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Mental Health Key Component of President Obama's Gun Control Executive Orders

Client Alert | 1 min read | 01.22.13

On January 16, 2013, President Barack Obama issued the Gun Violence Reduction Executive Actions. Of the 23 Executive Actions, 3 in particular are particularly notable to the healthcare industry:  

  • No. 20 is an order to "Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover."
  • No. 21 is an order to "Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges."
  • No. 22 is an order to "commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations."

The orders can be read via the Washington Post.

President Obama also released a memo to the HHS Secretary, instructing the HHS to conduct research on the cause and possible solutions to gun violence, with a focus on the research issues with an impact on public health. Specifically, the memorandum directs HHS to begin by "identifying the most pressing research questions with the greatest potential public health impact, and by assessing existing public health interventions being implemented across the Nation to prevent gun violence." Click to read the memorandum as published in the Federal Register.

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DOJ and DHS Issue Interim Final Rule on State and Local Counter-Drone Authority Under the SAFER SKIES Act

On July 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published an Interim Final Rule (IFR) setting up a new federal framework that allows state, local, Tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement and correctional agencies to detect, track, and, in some cases, disable or seize drones. The rule directly affects SLTT agencies looking to stand up counter-drone programs, as well as drone and counter-drone technology companies whose products will be subject to federal review and approval. Although the IFR bypassed the Administrative Procedure Act’s standard notice-and-comment process on good cause grounds — citing the statutory 180-day deadline and urgent public safety needs — the rule is already legally binding and effective as of July 1, 2026. The Departments are nonetheless accepting post-promulgation comments through September 4, 2026....

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