NSPD-51 and HSPD-20

UNCLASSIFIED WITH TOP SECRET/CODEWORD ANNEXES

NATIONAL SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/NSPD – 51
HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE/HSPD - 20

Subject:

National Continuity Policy

Purpose
(1) This directive establishes a comprehensive national
policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures
and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator
responsible for coordinating the development and implementation
of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes
"National Essential Functions," prescribes continuity
requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and
provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal
governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure
a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that
will enhance the credibility of our national security posture
and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery
from a national emergency.
Definitions
(2)

In this directive:
(a) "Category" refers to the categories of executive
departments and agencies listed in Annex A to this
directive;
(b) "Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident,
regardless of location, that results in extraordinary
levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely
affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment,
economy, or government functions;
(c) "Continuity of Government," or "COG," means a
coordinated effort within the Federal Government's
executive branch to ensure that National Essential
Functions continue to be performed during a
Catastrophic Emergency;

2
(d) "Continuity of Operations," or "COOP," means an effort
within individual executive departments and agencies to
ensure that Primary Mission-Essential Functions continue to
be performed during a wide range of emergencies, including
localized acts of nature, accidents, and technological or
attack-related emergencies;
(e) "Enduring Constitutional Government," or "ECG," means
a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and
judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated
by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the
legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect
for the constitutional separation of powers among the
branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under
which the Nation is governed and the capability of all
three branches of government to execute constitutional
responsibilities and provide for orderly succession,
appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability
and support of the National Essential Functions during a
catastrophic emergency;
(f) "Executive Departments and Agencies" means the
executive departments enumerated in 5 U.S.C. 101,
independent establishments as defined by 5 U.S.C. 104(1),
Government corporations as defined by 5 U.S.C. 103(1),
and the United States Postal Service;
(g) "Government Functions" means the collective functions
of the heads of executive departments and agencies as
defined by statute, regulation, presidential direction, or
other legal authority, and the functions of the legislative
and judicial branches;
(h) "National Essential Functions," or "NEFs," means that
subset of Government Functions that are necessary to lead
and sustain the Nation during a catastrophic emergency and
that, therefore, must be supported through COOP and COG
capabilities; and
(i) "Primary Mission Essential Functions," or "PMEFs,"
means those Government Functions that must be performed
in order to support or implement the performance of NEFs
before, during, and in the aftermath of an emergency.

3
Policy
(3) It is the policy of the United States to maintain a
comprehensive and effective continuity capability composed of
Continuity of Operations and Continuity of Government programs
in order to ensure the preservation of our form of government
under the Constitution and the continuing performance of
National Essential Functions under all conditions.
Implementation Actions
(4) Continuity requirements shall be incorporated into daily
operations of all executive departments and agencies. As a
result of the asymmetric threat environment, adequate warning
of potential emergencies that could pose a significant risk
to the homeland might not be available, and therefore all
continuity planning shall be based on the assumption that no
such warning will be received. Emphasis will be placed upon
geographic dispersion of leadership, staff, and infrastructure
in order to increase survivability and maintain uninterrupted
Government Functions. Risk management principles shall be
applied to ensure that appropriate operational readiness
decisions are based on the probability of an attack or other
incident and its consequences.
(5) The following NEFs are the foundation for all
continuity programs and capabilities and represent the
overarching responsibilities of the Federal Government to
lead and sustain the Nation during a crisis, and therefore
sustaining the following NEFs shall be the primary focus of
the Federal Government leadership during and in the aftermath
of an emergency that adversely affects the performance of
Government Functions:
(a) Ensuring the continued functioning of our form
of government under the Constitution, including the
functioning of the three separate branches of government;
(b) Providing leadership visible to the Nation and the
world and maintaining the trust and confidence of the
American people;

4
(c) Defending the Constitution of the United States
against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and preventing
or interdicting attacks against the United States or its
people, property, or interests;
(d) Maintaining and fostering effective relationships
with foreign nations;
(e) Protecting against threats to the homeland and
bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes or attacks
against the United States or its people, property, or
interests;
(f) Providing rapid and effective response to and
recovery from the domestic consequences of an attack
or other incident;
(g) Protecting and stabilizing the Nation's economy and
ensuring public confidence in its financial systems; and
(h) Providing for critical Federal Government services
that address the national health, safety, and welfare needs
of the United States.
(6) The President shall lead the activities of the Federal
Government for ensuring constitutional government. In order to
advise and assist the President in that function, the Assistant
to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
(APHS/CT) is hereby designated as the National Continuity
Coordinator. The National Continuity Coordinator, in
coordination with the Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs (APNSA), without exercising directive
authority, shall coordinate the development and implementation
of continuity policy for executive departments and agencies.
The Continuity Policy Coordination Committee (CPCC), chaired
by a Senior Director from the Homeland Security Council staff,
designated by the National Continuity Coordinator, shall be the
main day-to-day forum for such policy coordination.
(7) For continuity purposes, each executive department
and agency is assigned to a category in accordance with the
nature and characteristics of its national security roles and
responsibilities in support of the Federal Government's ability
to sustain the NEFs. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
serve as the President's lead agent for coordinating overall

5
continuity operations and activities of executive
departments and agencies, and in such role shall perform the
responsibilities set forth for the Secretary in sections 10
and 16 of this directive.
(8) The National Continuity Coordinator, in consultation
with the heads of appropriate executive departments and
agencies, will lead the development of a National Continuity
Implementation Plan (Plan), which shall include prioritized
goals and objectives, a concept of operations, performance
metrics by which to measure continuity readiness, procedures
for continuity and incident management activities, and clear
direction to executive department and agency continuity
coordinators, as well as guidance to promote interoperability
of Federal Government continuity programs and procedures with
State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private
sector owners and operators of critical infrastructure, as
appropriate. The Plan shall be submitted to the President
for approval not later than 90 days after the date of this
directive.
(9) Recognizing that each branch of the Federal Government
is responsible for its own continuity programs, an official
designated by the Chief of Staff to the President shall ensure
that the executive branch's COOP and COG policies in support
of ECG efforts are appropriately coordinated with those of
the legislative and judicial branches in order to ensure
interoperability and allocate national assets efficiently
to maintain a functioning Federal Government.
(10) Federal Government COOP, COG, and ECG plans and
operations shall be appropriately integrated with the
emergency plans and capabilities of State, local, territorial,
and tribal governments, and private sector owners and operators
of critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to promote
interoperability and to prevent redundancies and conflicting
lines of authority. The Secretary of Homeland Security shall
coordinate the integration of Federal continuity plans and
operations with State, local, territorial, and tribal
governments, and private sector owners and operators of
critical infrastructure, as appropriate, in order to provide
for the delivery of essential services during an emergency.

6
(11) Continuity requirements for the Executive Office of the
President (EOP) and executive departments and agencies shall
include the following:
(a) The continuation of the performance of PMEFs during
any emergency must be for a period up to 30 days or until
normal operations can be resumed, and the capability to be
fully operational at alternate sites as soon as possible
after the occurrence of an emergency, but not later than
12 hours after COOP activation;
(b) Succession orders and pre-planned devolution of
authorities that ensure the emergency delegation of
authority must be planned and documented in advance
in accordance with applicable law;
(c) Vital resources, facilities, and records must be
safeguarded, and official access to them must be provided;
(d) Provision must be made for the acquisition of the
resources necessary for continuity operations on an
emergency basis;
(e) Provision must be made for the availability and
redundancy of critical communications capabilities at
alternate sites in order to support connectivity between
and among key government leadership, internal elements,
other executive departments and agencies, critical
partners, and the public;
(f) Provision must be made for reconstitution capabilities
that allow for recovery from a catastrophic emergency and
resumption of normal operations; and
(g) Provision must be made for the identification,
training, and preparedness of personnel capable of
relocating to alternate facilities to support the
continuation of the performance of PMEFs.
(12) In order to provide a coordinated response to escalating
threat levels or actual emergencies, the Continuity of
Government Readiness Conditions (COGCON) system establishes
executive branch continuity program readiness levels, focusing

7
on possible threats to the National Capital Region. The
President will determine and issue the COGCON Level. Executive
departments and agencies shall comply with the requirements and
assigned responsibilities under the COGCON program. During COOP
activation, executive departments and agencies shall report
their readiness status to the Secretary of Homeland Security
or the Secretary's designee.
(13)

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall:
(a) Conduct an annual assessment of executive department
and agency continuity funding requests and performance data
that are submitted by executive departments and agencies
as part of the annual budget request process, in order to
monitor progress in the implementation of the Plan and the
execution of continuity budgets;
(b) In coordination with the National Continuity
Coordinator, issue annual continuity planning guidance
for the development of continuity budget requests; and
(c) Ensure that heads of executive departments and
agencies prioritize budget resources for continuity
capabilities, consistent with this directive.

(14) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy shall:
(a) Define and issue minimum requirements for continuity
communications for executive departments and agencies, in
consultation with the APHS/CT, the APNSA, the Director of
the Office of Management and Budget, and the Chief of Staff
to the President;
(b) Establish requirements for, and monitor the
development, implementation, and maintenance of, a
comprehensive communications architecture to integrate
continuity components, in consultation with the APHS/CT,
the APNSA, the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget, and the Chief of Staff to the President; and

8
(c) Review quarterly and annual assessments of continuity
communications capabilities, as prepared pursuant to
section 16(d) of this directive or otherwise, and report
the results and recommended remedial actions to the
National Continuity Coordinator.
(15) An official designated by the Chief of Staff to the
President shall:
(a) Advise the President, the Chief of Staff to the
President, the APHS/CT, and the APNSA on COGCON operational
execution options; and
(b) Consult with the Secretary of Homeland Security
in order to ensure synchronization and integration
of continuity activities among the four categories of
executive departments and agencies.
(16)

The Secretary of Homeland Security shall:
(a) Coordinate the implementation, execution, and
assessment of continuity operations and activities;
(b) Develop and promulgate Federal Continuity Directives
in order to establish continuity planning requirements for
executive departments and agencies;
(c) Conduct biennial assessments of individual department
and agency continuity capabilities as prescribed by the
Plan and report the results to the President through the
APHS/CT;
(d) Conduct quarterly and annual assessments of
continuity communications capabilities in consultation
with an official designated by the Chief of Staff to the
President;
(e) Develop, lead, and conduct a Federal continuity
training and exercise program, which shall be incorporated
into the National Exercise Program developed pursuant to
Homeland Security Presidential Directive-8 of December 17,
2003 ("National Preparedness"), in consultation with an

9
official designated by the Chief of Staff to the President;
(f) Develop and promulgate continuity planning guidance
to State, local, territorial, and tribal governments,
and private sector critical infrastructure owners and
operators;
(g) Make available continuity planning and exercise
funding, in the form of grants as provided by law, to
State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and
private sector critical infrastructure owners and
operators; and
(h) As Executive Agent of the National Communications
System, develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive
continuity communications architecture.
(17) The Director of National Intelligence, in coordination
with the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland
Security, shall produce a biennial assessment of the foreign
and domestic threats to the Nation's continuity of government.
(18) The Secretary of Defense, in coordination with
the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall provide secure,
integrated, Continuity of Government communications to the
President, the Vice President, and, at a minimum, Category I
executive departments and agencies.
(19) Heads of executive departments and agencies shall execute
their respective department or agency COOP plans in response to
a localized emergency and shall:
(a) Appoint a senior accountable official, at the
Assistant Secretary level, as the Continuity Coordinator
for the department or agency;
(b) Identify and submit to the National Continuity
Coordinator the list of PMEFs for the department or agency
and develop continuity plans in support of the NEFs and the
continuation of essential functions under all conditions;
(c) Plan, program, and budget for continuity capabilities
consistent with this directive;

10
(d) Plan, conduct, and support annual tests and training,
in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, in
order to evaluate program readiness and ensure adequacy and
viability of continuity plans and communications systems;
and
(e) Support other continuity requirements, as assigned by
category, in accordance with the nature and characteristics
of its national security roles and responsibilities
General Provisions
(20) This directive shall be implemented in a manner that is
consistent with, and facilitates effective implementation of,
provisions of the Constitution concerning succession to the
Presidency or the exercise of its powers, and the Presidential
Succession Act of 1947 (3 U.S.C. 19), with consultation of the
Vice President and, as appropriate, others involved. Heads of
executive departments and agencies shall ensure that appropriate
support is available to the Vice President and others involved
as necessary to be prepared at all times to implement those
provisions.
(21)

This directive:
(a) Shall be implemented consistent with applicable law
and the authorities of agencies, or heads of agencies,
vested by law, and subject to the availability of
appropriations;
(b) Shall not be construed to impair or otherwise
affect (i) the functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative,
and legislative proposals, or (ii) the authority of the
Secretary of Defense over the Department of Defense,
including the chain of command for military forces from
the President, to the Secretary of Defense, to the
commander of military forces, or military command and
control procedures; and
(c) Is not intended to, and does not, create any rights
or benefits, substantive or procedural, enforceable at
law or in equity by a party against the United States, its

11
agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers,
employees, or agents, or any other person.
(22) Revocation. Presidential Decision Directive-67 of
October 21, 1998 ("Enduring Constitutional Government and
Continuity of Government Operations"), including all Annexes
thereto, is hereby revoked.
(23) Annex A and the classified Continuity Annexes, attached
hereto, are hereby incorporated into and made a part of this
directive.
(24) Security. This directive and the information contained
herein shall be protected from unauthorized disclosure, provided
that, except for Annex A, the Annexes attached to this directive
are classified and shall be accorded appropriate handling,
consistent with applicable Executive Orders.