EMP Resilience (E.O. 13865)

Summary

Creates a plan for the government and private companies to work together to protect the country's important systems from damage caused by EMPs.

What problem does this solve?

An electromagnetic pulse, from a nuclear weapon or the sun, could damage technology and critical systems across large areas, harming national security and the economy. This order organizes the government to study EMP risks, protect important infrastructure, and create plans to respond and recover from an EMP event.

What does this order do?

Assigns coordination leadership

Makes the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs responsible for coordinating all government actions to manage EMP risks. The Office of Science and Technology Policy will coordinate research and development.

Identifies critical infrastructure at risk

Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to create and maintain a list of the nation's most important functions and the infrastructure they depend on, which would cause catastrophic effects if disrupted by an EMP.

Defines roles for federal agencies

Gives specific jobs to the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Energy, Commerce, State, and Interior, as well as the Director of National Intelligence, to work on EMP preparedness.

Mandates research and testing

Orders agencies to test how EMPs affect critical systems, find gaps in knowledge, and create plans to develop new technologies and protections. This includes pilot programs to test ways to harden infrastructure.

Requires updated response plans

Directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies to review and update their emergency response plans to specifically include how they would handle an EMP event.

Orders a national survey

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to complete a survey of the ground's magnetic properties across the United States to help infrastructure owners better assess their EMP vulnerabilities.

Who does this affect?

Federal government agencies
Critical infrastructure owners and operators (e.g., power, communications)
The U.S. military

What is the real world impact?

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Prepares the nation for a high-impact threat

Organizes a government-wide effort to understand and defend against the potentially catastrophic effects of an EMP, whether from a natural solar event or a hostile attack. This ensures the country is ready for a known, if infrequent, danger.

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Encourages public-private partnerships

Recognizes that most critical infrastructure is owned by private companies. The order pushes for collaboration and information sharing between the government and these companies to protect essential services like electricity and communications.

When does this start?

This order became effective on March 26, 2019, and sets multiple deadlines for federal agencies to complete specific tasks.

Identify critical functions

Within 90 days (by June 24, 2019), the Secretary of Homeland Security must identify and list national critical functions and associated infrastructure.

Update federal response plans

Within 180 days (by September 22, 2019), federal response plans must be reviewed and updated to account for the effects of EMPs.

Assess most vulnerable infrastructure

Within 1 year (by March 26, 2020), the Secretary of Homeland Security must assess and list the critical infrastructure most vulnerable to EMPs.

Develop EMP benchmarks

Within 1 year (by March 26, 2020), the Secretary of Energy must review existing standards and develop benchmarks to describe the physical traits of EMPs.

Complete national survey

Within 4 years (by March 26, 2023), the Secretary of the Interior must complete a magnetotelluric survey of the contiguous United States.

Annual progress report

On an annual basis, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs must submit a report to the President summarizing progress.