Establishing the White House Homeland Security Partnership Council

Executive Order 13629 of October 26, 2012

Establishing the White House Homeland Security
Partnership Council

By the authority vested in me as President by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of
America, and in order to advance the Federal
Government's use of local partnerships to address
homeland security challenges, it is hereby ordered as
follows:

Section 1. Policy. The purpose of this order is to
maximize the Federal Government's ability to develop
local partnerships in the United States to support
homeland security priorities. Partnerships are
collaborative working relationships in which the goals,
structure, and roles and responsibilities of the
relationships are mutually determined. Collaboration
enables the Federal Government and its partners to use
resources more efficiently, build on one another's
expertise, drive innovation, engage in collective
action, broaden investments to achieve shared goals,
and improve performance. Partnerships enhance our
ability to address homeland security priorities, from
responding to natural disasters to preventing
terrorism, by utilizing diverse perspectives, skills,
tools, and resources.

The National Security Strategy emphasizes the
importance of partnerships, underscoring that to keep
our Nation safe “we must tap the ingenuity outside
government through strategic partnerships with the
private sector, nongovernmental organizations,
foundations, and community-based organizations. Such
partnerships are critical to U.S. success at home and
abroad, and we will support them through enhanced
opportunities for engagement, coordination,
transparency, and information sharing.” This approach
recognizes that, given the complexities and range of
challenges, we must institutionalize an all-of-Nation
effort to address the evolving threats to the United
States.

Sec. 2. White House Homeland Security Partnership
Council and Steering Committee.

(a) White House Homeland Security Partnership Council.
There is established a White House Homeland Security
Partnership Council (Council) to foster local
partnerships--between the Federal Government and the
private sector, nongovernmental organizations,
foundations, community-based organizations, and State,
local, tribal, and territorial government and law
enforcement--to address homeland security challenges.
The Council shall be chaired by the Assistant to the
President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
(Chair), or a designee from the National Security
Staff.

(b) Council Membership.

(i) Pursuant to the nomination process established in subsection (b)(ii) of
this section, the Council shall be composed of Federal officials who are
from field offices of the executive departments, agencies, and bureaus
(agencies) that are members of the Steering Committee established in
subsection (c) of this section, and who have demonstrated an ability to
develop, sustain, and institutionalize local partnerships to address policy
priorities.

(ii) The nomination process and selection criteria for members of the
Council shall be established by the Steering Committee. Based on those
criteria, agency heads may select and present to the Steering Committee
their nominee or nominees to represent them on the Council. The Steering

Committee shall consider all of the nominees and decide by consensus which
of the nominees shall participate on the Council. Each member agency on the
Steering Committee, with the exception of the Office of the Director of
National Intelligence, may have at least one representative on the Council.

(c) Steering Committee. There is also established a
Steering Committee, chaired by the Chair of the
Council, to provide guidance to the Council and perform
other functions as set forth in this order. The
Steering Committee shall include a representative at
the Deputy agency head level, or that representative's
designee, from the following agencies:

(i) Department of State;

(ii) Department of the Treasury;

(iii) Department of Defense;

(iv) Department of Justice;

(v) Department of the Interior;

(vi) Department of Agriculture;

(vii) Department of Commerce;

(viii) Department of Labor;

(ix) Department of Health and Human Services;

(x) Department of Housing and Urban Development;

(xi) Department of Transportation;

(xii) Department of Energy;

(xiii) Department of Education;

(xiv) Department of Veterans Affairs;

(xv) Department of Homeland Security;

(xvi) Office of the Director of National Intelligence;

(xvii) Environmental Protection Agency;

(xviii) Small Business Administration; and

(xix) Federal Bureau of Investigation.

At the invitation of the Chair, representatives of
agencies not listed in subsection (c) of this section
or other executive branch entities may attend and
participate in Steering Committee meetings as
appropriate.

(d) Administration. The Chair or a designee shall
convene meetings of the Council and Steering Committee,
determine their agendas, and coordinate their work. The
Council may establish subgroups consisting exclusively
of Council members or their designees, as appropriate.

Sec. 3. Mission and Function of the Council and
Steering Committee. (a) The Council shall, consistent
with guidance from the Steering Committee:

(i) advise the Chair and Steering Committee members on priorities,
challenges, and opportunities for local partnerships to support homeland
security priorities, as well as regularly report to the Steering Committee
on the Council's efforts;

(ii) promote homeland security priorities and opportunities for
collaboration between Federal Government field offices and State, local,
tribal, and territorial stakeholders;

(iii) advise and confer with State, local, tribal, and territorial
stakeholders and agencies interested in expanding or building local
homeland security partnerships;

(iv) raise awareness of local partnership best practices that can support
homeland security priorities;

(v) as appropriate, conduct outreach to representatives of the private
sector, nongovernmental organizations, foundations, community-based
organizations, and State, local, tribal, and territorial government and law
enforcement entities with relevant expertise for local homeland security
partnerships, and collaborate with other Federal Government bodies; and

(vi) convene an annual meeting to exchange key findings, progress, and best
practices.

(b) The Steering Committee shall:

(i) determine the scope of issue areas the Council will address and its
operating protocols, in consultation with the Office of Management and
Budget;

(ii) establish the nomination process and selection criteria for members of
the Council as set forth in section 2(b)(ii) of this order;

(iii) provide guidance to the Council on the activities set forth in
subsection (a) of this section; and

(iv) within 1 year of the selection of the Council members, and annually
thereafter, provide a report on the work of the Council to the President
through the Chair.

Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies
participating in the Steering Committee 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;

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

(iii) the functions of the Overseas Security Advisory Council.

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with
applicable law and appropriate protections for privacy
and civil liberties, 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,

    Washington, October 26, 2012.