President Trump issued an Executive Order “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”, rescinding Biden’s Executive Order 13985, which required all agencies to publish equity action plans identifying barriers underserved communities face in accessing federal benefits. The Executive Order also required OMB to “terminate, to the maximum extent allowed by law” all environmental justice offices and positions, all equity action plans, “equity” actions, initiatives, or programs, and all “equity-related” grants or contracts.
Background on Order 13985
Biden’s Racial Equity Executive Order sought to address underserved communities’ unequal access to federal funding by requiring each agency to assess its programs and policies to determine “whether underserved communities and their members face systemic barriers in accessing benefits and opportunities available pursuant to those policies and programs.” The order then required agencies to provide a report to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy within 200 days (by Aug. 8, 2021) identifying barriers to accessing funds, benefits and services; procurement and contracting opportunities; and new policies, regulations, or guidance that may be necessary to enhance that access. These programmatic reviews are an important first step to enable agencies to meet the goals of the Justice40 Initiative.
Several agencies publicly announced new offices or personnel to help them craft their equity plans. The Department of Transportation created a new Equity Leadership Team and Equity Task Force to implement EO 13895 across six areas. Several agencies, including USDA, DOT, FEMA, NASA, and OMB issued requests for information seeking public comment on how they could better integrate equity considerations into existing programs.
On Feb. 15, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order 14091 on Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. EO 14091 was also rescinded by Trump. The order required that federal agencies assemble agency equity teams led by a senior official, to support equity training and leadership development for staff. The order also created a new White House Steering Committee on Equity to coordinate government-wide efforts and review the implementation of agencies’ equity plans, among other requirements.
Also, on Aug. 6, 2021, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submitted a report identifying methods to assess equity, finding that administrative burdens exacerbate inequity, the federal government must expand opportunities for meaningful stakeholder engagement, and that long-term change will require internal cultural changes. (Read the White House’s summary). To inform its report, OMB issued a RFI seeking public comment. See OMB’s summary of responses and read individual comments.
List of Updated Equity Action Plans:
- Department of Energy’s (DOE) Updated Equity Action Plan
- Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Updated Equity Action Plan
- Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Updated Equity Action Plan
List of 2022 Equity Action Plans:
- Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Commerce’s Equity Action Plan
- Department of Defense’s (DOD) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Energy’s (DOE) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Equity Action Plan
- Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Equity Action Plan
- Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Equity Action Plan
- Department of the Treasury’s Equity Action Plan
- Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Equity Action Plan
- Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Equity Action Plan
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Equity Action Plan
- National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Equity Action Plan
- Office of Science and Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Equity Action Plan