[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4909 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4909

   To establish the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 22, 2004

   Mr. Green of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. Souder, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. 
  Radanovich, and Mr. Pitts) introduced the following bill; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To establish the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Tools for Community Initiatives 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is established in the Executive Office of the President the 
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (hereafter referred to 
as ``the Office'').

SEC. 3. DIRECTOR.

    (a) Director.--The head of the Office shall be the Director of the 
Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, who shall be appointed 
by the President.
    (b) Pay of Director.--Section 5314 of title 5, United States Code, 
is amended by inserting after the item relating to the Administrator of 
the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services the following new item:
            ``Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community 
        Initiatives.''.
    (c) Interim Director.--The individual serving as the Director of 
the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives on the date of the 
enactment of this Act may serve as Interim Director until such time as 
a Director is appointed by the President in accordance with subsection 
(a).

SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall encourage faith-based and 
community initiatives and work to eliminate improper Federal barriers 
so as to allow faith-based and community entities to compete for 
Federal funding to the fullest opportunity permitted by law.
    (b) Specific Duties.--In carrying out the responsibilities of the 
Office, the Director shall--
            (1) develop, lead, and coordinate policies with respect to 
        faith-based and community initiatives;
            (2) support faith-based and community initiatives, 
        especially those serving at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the 
        homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV and 
        AIDS, and welfare-to-work families;
            (3) work to expand the role of faith-based and community 
        initiatives through executive action, legislation, regulation, 
        and Federal and private funding;
            (4) ensure that the policy decisions made by the 
        administration and the Federal Government are consistent with 
        stated goals with respect to faith-based and community 
        initiatives;
            (5) help to integrate policies affecting faith-based and 
        other community organizations across the Federal Government;
            (6) coordinate public education activities designed to 
        mobilize public support for faith-based and community 
        initiatives by encouraging volunteerism, special projects, 
        demonstration pilots, and public-private partnerships;
            (7) encourage private charitable giving to support faith-
        based and community initiatives;
            (8) advise the President on options and ideas to assist, 
        strengthen, and replicate successful faith-based and community 
        initiatives;
            (9) provide policy and legal education to State, local, and 
        community policymakers and public officials seeking ways to 
        support and encourage faith-based and community initiatives;
            (10) develop and implement strategic initiatives in keeping 
        with policies that will strengthen families, communities, and 
        the institutions of civil society;
            (11) showcase and herald innovative grassroots nonprofit 
        organizations and civic initiatives;
            (12) work to eliminate unnecessary legislative and 
        regulatory barriers which impede the efforts of faith-based and 
        community initiatives to solve social problems;
            (13) monitor the implementation of policies with respect to 
        faith-based and community initiatives by the Centers for Faith-
        Based and Community Initiatives established within certain 
        departments and agencies of the Federal Government; and
            (14) work to establish high standards of excellence and 
        accountability for faith-based and community initiatives.

SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION.

    (a) Officers.--The President shall assign to the Office such 
officers in addition to the Director, if any, as the President, in 
consultation with the Director, considers appropriate to discharge the 
responsibilities of the Office.
    (b) Staff.--The Director may appoint such employees as necessary to 
carry out the functions of the Office.
    (c) Resources.--The President shall, in consultation with the 
Director, assign or allocate to the Office such resources, including 
funds and other resources, as the President considers appropriate in 
order to facilitate the discharge of the responsibilities of the 
Office.
    (d) Other Departments and Agencies.--
            (1) Designated department or agency liaison.--
                    (A) In general.--The head of each designated 
                department or agency shall designate a liaison who 
                shall be responsible for coordinating the activities of 
                that department or agency with the Office.
                    (B) Designated department or agency.--For the 
                purposes of this paragraph, ``designated department or 
                agency'' means a department or agency of the Federal 
                Government with a Center for Faith-Based and Community 
                Initiatives, and shall include the following 
                departments and agencies:
                            (i) The Department of Education.
                            (ii) The Department of Labor.
                            (iii) The Department of Justice.
                            (iv) The Department of Health and Human 
                        Services.
                            (v) The Department of Housing and Urban 
                        Development.
                            (vi) The Department of Agriculture.
                            (vii) The Agency for International 
                        Development.
                            (viii) The Department of Commerce.
                            (ix) The Department of Veterans Affairs.
                            (x) The Small Business Administration.
            (2) Obtaining official data.--The Office may secure 
        directly from any department or agency of the United States 
        information necessary to enable it to carry out this Act. Upon 
        request of the Director, the head of that department or agency 
        shall furnish that information to the Office.
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