[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 13047-13049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-7461]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 59 / Tuesday, March 26, 1996 /
Presidential Documents
[[Page 13047]]
Executive Order 12994 of March 21, 1996
Continuing the President's Committee on Mental
Retardation and Broadening Its Membership and
Responsibilities
The President's Committee on Mental Retardation,
established by Executive Order No. 11280 on May 11,
1966, as superseded by Executive Order No. 11776 on
March 28, 1974, has organized national planning,
stimulated development of plans, policies and programs,
and advanced the concept of community participation in
the field of mental retardation.
National goals have been established to:
(1) promote full participation of people with
mental retardation in their communities;
(2) provide all necessary supports to people with
mental retardation and their families for such
participation;
(3) reduce the occurrence and severity of mental
retardation by one-half by the year 2010;
(4) assure the full citizenship rights of all
people with mental retardation, including those rights
secured by such landmark statutes as the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336 (42 U.S.C.
12101 et seq.);
(5) recognize the right of all people with mental
retardation to self-determination and autonomy, to be
treated in a nondiscriminatory manner, and to exercise
meaningful choice, with whatever supports are necessary
to effectuate these rights;
(6) recognize the right of all people with mental
retardation to enjoy a quality of life that promotes
independence, self-determination, and participation as
productive members of society; and
(7) promote the widest possible dissemination of
information on models, programs, and services in the
field of mental retardation.
The achievement of these goals will require the most
effective possible use of public and private resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as
President by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States of America, including the Federal
Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2),
it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Committee Continued and Responsibilities
Expanded. The President's Committee on Mental
Retardation (the ``Committee''), with expanded
membership and expanded responsibilities, is hereby
continued in operation.
Sec. 2. Composition of Committee. (a) The Committee
shall be composed of the following members:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(2) The Secretary of Education;
(3) The Attorney General;
(4) The Secretary of Labor;
(5) The Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development;
(6) The Chief Executive Officer of the
Corporation for National and Community Service
(formerly ACTION);
[[Page 13048]]
(7) The Commissioner of Social Security;
(8) The Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission;
(9) The Chairperson of the National Council on
Disability;
(10) No more than 21 other members who shall be
appointed to the Committee by the President. These
citizen members shall consist of individuals who
represent a broad spectrum of perspectives, experience,
and expertise on mental retardation, and shall include
self-advocates with mental retardation and members of
families with a child or adult with mental retardation,
and persons employed in either the public or the
private sector. Except as the President may from time
to time otherwise direct, appointees under this
paragraph shall have two-year terms, except that an
appointment made to fill a vacancy occurring before the
expiration of a term shall be made for the balance of
the unexpired term.
(b) The President shall designate the Chair of the
Committee from the 21 citizen members. The Chair shall
advise and counsel the Committee and represent the
Committee on appropriate occasions.
Sec. 3. Functions of the Committee. (a) The Committee
shall provide such advice and assistance in the area of
mental retardation as the President or Secretary of
Health and Human Services may request, and particularly
shall advise with respect to the following areas:
(1) evaluating and monitoring the national
efforts to establish appropriate policies and supports
for people with mental retardation;
(2) providing suggestions for improvement in the
delivery of mental retardation services, including
preventive services, the promulgation of effective and
humane policies, and the provision of necessary
supports;
(3) identifying the extent to which various
Federal and State programs achieve the national goals
in mental retardation described in the preamble to this
order and have a positive impact on the lives of people
with mental retardation;
(4) facilitating liaison among Federal, State,
and local governments, foundations, nonprofit
organizations, other private organizations, and
citizens concerning mental retardation;
(5) developing and disseminating such information
as will tend to reduce the incidence and severity of
mental retardation; and
(6) promoting the concept of community
participation and development of community supports for
citizens with mental retardation.
(b) The Committee shall make an annual report,
through the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to
the President concerning mental retardation. Such
additional reports may be made as the President may
require or as the Committee may deem appropriate.
Sec. 4. Cooperation by Other Agencies. To assist the
Committee in providing advice to the President, Federal
departments and agencies requested to do so by the
Committee shall designate liaison officers to the
Committee. Such officers shall, on request by the
Committee, and to the extent permitted by law, provide
the Committee with information on department and agency
programs that do contribute to or could contribute to
achievement of the President's goals in the field of
mental retardation.
Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Department of Health
and Human Services shall, to the extent permitted by
law, provide the Committee with necessary staff,
administrative services, and facilities and funding.
(b) Each member of the Committee, except any member
who receives other compensation from the United States
Government, may receive compensation for each day he or
she is engaged in the work of the Committee, as
authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 3109), and may also receive
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707),
for persons employed intermittently in the Government
service.
[[Page 13049]]
Committee members with disabilities may be compensated
for attendant expenses, consistent with Government
procedures and practices.
(c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall perform such other functions with respect to the
Committee as may be required by the provisions of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C.
App. 2), except that of reporting to the Congress.
Sec. 6. Construction. Nothing in this order shall be
construed as subjecting any Federal agency, or any
function vested by law in, or assigned pursuant to law
to, any Federal agency, to the authority of the
Committee or as abrogating or restricting any such
function in any manner.
Sec. 7. Superseded Authority. Executive Order No. 11776
is hereby superseded.
(Presidential Sig.)
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 21, 1996.
[FR Doc. 96-7461
Filed 3-25-96; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P
