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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 13, 1996

EXECUTIVE ORDER 12989

            ECONOMY AND EFFICIENCY IN GOVERNMENT PROCUREMENT 
             THROUGH COMPLIANCE WITH CERTAIN IMMIGRATION AND
                      NATURALIZATION ACT PROVISIONS

This order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in Government procurement. Stability and dependability are important elements of economy and efficiency. A contractor whose work force is less stable will be less likely to produce goods and services economically and efficiently than a contractor whose work force is more stable. It remains the policy of this Administration to enforce the immigration laws to the fullest extent, including the detection and deportation of illegal aliens. In these circumstances, contractors cannot rely on the continuing availability and service of illegal aliens, and contractors that choose to employ unauthorized aliens inevitably will have a less stable and less dependable work force than contractors that do not employ such persons. Because of this Administration's vigorous enforcement policy, contractors that employ unauthorized alien workers are necessarily less stable and dependable procurement sources than contractors that do not hire such persons. I find, therefore, that adherence to the general policy of not contracting with providers that knowingly employ unauthorized alien workers will promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.

NOW, THEREFORE, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, and by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 486(a) and 3 U.S.C. 301, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. (a) It is the policy of the executive branch in procuring goods and services that, to ensure the economical and efficient administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, contracting agencies should not contract with employers that have not complied with section 274A(a)(1)(A) and 274A(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(a)(1)(A), 1324a(a)(2)) (the "INA employment provisions") prohibiting the unlawful employment of aliens. All discretion under this Executive order shall be exercised consistent with this policy.

(b) It remains the policy of this Administration to fully and aggressively enforce the antidiscrimination provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act to the fullest extent. Nothing in this order relieves employers from their obligation to avoid unfair immigration-related employment practices as required by the antidiscrimination provisions of section 1324(b) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 1324b) and all other antidiscrimination requirements of applicable law, including the requirements of 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(6) concerning the treatment of certain documentary practices as unfair immigration-related employment practices.

Sec. 2. Contractor, as used in this Executive order, shall have the same meaning as defined in subpart 9.4 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

Sec. 3. Using the procedures established pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e), the Attorney General: (a) may investigate to determine whether a contractor or an organizational unit thereof is not in compliance with the INA employment provisions;

(b) shall receive and may investigate complaints by employees of any entity covered under section 3(a) of this order where such complaints allege noncompliance with the INA employment provisions; and

(c) shall hold such hearings as are required under 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e) to determine whether an entity covered under section 3(a) is not in compliance with the INA employment provisions.

Sec. 4. (a) Whenever the Attorney General determines that a contractor or an organizational unit thereof is not in compliance with the INA employment provisions, the Attorney General shall transmit that determination to the appropriate contracting agency and such other Federal agencies as the Attorney General may determine. Upon receipt of such determination from the Attorney General, the head of the appropriate contracting agency shall consider the contractor or an organizational unit thereof for debarment as well as for such other action as may be appropriate in accordance with the procedures and standards prescribed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

(b) The head of the contracting agency may debar the contractor or an organizational unit thereof based on the determination of the Attorney General that it is not in compliance with the INA employment provisions. The Attorney General's determination shall not be reviewable in the debarment proceedings.

(c) The scope of the debarment generally should be limited to those organizational units of a Federal contractor that the Attorney General finds are not in compliance with the INA employment provisions.

(d) The period of the debarment shall be for 1 year and may be extended for additional periods of 1 year if, using the procedures established pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e), the Attorney General determines that the organizational unit of the Federal contractor continues to be in violation of the INA employment provisions.

(e) The Administrator of General Services shall list a debarred contractor or an organizational unit thereof on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs and the contractor or an organizational unit thereof shall be ineligible to participate in any procurement or nonprocurement activities.

Sec. 5. (a) The Attorney General shall be responsible for the administration and enforcement of this order, except for the debarment procedures. The Attorney General may adopt such additional rules and regulations and issue such orders as may be deemed necessary and appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the Attorney General under this order. If the Attorney General proposes to issue rules, regulations, or orders that affect the contracting departments and agencies, the Attorney General shall consult with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of General Services, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and such other agencies as may be appropriate.

(b) The Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to the extent necessary and appropriate to implement the debarment responsibility and other related responsibilities assigned to heads of contracting departments and agencies under this order.

Sec. 6. Each contracting department and agency shall cooperate with and provide such information and assistance to the Attorney General as may be required in the performance of the Attorney General's functions under this order.

Sec. 7. The Attorney General, the Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the heads of contracting departments and agencies may delegate any of their functions or duties under this order to any officer or employee of their respective agencies.

Sec. 8. This order shall be implemented in a manner intended to least burden the procurement process. This order neither authorizes nor requires any additional certification provision, clause, or requirement to be included in any contract or contract solicitation.

Sec. 9. This order is not intended, and should not be construed, to create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or its employees. This order is not intended, however, to preclude judicial review of final agency decisions in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

                           THE WHITE HOUSE,
                           February 13, 1996.

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