THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
EXECUTIVE ORDER 12994
CONTINUING THE PRESIDENT'S COMMITTEE ON MENTAL
RETARDATION AND BROADENING ITS MEMBERSHIP
AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The President's Committee on Mental Retardation, established by Executive Order No. 11280 on May 11, 1966, as superseded by Executive Order No. 11776 on March 28, 1974, has organized national planning, stimulated development of plans, policies and programs, and advanced the concept of community participation in the field of mental retardation.
National goals have been established to:
(1) promote full participation of people with mental
retardation in their communities;
(2) provide all necessary supports to people with mental
retardation and their families for such participation;
(3) reduce the occurrence and severity of mental
retardation by one-half by the year 2010;
(4) assure the full citizenship rights of all people
with mental retardation, including those rights
secured by such landmark statutes as the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public Law 101-336
(42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.);
(5) recognize the right of all people with mental
retardation to self-determination and autonomy, to
be treated in a nondiscriminatory manner, and to
exercise meaningful choice, with whatever supports
are necessary to effectuate these rights;
(6) recognize the right of all people with mental
retardation to enjoy a quality of life that promotes
independence, self-determination, and participation
as productive members of society; and
(7) promote the widest possible dissemination of
information on models, programs, and services in
the field of mental retardation.
The achievement of these goals will require the most effective
possible use of public and private resources.
NOW, THEREFORE, 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. 2), it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Committee Continued and Responsibilities Expanded. The President's Committee on Mental Retardation (the "Committee"), with expanded membership and expanded responsibilities, is hereby continued in operation.
Sec. 2. Composition of Committee. (a) The Committee shall be composed of the following members:
(1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(2) The Secretary of Education;
(3) The Attorney General;
(4) The Secretary of Labor;
(5) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(6) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
for National and Community Service (formerly
ACTION);
(7) The Commissioner of Social Security;
(8) The Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission;
(9) The Chairperson of the National Council on
Disability;
(10) No more than 21 other members who shall be
appointed to the Committee by the President.
These citizen members shall consist of
individuals who represent a broad spectrum of
perspectives, experience, and expertise on mental
retardation, and shall include self-advocates
with mental retardation and members of families
with a child or adult with mental retardation,
and persons employed in either the public or the
private sector. Except as the President may from
time to time otherwise direct, appointees under
this paragraph shall have two-year terms, except
that an appointment made to fill a vacancy
occurring before the expiration of a term shall
be made for the balance of the unexpired term.
(b) The President shall designate the Chair of the Committee from
the 21 citizen members. The Chair shall advise and counsel the Committee and represent the Committee on appropriate occasions.
Sec. 3. Functions of the Committee. (a) The Committee shall provide such advice and assistance in the area of mental retardation as the President or Secretary of Health and Human Services may request, and particularly shall advise with respect to the following areas:
(1) evaluating and monitoring the national efforts to
establish appropriate policies and supports for
people with mental retardation;
(2) providing suggestions for improvement in the
delivery of mental retardation services,
including preventive services, the promulgation
of effective and humane policies, and the
provision of necessary supports;
(3) identifying the extent to which various Federal
and State programs achieve the national goals in
mental retardation described in the preamble to
this order and have a positive impact on the
lives of people with mental retardation;
(4) facilitating liaison among Federal, State,
and local governments, foundations, nonprofit
organizations, other private organizations,
and citizens concerning mental retardation;
(5) developing and disseminating such information as
will tend to reduce the incidence and severity of
mental retardation; and
(6) promoting the concept of community participation
and development of community supports for
citizens with mental retardation.
(b) The Committee shall make an annual report, through the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, to the President concerning mental retardation. Such additional reports may be made as the President may require or as the Committee may deem appropriate.
Sec. 4. Cooperation by Other Agencies. To assist the Committee in providing advice to the President, Federal departments and agencies requested to do so by the Committee shall designate liaison officers to the Committee. Such officers shall, on request by the Committee, and to the extent permitted by law, provide the Committee with information on department and agency programs that do contribute to or could contribute to achievement of the President's goals in the field of mental retardation.
Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Department of Health and Human Services shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Committee with necessary staff, administrative services, and facilities and funding.
(b) Each member of the Committee, except any member who receives other compensation from the United States Government, may receive compensation for each day he or she is engaged in the work of the Committee, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 3109), and may also receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), for persons employed intermittently in the Government service. Committee members with disabilities may be compensated for attendant expenses, consistent with Government procedures and practices.
(c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall perform such other functions with respect to the Committee as may be required by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), except that of reporting to the Congress.
Sec. 6. Construction. Nothing in this order shall be construed as subjecting any Federal agency, or any function vested by law in, or assigned pursuant to law to, any Federal agency, to the authority of the Committee or as abrogating or restricting any such function in any manner.
Sec. 7. Superseded Authority. Executive Order No. 11776 is hereby superseded.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 21, 1996.
# # #