Establishing a White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong Communities

Executive Order 13602 of March 15, 2012

Establishing a White House Council on Strong
Cities, Strong Communities

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, and in order to forge a partnership with local
communities to provide them with comprehensive
technical assistance to use and compete for Federal
resources more effectively and efficiently, which will
enable them to develop and implement economic
strategies to become more competitive, sustainable, and
inclusive, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Cities, towns, and regions across
our Nation continue to face difficult economic
challenges. Enhancing current Federal assistance is
helping to lift communities out of distress. To allow
the Federal Government to better partner with these
local communities to build local capacity to address
economic issues, and to support comprehensive planning
and regional collaboration, my Administration
established the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2)
pilot initiative. By partnering with cities and regions
to augment their vision for stability and economic
growth, the SC2 was designed to help communities
strengthen their capacity to create jobs and more
competitive business climates, and implement locally
driven community and regional planning approaches that
lead to sustained economic growth, as well as ensure
that Federal assistance is more efficiently provided
and used.

This order improves the way the Federal Government
engages with and supports local communities by better
aligning resources and coordinating efforts across
executive departments and agencies (agencies) so that
communities across the country have access to
comprehensive, localized technical assistance and
planning resources to develop and implement their
economic vision and strategies.

Sec. 2. White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong
Communities. There is established a White House Council
on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (Council) within
the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to be
chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development and the Assistant to the President for
Domestic Policy (Co-Chairs).

    (a) Membership. In addition to the Co-Chairs, the
Council shall consist of the following members:

(i) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(ii) the Secretary of Defense;

(iii) the Attorney General;

(iv) the Secretary of the Interior;

(v) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(vi) the Secretary of Commerce;

(vii) the Secretary of Labor;

(viii) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(ix) the Secretary of Transportation;

(x) the Secretary of Energy;

(xi) the Secretary of Education;

(xii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(xiii) the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(xiv) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;

(xv) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(xvi) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(xvii) the Administrator of General Services;

(xviii) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(xix) the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and
Community Service;

(xx) the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts;

(xxi) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement;

(xxii) the Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary;

(xxiii) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;

(xxiv) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;

(xxv) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and

(xxvi) the heads of such other agencies and offices as the President may,
from time to time, designate.

    A member of the Council may designate, to perform
the Council functions of the member, a senior-level
official who is a part of the member's agency or
office, and who is a full-time officer or employee of
the Federal Government.
    (b) Administration. The Co-Chairs shall convene
regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda,
and direct its work. The Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development shall appoint an Executive Director of the
Council to coordinate the Council's activities. At the
direction of the Co-Chairs, the Council may establish
subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or
their designees, as appropriate. Agencies may detail
staff to the Council to support its coordination and
implementation efforts.

Sec. 3. Mission and Function of the Council. The
Council shall, to the extent permitted by law, work
across agencies and offices to:

    (a) coordinate the development and implementation
of the various components of the SC2, as determined by
the Co-Chairs;
    (b) coordinate agency efforts to ensure communities
have access to comprehensive, localized technical
assistance and planning resources to develop and
execute their economic vision and strategies
(including, where appropriate, efforts of existing
committees or taskforces related to providing technical
assistance to local governments and improving their
capacity to address economic issues);
    (c) ensure that members of the Council incorporate
SC2 implementation efforts into their agency annual
performance plans and those efforts' outcomes into
their annual performance results;
    (d) provide recommendations to the President,
through the Co-Chairs on:

(i) policies for building local expertise in strengthening local economies;

(ii) changes to Federal policies and programs to address issues of special
importance to cities and local governments that pertain to local capacity
and economic growth;

(iii) implementing best practices from the SC2 initiative Government-wide
to better support cities and local governments; and

(iv) opportunities to increase the flexible utilization of existing Federal
program resources across agencies to enable more performance and outcome-
based funding;

    (e) encourage the development of technical
assistance, planning, and financing tools and
implementation strategies that can be coordinated or
aligned across agencies to assist communities in
building local capacity to address economic issues,
engaging in comprehensive planning, and advancing
regional collaboration; and
    (f) facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies
to help communities address economic challenges and
create sustained economic opportunity.

Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set
forth in this order, the Council, in accordance with
applicable law, shall conduct outreach to
representatives of nonprofit organizations, businesses,
labor organizations, State and local government
agencies, school districts, elected officials, faith
and other community-based organizations,
philanthropies, other institutions of local importance,
and other interested persons with relevant expertise in
the expansion and improvement of efforts to build local
capacity to address economic issues in cities and
communities. The Council will convene an annual meeting
of interested parties--including mayors and city
employees--to share key findings and progress, offer
best practices, and promote strategies that have worked
in communities participating in the initiative.

Sec. 5. Reports. Within 1 year of the date of this
order, and annually thereafter, the Executive Director
shall provide a report to the Co-Chairs on the work of
the Council and its achievements during the year,
including demonstrable changes in the capacity of local
communities to implement their economic development
goals and efforts to achieve more efficient and
effective use of Federal resources.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies
shall assist and provide information to the Council,
consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to
implement this order. Each agency shall bear its own
expense for participating in the Council.

    (b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to
impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (c) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and subject to the availability of
appropriations.

    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not,
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural,
enforceable at law or in equity by any party against
the United States, its departments, agencies, or
entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any
other person.

    (Presidential Sig.)

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    March 15, 2012.