Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Presidential Documents 7205 

Executive Order 13998 of January 21, 2021 

Promoting COVID–19 Safety in Domestic and International 

Travel 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. Science-based public health measures are critical to preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID–19) by travelers 

within the United States and those who enter the country from abroad. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Surgeon General, 

and the National Institutes of Health have concluded that mask-wearing, 

physical distancing, appropriate ventilation, and timely testing can mitigate 

the risk of travelers spreading COVID–19. Accordingly, to save lives and 

allow all Americans, including the millions of people employed in the 

transportation industry, to travel and work safely, it is the policy of my 

Administration to implement these public health measures consistent with 

CDC guidelines on public modes of transportation and at ports of entry 

to the United States. 

Sec. 2. Immediate Action to Require Mask-Wearing on Certain Domestic 

Modes of Transportation. 

(a) Mask Requirement. The Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health 

and Human Services (HHS), the Secretary of Transportation (including 

through the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)), 

the Secretary of Homeland Security (including through the Administrator 

of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Commandant 

of the United States Coast Guard), and the heads of any other executive 

departments and agencies (agencies) that have relevant regulatory authority 

(heads of agencies) shall immediately take action, to the extent appropriate 

and consistent with applicable law, to require masks to be worn in compliance with CDC guidelines in or on: 

(i) airports; 

(ii) commercial aircraft; 

(iii) trains; 

(iv) public maritime vessels, including ferries; 

(v) intercity bus services; and 

(vi) all forms of public transportation as defined in section 5302 of title 

49, United States Code. 

(b) Consultation. In implementing this section, the heads of agencies shall 

consult, as appropriate, with interested parties, including State, local, Tribal, 

and territorial officials; industry and union representatives from the transportation sector; and consumer representatives. 

(c) Exceptions. The heads of agencies may make categorical or case-bycase exceptions to policies developed under this section, consistent with 

applicable law, to the extent that doing so is necessary or required by 

law. If the heads of agencies do make exceptions, they shall require alternative and appropriate safeguards, and shall document all exceptions in 

writing. 

(d) Preemption. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the heads 

of agencies shall ensure that any action taken to implement this section 

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does not preempt State, local, Tribal, and territorial laws or rules imposing 

public health measures that are more protective of public health than those 

required by the heads of agencies. 

(e) Coordination. The Coordinator of the COVID–19 Response and Counselor to the President (COVID–19 Response Coordinator) shall coordinate 

the implementation of this section. The heads of agencies shall update 

the COVID–19 Response Coordinator on their progress in implementing this 

section, including any categorical exceptions established under subsection 

(c) of this section, within 7 days of the date of this order and regularly 

thereafter. The heads of agencies are encouraged to bring to the attention 

of the COVID–19 Response Coordinator any questions regarding the scope 

or implementation of this section. 

Sec. 3. Action to Implement Additional Public Health Measures for Domestic 

Travel. 

(a) Recommendations. The Secretary of Transportation (including through 

the Administrator of the FAA) and the Secretary of Homeland Security 

(including through the Administrator of the TSA and the Commandant of 

the Coast Guard), in consultation with the Director of CDC, shall promptly 

provide to the COVID–19 Response Coordinator recommendations concerning 

how their respective agencies may impose additional public health measures 

for domestic travel. 

(b) Consultation. In implementing this section, the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall engage with interested 

parties, including State, local, Tribal, and territorial officials; industry and 

union representatives from the transportation sector; and consumer representatives. 

Sec. 4. Support for State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Authorities. The 

COVID–19 Response Coordinator, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation and the heads of any other relevant agencies, shall promptly identify and inform agencies of options to incentivize, support, and encourage 

widespread mask-wearing and physical distancing on public modes of transportation, consistent with CDC guidelines and applicable law. 

Sec. 5. International Travel. 

(a) Policy. It is the policy of my Administration that, to the extent feasible, 

travelers seeking to enter the United States from a foreign country shall 

be: 

(i) required to produce proof of a recent negative COVID–19 test prior 

to entry; and 

(ii) required to comply with other applicable CDC guidelines concerning 

international travel, including recommended periods of self-quarantine 

or self-isolation after entry into the United States. 

(b) Air Travel. 

(i) The Secretary of HHS, including through the Director of CDC, and 

in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation (including through 

the Administrator of the FAA) and the Secretary of Homeland Security 

(including through the Administrator of the TSA), shall, within 14 days 

of the date of this order, assess the CDC order of January 12, 2021, 

regarding the requirement of a negative COVID–19 test result for airline 

passengers traveling into the United States, in light of subsection (a) 

of this section. Based on such assessment, the Secretary of HHS and 

the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take any further appropriate 

regulatory action, to the extent feasible and consistent with CDC guidelines 

and applicable law. Such assessment and regulatory action shall include 

consideration of: 

(A) the timing and types of COVID–19 tests that should satisfy the 

negative test requirement, including consideration of additional testing 

immediately prior to departure; 

(B) the proof of test results that travelers should be required to provide; 

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(C) the feasibility of implementing alternative and sufficiently protective 

public health measures, such as testing, self-quarantine, and self-isolation 

on arrival, for travelers entering the United States from countries where 

COVID–19 tests are inaccessible, particularly where such inaccessibility 

of tests would affect the ability of United States citizens and lawful 

permanent residents to return to the United States; and 

(D) measures to prevent fraud. 

(ii) The Secretary of HHS, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation (including through the Administrator of the FAA) and the Secretary 

of Homeland Security (including through the Administrator of the TSA), 

shall promptly provide to the President, through the COVID–19 Response 

Coordinator, a plan for how the Secretary and other Federal Government 

actors could implement the policy stated in subsection (a) of this section 

with respect to CDC-recommended periods of self-quarantine or self-isolation after a flight to the United States from a foreign country, as he 

deems appropriate and consistent with applicable law. The plan shall 

identify agencies’ tools and mechanisms to assist travelers in complying 

with such policy. 

(iii) The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of HHS 

(including through the Director of CDC), the Secretary of Transportation 

(including through the Administrator of the FAA), and the Secretary of 

Homeland Security, shall seek to consult with foreign governments, the 

World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, 

the International Air Transport Association, and any other relevant stakeholders to establish guidelines for public health measures associated with 

safe international travel, including on aircraft and at ports of entry. Any 

such guidelines should address quarantine, testing, COVID–19 vaccination, 

follow-up testing and symptom-monitoring, air filtration requirements, environmental decontamination standards, and contact tracing. 

(c) Land Travel. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary 

of HHS, the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

and the Director of CDC, shall immediately commence diplomatic outreach 

to the governments of Canada and Mexico regarding public health protocols 

for land ports of entry. Based on this diplomatic engagement, within 14 

days of the date of this order, the Secretary of HHS (including through 

the Director of CDC), the Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary 

of Homeland Security shall submit to the President a plan to implement 

appropriate public health measures at land ports of entry. The plan should 

implement CDC guidelines, consistent with applicable law, and take into 

account the operational considerations relevant to the different populations 

who enter the United States by land. 

(d) Sea Travel. The Secretary of Homeland Security, through the Commandant of the Coast Guard and in consultation with the Secretary of 

HHS and the Director of CDC, shall, within 14 days of the date of this 

order, submit to the President a plan to implement appropriate public health 

measures at sea ports. The plan should implement CDC guidelines, consistent 

with applicable law, and take into account operational considerations. 

(e) International Certificates of Vaccination or Prophylaxis. Consistent with 

applicable law, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of HHS, and the Secretary 

of Homeland Security (including through the Administrator of the TSA), 

in coordination with any relevant international organizations, shall assess 

the feasibility of linking COVID–19 vaccination to International Certificates 

of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) and producing electronic versions of 

ICVPs. 

(f) Coordination. The COVID–19 Response Coordinator, in consultation 

with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the 

Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, shall coordinate the implementation of this section. The Secretary of State, the Secretary of HHS, the 

Secretary of Transportation, and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 

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update the COVID–19 Response Coordinator on their progress in implementing this section within 7 days of the date of this order and regularly 

thereafter. The heads of all agencies are encouraged to bring to the attention 

of the COVID–19 Response Coordinator any questions regarding the scope 

or implementation of this section. 

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive 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. 

(c) 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, 

January 21, 2021. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01859 

Filed 1–25–21; 11:15 am] 

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