Executive Order 11850--Renunciation of certain uses in war of chemical herbicides and riot control agents. was signed on April 8, 1975, by United States President Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford

Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...

.
The executive order restricted the use of herbicides, and riot control agents, including tear gas. Each and every use would require the explicit approval.

On April 11, 2007 Joseph Benkert

Joseph Benkert

Joseph A. Benkert is an American citizen who served as an officer in the United States Navy, and as an appointed official in the George W. Bush Administration...

, a George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 political appointee, informed the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Bush Presidency felt it could reinterpret the Executive Order and loosen the restriction on the use of gas as a riot control agent.

See also

• Executive Order 13128
  Executive Order 13128
  Executive Order 13128 is an United States executive order issued by Bill Clinton in 1999. It authorized the Departments of State and Commerce to create regulations regarding the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.-Background:...
  
  
• Statement on Chemical and Biological Defense Policies and Programs
  Statement on Chemical and Biological Defense Policies and Programs
  The "Statement on Chemical and Biological Defense Policies and Programs" was a speech delivered on November 25, 1969, by U.S. President Richard Nixon. In the speech, Nixon announced the end of the U.S. offensive biological weapons program and reaffirmed a no-first-use policy for chemical weapons...