For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 29, 2001
Executive Order
Agency Responsibilities with Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
By the authority vested in me as President by
the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in
order to help the Federal Government coordinate a national effort to
expand opportunities for faith-based and other community organizations
and to strengthen their capacity to better meet social needs in
America's communities, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment of
Executive Department Centers for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives. (a) The Attorney General, the
Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
shall each establish within their respective departments a Center for
Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (Center).
(b) Each executive department
Center shall be supervised by a Director, appointed by the department
head in consultation with the White House Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives (White House OFBCI).
(c) Each department shall provide
its Center with appropriate staff, administrative support, and other
resources to meet its responsibilities under this order.
(d) Each department's Center shall
begin operations no later than 45 days from the date of this order.
Sec. 2. Purpose of Executive
Department Centers for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives. The purpose of the executive department Centers
will be to coordinate department efforts to eliminate regulatory,
contracting, and other programmatic obstacles to the participation of
faith-based and other community organizations in the provision of
social services.
Sec. 3. Responsibilities of
Executive Department Centers for Faith-Based and Community
Initiatives. Each Center shall, to the extent permitted by
law: (a) conduct, in coordination with the White
House OFBCI, a department-wide audit to identify all existing barriers
to the participation of faith-based and other community organizations
in the delivery of social services by the department, including but not
limited to regulations, rules, orders, procurement, and other internal
policies and practices, and outreach activities that either facially
dis-criminate against or otherwise discourage or disadvantage the
participation of faith-based and other community organizations in
Federal programs;
(b) coordinate a comprehensive
departmental effort to incorporate faith-based and other community
organizations in department programs and initiatives to the greatest
extent possible;
(c) propose initiatives to remove
barriers identified pursuant to section 3(a) of this order, including
but not limited to reform of regulations, procurement, and other
internal policies and practices, and outreach activities;
(d) propose the development of
innovative pilot and demonstration programs to increase the
participation of faith-based and other community organizations in
Federal as well as State and local initiatives; and
(e) develop and coordinate
department outreach efforts to disseminate information more effectively
to faith-based and other community organizations with respect to
programming changes, contracting opportunities, and other department
initiatives, including but not limited to Web and Internet resources.
Sec. 4. Additional Responsibilities
of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of
Labor Centers. In addition to those responsibilities
described in section 3 of this order, the Department of Health and
Human Services and the Department of Labor Centers shall, to the extent
permitted by law: (a) conduct a comprehensive review of
policies and practices affecting existing funding streams governed by
so-called "Charitable Choice" legislation to assess the department's
compliance with the requirements of Charitable Choice; and (b) promote
and ensure compliance with existing Charitable Choice legislation by
the department, as well as its partners in State and local government,
and their contractors.
Sec. 5. Reporting
Requirements. (a) Report. Not later
than 180 days after the date of this order and annually thereafter,
each of the five executive department Centers described in section 1 of
this order shall prepare and submit a report to the White House OFBCI.
(b) Contents. The report
shall include a description of the department's efforts in carrying out
its responsibilities under this order, including but not limited to:
(1) a comprehensive analysis of the
barriers to the full participation of faith-based and other community
organi-zations in the delivery of social services identified pursuant
to section 3(a) of this order and the proposed strategies to eliminate
those barriers; and
(2) a summary of the technical
assistance and other information that will be available to faith-based
and other community organizations regarding the program activities of
the department and the preparation of applications or proposals for
grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and procurement.
(c) Performance
Indicators. The first report, filed 180 days after the date
of this order, shall include annual performance indicators and
measurable objectives for depart-ment action. Each report
filed thereafter shall measure the department's performance against the
objectives set forth in the initial report.
Sec. 6. Responsibilities of All
Executive Departments and Agencies. All executive departments and
agencies (agencies) shall: (a) designate an
agency employee to serve as the liaison and point of contact with the
White House OFBCI; and
(b) cooperate with the White House
OFBCI and provide such information, support, and assistance to the
White House OFBCI as it may request, to the extent permitted by law.
Sec. 7. Administration and Judicial
Review. (a) The agencies? actions directed by
this Executive Order shall be carried out subject to the availability
of appropriations and to the extent permitted by law.
(b) This order does not create any
right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or
equity against the United States, its agencies or instrumentalities,
its officers or employees, or any other person.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE, January 29, 2001.
# # #
|