Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs

[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 111 (Thursday, June 10, 1999)]

[Presidential Documents]

[Pages 31105-31107]

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 99-14901]

Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 111 / Thursday, June 10, 1999 /

Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--

The President

[[Page 31105]]

Executive Order 13125 of June 7, 1999

Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs

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.), and in order to improve the

quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders through increased participation in Federal

programs where they may be underserved (e.g., health,

human services, education, housing, labor,

transportation, and economic and community

development), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) There is established in the Department

of Health and Human Services the President's Advisory

Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

(Commission). The Commission shall consist of not more

than 15 members appointed by the President, one of

which shall be designated by the President as Chair.

The Commission shall include members who: (i) have a

history of involvement with the Asian American and

Pacific Islander communities; (ii) are from the fields

of health, human services, education, housing, labor,

transportation, economic and community development,

civil rights, and the business community; (iii) are

from civic associations representing one or more of the

diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander

communities; and (iv) have such other experience as the

President deems appropriate.

(b) The Secretary of the Department of Health and

Human Services (Secretary) shall appoint an Executive

Director for the Commission.

Sec. 2. The Commission shall provide advice to the

President, through the Secretary, on: (a) the

development, monitoring, and coordination of Federal

efforts to improve the quality of life of Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders through increased

participation in Federal programs where such persons

may be underserved and the collection of data related

to Asian American and Pacific Islander populations and

sub-populations; (b) ways to increase public-sector,

private-sector, and community involvement in improving

the health and well-being of Asian Americans and

Pacific Islanders; and (c) ways to foster research and

data on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders,

including research and data on public health.

Sec. 3. The Department of Health and Human Services

shall establish the White House Initiative on Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders (Initiative), an

interagency working group (working group) whose members

shall be appointed by their respective agencies. The

Executive Director of the Commission shall also serve

as the Director of the Initiative, and shall report to

the Secretary or the Secretary's designee. The working

group shall include both career and noncareer civil

service staff and commissioned officers of the Public

Health Service with expertise in health, human

services, education, housing, labor, transportation,

economic and community development, and other relevant

issues. The working group shall advise the Secretary on

the implementation and coordination of Federal programs

as they relate to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

across executive departments and agencies.

Sec. 4. The head of each executive department and each

agency designated by the Secretary shall appoint a

senior Federal official responsible for management or

program administration to report directly to the agency

head on activity under this Executive order, and to

serve as a liaison to the

[[Page 31106]]

Initiative. The Secretary also may designate additional

Federal Government officials, with the agreement of the

relevant agency head, to carry out the functions of the

Initiative. To the extent permitted by law and to the

extent practicable, each executive department and

designated agency shall provide any appropriate

information requested by the working group, including

data relating to the eligibility for and participation

of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal

programs. Where adequate data are not available, the

Initiative shall suggest the means of collecting such

data.

Sec. 5. Each executive department and designated agency

(collectively, the ``agency'') shall prepare a plan

for, and shall document, its efforts to improve the

quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders through increased participation in Federal

programs where Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

may be underserved. This plan shall address, among

other things, Federal efforts to: (a) improve the

quality of life for Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders through increased participation in Federal

programs where they may be underserved and the

collection of data related to Asian American and

Pacific Islander populations and sub-populations; (b)

increase public-sector, private-sector, and community

involvement in improving the health and well-being of

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders; and (c) foster

research and data on Asian Americans and Pacific

Islanders, including research and data on public

health. Each agency's plan shall provide appropriate

measurable objectives and, after the first year, shall

assess that agency's performance on the goals set in

the previous year's plan. Each plan shall be submitted

at a date to be established by the Secretary.

Sec. 6. The Secretary shall review the agency plans and

develop for submission to the President an integrated

Federal plan (Federal Plan) to improve the quality of

life of Asian American and Pacific Islanders through

increased participation in Federal programs where such

persons may be underserved. Actions described in the

Federal Plan shall address improving access by Asian

Americans and Pacific Islanders to Federal programs and

fostering advances in relevant research and data. The

Secretary shall ensure that the working group is given

the opportunity to comment on the proposed Federal Plan

prior to its submission to the President. The Secretary

shall disseminate the Federal Plan to appropriate

members of the executive branch. The findings and

recommendations in the Federal Plan shall be considered

by the agencies in their policies and activities.

Sec. 7. Notwithstanding any other Executive order, the

responsibilities of the President that are applicable

to the Commission under the Federal Advisory Committee

Act, as amended, except that of reporting to the

Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary in

accordance with the guidelines and procedures

established by the Administrator of General Services.

Sec. 8. Members of the Commission shall serve without

compensation, but shall be allowed travel expenses,

including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as

authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in

the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). To the

extent permitted by law and appropriations, and where

practicable, agencies shall, upon request by the

Secretary, provide assistance to the Commission and to

the Initiative. The Department of Health and Human

Services shall provide administrative support and

funding for the Commission.

Sec. 9. The Commission shall terminate 2 years after

the date of this Executive order unless the Commission

is renewed by the President prior to the end of that 2-

year period.

Sec. 10. For the purposes of this order, the terms: (a)

``Asian American'' includes persons having origins in

any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast

Asia, or the Indian subcontinent; and

[[Page 31107]]

(b) ``Pacific Islander'' includes the aboriginal,

indigenous, native peoples of Hawaii and other Pacific

Islands within the jurisdiction of the United States.

(Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

June 7, 1999.

[FR Doc. 99-14901

Filed 6-9-99; 8:45 am]

Billing code 3195-01-P