For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 8, 2003
Executive Order Interagency Group on Insular Areas
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and
the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as
follows:
Section 1. Interagency Group on Insular Areas. (a) There is
established, within the Department of the Interior for administrative
purposes, the Interagency Group on Insular Areas (IGIA). The group
shall consist exclusively of:
(i) the heads of the executive departments; and
(ii) the heads of such agencies as the Secretary of the Interior
may designate.
(b) The Secretary of the Interior, or the Secretary's designee
under section 1(c) of this order, shall convene and preside at the
meetings of the IGIA, determine its agenda, direct its work and, as
appropriate to deal with particular subject matters, establish and
direct subgroups of the IGIA that shall consist exclusively of members
of the IGIA.
(c) A member of the IGIA may designate, to perform the IGIA or
IGIA subgroup functions of the member, any person who is a part of the
member's department or agency (agency) and who is either an officer of
the United States appointed by the President or a member of the Senior
Executive Service.
Sec. 2. Functions of the IGIA. The IGIA shall:
(a) provide advice on establishment or implementation of policies
concerning American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and
the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (Insular Areas) to:
(i) the President, through the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
in the White House Office, in written reports, at least once each
year; and
(ii) the Secretary of the Interior;
(b) obtain information and advice concerning Insular Areas from
governors and other elected officials in the Insular Areas (including
through a meeting at least once each year with such governors of the
Insular Areas who may wish to attend) in a manner that seeks their
individual advice and does not involve collective judgment or consensus
advice or deliberation;
(c) obtain information and advice concerning Insular Areas, as the
IGIA determines appropriate, from representatives of entities or other
individuals in a manner that seeks their individual advice and does not
involve collective judgment or consensus advice or deliberation; and
(d) at the request of the head of any agency who is a member of
the IGIA, unless the Secretary of the Interior declines the request,
promptly review and provide advice on a policy or policy implementation
action affecting one of the Insular Areas proposed by that agency.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) The Secretary of the Interior
may, as the Secretary determines appropriate, make recommendations to
the President, or to the heads of agencies, regarding policy or policy
implementation actions of the Federal Government affecting the Insular
Areas.
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or
otherwise affect the functions of the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or
legislative proposals.
Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to improve
the internal management of the Federal Government and is not intended
to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United
States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities or entities, its
officers or employees, or any other person.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 8, 2003.
# # #
|