Executive Order 14091

What is Executive Order 14091?

Executive Order (EO) 14091, “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government”, targets specific barriers still faced by underserved communities by requiring federal agencies to integrate equity into planning and decision-making. The EO builds upon other executive orders and directives concerning equity and environmental justice:

• Executive Order 13985
• Executive Order 13990
• Memorandum “Modernizing Regulatory Review”
• Executive Order 14008

EO 14091 extends and strengthens equity-advancing requirements for federal agencies with the intent to deliver better outcomes for the American people. The EO outlines a multi-pronged approach to advancing equity through the federal government, including:

• Establishing Equity-Focused Leadership Across the Federal Government
• Delivering Equitable Outcomes Through Government Policies, Programs, and Activities
• Embedding Equity into Government-Wide Processes
• Delivering Equitable Outcomes in Partnership with Underserved Communities
• Creating Economic Opportunity in Rural America and Advancing Urban Equitable Development
• Advancing Equitable Procurement
• Affirmatively Advancing Civil Rights
• Further Advancing Equitable Data Practices

Definitions

EO 14091 also further defined equity-related terms for the purposes of the order, including updates to definitions from previous orders and directives:

The term equity means the consistent and systematic treatment of all individuals in a fair, just, and impartial manner, including individuals who belong to communities that often have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander persons and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; women and girls; LGBTQI+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; persons who live in United States Territories; persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality; and individuals who belong to multiple such communities.

The term underserved communities refers to those populations as well as geographic communities that have been systematically denied the opportunity to participate fully in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as defined in Executive Orders 13985 and 14020.

The term equitable development refers to a positive development approach that employs processes, policies, and programs that aim to meet the needs of all communities and community members, with a particular focus on underserved communities and populations.

The term community wealth building refers to an approach to economic development that strengthens the capacities of underserved communities by ensuring institutions and local economies have ownership models with greater community participation and control. This results in upgrading skills, growing entrepreneurs, increasing incomes, expanding net asset ownership, and fostering social well-being.

The term equitable data refers to data that allow for rigorous assessment of the extent to which Government programs and policies yield consistently fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals.

The term algorithmic discrimination refers to instances when automated systems contribute to unjustified different treatment or impacts disfavoring people based on their actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, sex (including based on pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions; gender identity; intersex status; and sexual orientation), religion, age, national origin, limited English proficiency, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law.