Providing an Order of Succession Within the Department of Agriculture
Department of Agriculture Order Sets Succession for Secretary
What it does
Department officials listed must serve as acting Secretary, in the specified order, when both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary cannot perform their duties.
Real-world impact
- Creates a clear list of who acts as Agriculture Secretary.
- Bars those already serving in acting roles from becoming acting Secretary.
- Revokes the 2012 Department of Agriculture succession order.
Topics
Summary
This order defines who will act as Secretary of Agriculture if both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary die, resign, or cannot do their duties. It lists specific department officials in a fixed order, including under secretaries, general counsel, assistant secretaries, the chief of staff, selected state Farm Service Agency directors for Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa, the budget director, and the Forest Service chief.
The order bars officials serving in acting roles from succeeding under this list, preserves the President's discretion to choose differently, and revokes the prior 2012 succession order.
Questions, answered
Ask questions about this executive order and its implications. Try:
- “What agencies are affected by this order?”
- “How does this order change existing policy?”
- “What are the practical implications of this order?”