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EO 12606Executive OrderReagan · R

Executive Order 12606

The Family

This executive order requires federal agencies to assess policies and regulations for their impact on family stability, parental authority, and family finances using seven specified criteria. It establishes a reporting and coordination structure through OMB and the Office of Policy Development, with mandatory written certifications for proposals affecting families.

52 FR 34188
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Impact dates

  1. Annual reports with recommendations to President

  2. Final report to President from Office of Policy Development

Key directives

  • Agencies must assess policies against seven family impact criteria (Sec. 1)
  • Agency heads must certify in writing that measures assessed per Section 1 criteria and transmit to OMB (Sec. 2a)
  • OMB must ensure agency policies applied in light of Section 1 criteria (Sec. 2b)
  • Office of Policy Development must assess existing and proposed policies, provide evaluations to OMB, and advise President (Sec. 2c)
  • Office of Policy Development to submit preliminary reports to Domestic Policy Council and final report to President within 180 days (Sec. 3)
  • Annual reports with recommendations thereafter through Domestic Policy Council to President (Sec. 3)

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Agencies must begin applying family impact criteria to policy formulation
  • Written certifications required for proposals with significant family impact

Near term (90d)

  • Office of Policy Development to submit preliminary reports with specific recommendations to Domestic Policy Council

Long term

  • Annual reports with recommendations to President through Domestic Policy Council
  • Ongoing agency compliance with family impact assessment requirements

Risks & tensions

  • Vague standard: 'significant impact' and 'significant potential negative impact' undefined, leaving wide agency discretion
  • No enforcement mechanism: Judicial review clause explicitly denies private right of action, limiting accountability
  • Potential for ideological application: Criteria in 1(a)-(g) embed contested social values without neutral implementation guidance
  • OMB's role is supervisory ('take action to ensure') but lacks specific enforcement tools beyond budget review leverage
Executive Order 12606: The Family · Executive Orders