Responsibilities of the Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Administration With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

Executive Order 13342 of June 1, 2004

Responsibilities of the Departments of Commerce
and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business
Administration 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 America's
social and community needs, it is hereby ordered as
follows:

Section 1. Establishment of Centers for Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives at the Departments of Commerce
and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business
Administration.

    (a) The Secretaries of Commerce and Veterans
Affairs and the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration shall each establish within their
respective agencies a Center for Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives (Center).
    (b) Each of these Centers shall be supervised by a
Director, appointed by the agency head in consultation
with the White House Office of Faith-Based and
Community Initiatives (White House OFBCI).
    (c) Each agency shall provide its Center with
appropriate staff, administrative support, and other
resources to meet its responsibilities under this
order.
    (d) Each Center shall begin operations no later
than 45 days from the date of this order.

Sec. 2. Purpose of Executive Branch Centers for Faith-
Based and Community Initiatives. The purpose of the
agency Centers will be to coordinate agency efforts to
eliminate regulatory, contracting, and other
programmatic obstacles to the participation of faith-
based and other community organizations in the
provision of social and community services.

Sec. 3. Responsibilities of the 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, an agency-wide audit to identify all existing
barriers to the participation of faith-based and other
community organizations in the delivery of social and
community services by the agency, 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 agency effort to
incorporate faith-based and other community
organizations in agency 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 agency outreach efforts
to disseminate information more effectively to faith-
based and other community organizations with respect to
programming changes, contracting opportunities, and
other agency initiatives, including but not limited to
Web and Internet resources.

Sec. 4. Reporting Requirements. (a) Report. Not later
than 180 days from the date of this order and annually
thereafter, each of the three Centers described in
section 1 of this order shall prepare and submit a
report to the President through the White House OFBCI.

    (b) Contents. The report shall include a
description of the agency's efforts in carrying out its
responsibilities under this order, including but not
limited to:

(i) a comprehensive analysis of the barriers to the full participation of
faith-based and other community organizations in the delivery of social and
community services identified pursuant to section 3(a) of this order and
the proposed strategies to eliminate those barriers; and

(ii) 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 agency and the preparation of
applications or proposals for grants, cooperative agreements, contracts,
and procurement.

    (c) Performance Indicators. The first report, filed
pursuant to section 4(a) of this order, shall include
annual performance indicators and measurable objectives
for agency action. Each report filed thereafter shall
measure the agency's performance against the objectives
set forth in the initial report.

Sec. 5. Responsibilities of the Secretaries of Commerce
and Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration. The Secretaries and the
Administrator shall:

    (a) designate an employee within their respective
agencies 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. 6. Administration and Judicial Review. (a) The
agency 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 is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by a party against the
United States, its departments, agencies,
instrumentalities or entities, its officers, employees
or agents, or any other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)B

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    June 1, 2004.