[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 59 (Tuesday, March 26, 1996)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 13047-13049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing 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                1966, as superseded by Executive Order No. 11776 on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