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EO 13994Executive OrderBiden · D Quiet signal

Executive Order 13994

Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats

This executive order directs federal agencies to improve data collection, sharing, and publication of COVID-19-related information to support evidence-based pandemic response and build stronger public health infrastructure for future threats. It mandates senior data leads across multiple departments, requires reviews of public health data systems and federal hiring capabilities for data roles, and tasks OMB with issuing guidance on open data and de-identification.

Federal Register Open PDF 86 FR 7189

Impact dates

  1. Senior officials designated at 9 agencies for pandemic data issues

  2. OMB review of federal open data approaches and issuance of supplemental guidance

  3. OPM review of data/IT hiring capabilities and supporting action

  4. HHS reviews of public health data systems and morbidity/mortality data collection

  5. HHS report on findings and recommendations

  6. OSTP plan for advancing innovation in public health data and analytics

Key directives

  • 9 agency heads (Defense, DOJ, Commerce, Labor, HHS, Education, OMB, DNI, OSTP, NSF) shall promptly designate senior officials for COVID-19/pandemic data issues
  • Designated officials shall make relevant data publicly available and accessible
  • COVID-19 Response Coordinator shall convene interagency coordination on data collection, provision, analysis, and sharing with state/local/tribal/territorial authorities
  • OMB Director shall promptly review federal open data approaches and issue supplemental guidance on de-identification, machine-readable formats, and other topics
  • OPM Director shall promptly review agency ability to hire data/IT personnel and take supporting action
  • HHS Secretary shall promptly review public health data systems effectiveness/interoperability/connectivity and state/local/tribal/territorial morbidity/mortality data collection, then issue report with findings and recommendations
  • OSTP Director shall develop plan for advancing innovation in public health data and analytics

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • Senior officials designated for COVID-19/pandemic data issues at 9 agencies
  • OMB begins review of open data approaches
  • OPM begins review of agency hiring capabilities for data/IT roles
  • HHS begins reviews of public health data systems and mortality/morbidity data collection

Near term (90d)

  • OMB issues supplemental guidance on de-identification and open data formats
  • HHS completes reviews and issues report on public health data systems findings and recommendations
  • OPM takes action to support agency hiring efforts
  • OSTP develops plan for advancing innovation in public health data and analytics

Long term

  • Implementation of improved public health data infrastructure
  • Enhanced interoperability and connectivity of public health data systems
  • Potential structural improvements in federal data capabilities for future pandemics

Risks & tensions

  • All deadlines use 'promptly' without specific day counts, creating implementation uncertainty
  • Sec. 5 and 6(b) create significant carve-outs: privileged, law enforcement, national security, and personal information are protected, and implementation is subject to appropriations availability
  • Tension between data openness goals and confidentiality/privacy protections may limit actual data release
  • No enforcement mechanism or consequences for non-compliance specified
  • Interagency coordination through COVID-19 Response Coordinator role depends on that position's authority and resources
Executive Order 13994: Ensuring a Data-Driven Response to COVID-19 and Future High-Consequence Public Health Threats · Executive Orders