EO-14378
Continuance of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Review Council
- Signed
- Jan 23, 2026
- Published
- Jan 29, 2026
Federal Register: 2026-01872
Source: Federal Register.
Extends FEMA Review Council through March 2026
What it does
This order extends the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Review Council — originally created by Executive Order 14180 in January 2025 — through March 25, 2026. It directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out the president's advisory committee management functions for the council. The order takes effect retroactively from January 24, 2026.
Who benefits
Members of the FEMA Review Council who continue their advisory work. The Department of Homeland Security, which gains clearer administrative authority over the council. Communities affected by disasters who may benefit from any recommendations the council produces. Federal emergency management policymakers who receive the council's findings.
Who is affected
Federal agency staff at FEMA and DHS who must support the council's continued operations. Taxpayers who fund the council's administrative costs, which are borne by DHS. Groups or stakeholders who may prefer FEMA's structure remain unchanged pending the council's review. Congressional committees with oversight of FEMA and emergency management policy.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that extending the council allows sufficient time to complete a thorough, evidence-based assessment of FEMA's structure and effectiveness — work that directly informs how the federal government responds to disasters affecting millions of Americans. They contend the president has clear authority under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and Article II to manage and extend executive advisory bodies, and that a brief extension is a routine, low-disruption way to ensure the review is not cut short prematurely.
Opponents argue
Opponents argue that extending the council prolongs uncertainty for FEMA personnel and the communities that depend on the agency, potentially delaying any structural improvements that might follow the review's conclusions. They contend that a review body operating under open-ended presidential extensions lacks the independence and accountability of a congressionally chartered commission, and that repeated extensions could be used to indefinitely defer action on FEMA's well-documented challenges without producing binding results.
Constitutional basis
Executive orders rest on constitutional authority or statutory delegation. This summary describes the legal grounding cited or implied by the order.
Authority is grounded in Article II's vesting clause and the president's power to manage the executive branch, combined with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), codified at chapter 10 of title 5, U.S.C., which governs the establishment, operation, and continuation of federal advisory committees. The order delegates FACA management functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security consistent with General Services Administration regulations.