C. §301. It does not waive eligibility rules, Senate-confirmation requirements or time limits, and it does not itself make an appointment.
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 27, 2026. How we research →