Executive Order 13707, Using Behavioral Science Insights to Better Serve the American People

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Presidential Documents

Federal Register
Vol. 80, No. 181
Friday, September 18, 2015

Title 3—

Executive Order 13707 of September 15, 2015

The President

Using Behavioral Science Insights To Better Serve the American People
A growing body of evidence demonstrates that behavioral science insights—
research findings from fields such as behavioral economics and psychology
about how people make decisions and act on them—can be used to design
government policies to better serve the American people.
Where Federal policies have been designed to reflect behavioral science
insights, they have substantially improved outcomes for the individuals,
families, communities, and businesses those policies serve. For example,
automatic enrollment and automatic escalation in retirement savings plans
have made it easier to save for the future, and have helped Americans
accumulate billions of dollars in additional retirement savings. Similarly,
streamlining the application process for Federal financial aid has made
college more financially accessible for millions of students.
To more fully realize the benefits of behavioral insights and deliver better
results at a lower cost for the American people, the Federal Government
should design its policies and programs to reflect our best understanding
of how people engage with, participate in, use, and respond to those policies
and programs. By improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Government,
behavioral science insights can support a range of national priorities, including helping workers to find better jobs; enabling Americans to lead longer,
healthier lives; improving access to educational opportunities and support
for success in school; and accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States, I hereby direct the following:
Section 1. Behavioral Science Insights Policy Directive.
(a) Executive departments and agencies (agencies) are encouraged to:
(i) identify policies, programs, and operations where applying behavioral
science insights may yield substantial improvements in public welfare,
program outcomes, and program cost effectiveness;
(ii) develop strategies for applying behavioral science insights to programs
and, where possible, rigorously test and evaluate the impact of these
insights;

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(iii) recruit behavioral science experts to join the Federal Government
as necessary to achieve the goals of this directive; and
(iv) strengthen agency relationships with the research community to better
use empirical findings from the behavioral sciences.
(b) In implementing the policy directives in section (a), agencies shall:
(i) identify opportunities to help qualifying individuals, families, communities, and businesses access public programs and benefits by, as appropriate, streamlining processes that may otherwise limit or delay participation—for example, removing administrative hurdles, shortening wait times,
and simplifying forms;
(ii) improve how information is presented to consumers, borrowers, program beneficiaries, and other individuals, whether as directly conveyed
by the agency, or in setting standards for the presentation of information,
by considering how the content, format, timing, and medium by which

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 181 / Friday, September 18, 2015 / Presidential Documents
information is conveyed affects comprehension and action by individuals,
as appropriate;
(iii) identify programs that offer choices and carefully consider how the
presentation and structure of those choices, including the order, number,
and arrangement of options, can most effectively promote public welfare,
as appropriate, giving particular consideration to the selection and setting
of default options; and
(iv) review elements of their policies and programs that are designed
to encourage or make it easier for Americans to take specific actions,
such as saving for retirement or completing education programs. In doing
so, agencies shall consider how the timing, frequency, presentation, and
labeling of benefits, taxes, subsidies, and other incentives can more effectively and efficiently promote those actions, as appropriate. Particular
attention should be paid to opportunities to use nonfinancial incentives.
(c) For policies with a regulatory component, agencies are encouraged
to combine this behavioral science insights policy directive with their ongoing review of existing significant regulations to identify and reduce regulatory
burdens, as appropriate and consistent with Executive Order 13563 of January
18, 2011 (Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review), and Executive Order
13610 of May 10, 2012 (Identifying and Reducing Regulatory Burdens).
Sec. 2. Implementation of the Behavioral Science Insights Policy Directive.
(a) The Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST), under the National
Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and chaired by the Assistant to
the President for Science and Technology, shall provide agencies with advice
and policy guidance to help them execute the policy objectives outlined
in section 1 of this order, as appropriate.
(b) The NSTC shall release a yearly report summarizing agency implementation of section 1 of this order each year until 2019. Member agencies of
the SBST are expected to contribute to this report.
(c) To help execute the policy directive set forth in section 1 of this
order, the Chair of the SBST shall, within 45 days of the date of this
order and thereafter as necessary, issue guidance to assist agencies in implementing this order.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed
to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to a 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.

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(c) Independent agencies are strongly encouraged to comply with the
requirements of this order.

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(d) 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.

THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 15, 2015.
[FR Doc. 2015–23630
Filed 9–17–15; 8:45 am]

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