For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
September 4, 2003
Statement on Prison Rape Elimination Act
Statement by the President
Today, I have signed into Law S. 1435, the "Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003." The Act provides for analysis of the incidence and
effects of prison rape in Federal, State and local institutions, and
for information, resources, recom-mendations and funding to protect
individuals from prison rape. The Act also creates a National Prison
Rape Reduction Commission.
Section 7(h) of the Act purports to grant to the Commission a right
of access to any Federal department or agency informa-tion it considers
necessary to carry out its duties, and section 7(k)(3) provides for
release of information to the public. The executive branch shall
construe sections 7(h) and 7(k)(3) in a manner consistent with the
President's constitutional authority to withhold information when its
disclosure could impair deliberative processes of the Executive or the
performance of the Executive's constitutional duties and, to the extent
possible, in a manner consistent with Federal statutes protecting
sensitive information from disclosure.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
September 4, 2003.
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