Healthcare

Implementing Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service

This executive order expands the Schedule Policy/Career excepted service category, transferring certain federal positions from competitive service to at-will employment to facilitate removal for poor performance or misconduct. It directs agency heads to petition for reclassification of policy-influencing roles, mandates performance bonus pools for these employees, and amends civil service rules to exempt them from standard adverse action procedures.

Realigning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations with Best Practices from Peer, Developed Countries

This executive order directs the CDC and ACIP to review and potentially update the U.S. childhood vaccine schedule to align with recommendations from peer developed countries, which recommend fewer vaccines. It maintains insurance coverage for all currently available vaccines without cost sharing and emphasizes protecting religious liberty and parental authority.

Promoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting

This executive order mandates that federal agencies default to using fixed-price contracts for procurement, shifting away from cost-reimbursement models. It requires written justification and senior-level approval for any non-fixed-price contract over certain dollar thresholds (e.g., $10M for most agencies, $100M for the Department of War), and directs agencies to review and renegotiate their 10 largest non-fixed-price contracts within 90 days. The order also tasks OMB with implementation guidance and the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council with proposing regulatory amendments within 120 days.

Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness

This executive order directs the FDA to prioritize review and facilitate 'Right to Try' access for psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine compounds, that have received Breakthrough Therapy designation for serious mental illnesses. It also allocates $50 million from HHS to support state programs advancing these treatments and mandates collaboration between HHS, FDA, VA, and the private sector to increase clinical trial participation and data sharing for these drugs. The Attorney General is further directed to expedite rescheduling reviews for approved Schedule I psychedelic substances.