WH: Agency Responsibilities with Respect to OFBCI
U.S. Newswire
29 Jan 14:37
White House Executive Order: Agency Responsibilities With
Respect To Faith-Based And Community Initiatives
To: National Desk
Contact: White House Press Office, 202-456-2580
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following was
released today by the White House: EXECUTIVE ORDER
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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 discriminate
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 organizations
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 department 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.
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