Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs

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

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

    (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.