Preventing Hoarding of Health and Medical Resources To Respond to the Spread of COVID-19

Published date26 March 2020
Citation85 FR 17001
Record Number2020-06478
SectionPresidential Documents
CourtExecutive Office Of The President
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 59 (Thursday, March 26, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 59 (Thursday, March 26, 2020)]
                [Presidential Documents]
                [Pages 17001-17002]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-06478] Presidential Documents
                Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 59 / Thursday, March 26, 2020 /
                Presidential Documents
                [[Page 17001]]
                 Executive Order 13910 of March 23, 2020
                
                Preventing Hoarding of Health and Medical
                 Resources To Respond to the Spread of COVID-19
                 By the authority vested in me as President by the
                 Constitution and the laws of the United States of
                 America, including the Defense Production Act of 1950,
                 as amended (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.) (the ``Act''), and
                 section 301 of title 3, United States Code, it is
                 hereby ordered as follows:
                 Section 1. Policy. In Proclamation 9994 of March 13,
                 2020 (Declaring a National Emergency Concerning the
                 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Outbreak), I
                 declared a national emergency recognizing the threat
                 that the novel (new) coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2
                 poses to our Nation's healthcare systems. In
                 recognizing the public health risk, I noted that on
                 March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced
                 that the outbreak of COVID-19 (the disease caused by
                 SARS-CoV-2) can be characterized as a pandemic. I also
                 noted that while the Federal Government, along with
                 State and local governments, have taken preventive and
                 proactive measures to slow the spread of the virus and
                 to treat those affected, the spread of COVID-19 within
                 our Nation's communities threatens to strain our
                 Nation's healthcare systems. To further deal with this
                 threat, on March 18, 2020, I issued Executive Order
                 13909 (Prioritizing and Allocating Health and Medical
                 Resources to Respond to the Spread of COVID-19), in
                 which I delegated to the Secretary of Health and Human
                 Services (Secretary) the prioritization and allocation
                 authority under section 101 of the Act with respect to
                 health and medical resources needed to respond to the
                 spread of COVID-19.
                 To ensure that our Nation's healthcare systems are able
                 to surge capacity and capability to respond to the
                 spread of COVID-19, it is the policy of the United
                 States that health and medical resources needed to
                 respond to the spread of COVID-19, such as personal
                 protective equipment and sanitizing and disinfecting
                 products, are not hoarded. Accordingly, I am delegating
                 to the Secretary my authority under section 102 of the
                 Act (50 U.S.C. 4512) to prevent hoarding of health and
                 medical resources necessary to respond to the spread of
                 COVID-19 within the United States. I am also delegating
                 to the Secretary my authority under the Act to
                 implement any restrictions on hoarding, including my
                 authority under section 705 of the Act (50 U.S.C. 4555)
                 to gather information, such as information about how
                 supplies of such resources are distributed throughout
                 the Nation.
                 Sec. 2. Delegation of Authority to Prevent Hoarding.
                 (a) The Secretary is delegated the following:
                (i) the authority of the President conferred by section 102 of the Act to
                prevent hoarding of health and medical resources necessary to respond to
                the spread of COVID-19 within the United States, including the authority to
                prescribe conditions with respect to the accumulation of such resources,
                and to designate any material as a scarce material, or as a material the
                supply of which would be threatened by persons accumulating the material
                either in excess of reasonable demands of business, personal, or home
                consumption, or for the purpose of resale at prices in excess of prevailing
                market prices; and
                (ii) the authority of the President to implement the Act contained in
                subchapter III of chapter 55 of title 50, United States Code (50 U.S.C.
                4554, 4555, 4556, and 4560).
                [[Page 17002]]
                 (b) In exercising the authority delegated under
                 this section, the Secretary shall consult the
                 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management
                 Agency.
                 (c) The Secretary shall adopt and revise
                 appropriate rules and regulations as may be necessary
                 to implement this order.
                 Sec. 3. Secretarial Duty Concerning Notices of
                 Withdrawal of Designation. The Secretary shall
                 periodically consider whether the designations made
                 pursuant to section 2 of this order remain necessary.
                 Upon finding that the need for such designation of
                 material is no longer necessary, the Secretary shall
                 promptly publish a notice of withdrawal of the
                 designation in the Federal Register, and in such other
                 manner as the Secretary deems appropriate.
                 Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order
                 shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
                (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or
                the head thereof; or
                (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
                relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
                 (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with
                 applicable law and subject to the availability of
                 appropriations.
                 (c) This order is not intended to, and does not,
                 create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
                 enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
                 the United States, its departments, agencies, or
                 entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
                 other person.
                
                
                 (Presidential Sig.)
                 THE WHITE HOUSE,
                 March 23, 2020.
                [FR Doc. 2020-06478
                Filed 3-25-20; 8:45 am]
                Billing code 3295-F0-P
                

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