[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2001)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 59851-59853]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29948]



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Part II





The President





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Executive Order 13237--Creation of the President's Council on Bioethics
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  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 231 / Friday, November 30, 2001 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 59851]]

                Executive Order 13237 of November 28, 2001

                
Creation of the President's Council on Bioethics

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Establishment. There is established the 
                President's Council on Bioethics (the ``Council'').

                Sec. 2. Mission.

                    (a) The Council shall advise the President on 
                bioethical issues that may emerge as a consequence of 
                advances in biomedical science and technology. In 
                connection with its advisory role, the mission of the 
                Council includes the following functions:

  (1) to undertake fundamental inquiry into the human and moral 
significance of developments in biomedical and behavioral science and 
technology;

  (2) to explore specific ethical and policy questions related to these 
developments;

  (3) to provide a forum for a national discussion of bioethical issues;

  (4) to facilitate a greater understanding of bioethical issues; and

  (5) to explore possibilities for useful international collaboration on 
bioethical issues.

                    (b) In support of its mission, the Council may 
                study ethical issues connected with specific 
                technological activities, such as embryo and stem cell 
                research, assisted reproduction, cloning, uses of 
                knowledge and techniques derived from human genetics or 
                the neurosciences, and end of life issues. The Council 
                may also study broader ethical and social issues not 
                tied to a specific technology, such as questions 
                regarding the protection of human subjects in research, 
                the appropriate uses of biomedical technologies, the 
                moral implications of biomedical technologies, and the 
                consequences of limiting scientific research.
                    (c) The Council shall strive to develop a deep and 
                comprehensive understanding of the issues that it 
                considers. In pursuit of this goal, the Council shall 
                be guided by the need to articulate fully the complex 
                and often competing moral positions on any given issue, 
                rather than by an overriding concern to find consensus. 
                The Council may therefore choose to proceed by offering 
                a variety of views on a particular issue, rather than 
                attempt to reach a single consensus position.
                    (d) The Council shall not be responsible for the 
                review and approval of specific projects or for 
                devising and overseeing regulations for specific 
                government agencies.
                    (e) In support of its mission, the Council may 
                accept suggestions of issues for consideration from the 
                heads of other Government agencies and other sources, 
                as it deems appropriate.
                    (f) In establishing priorities for its activities, 
                the Council shall consider the urgency and gravity of 
                the particular issue; the need for policy guidance and 
                public education on the particular issue; the 
                connection of the bioethical issue to the goal of 
                Federal advancement of science and technology; and the 
                existence of another entity available to deliberate 
                appropriately on the bioethical issue.

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                Sec. 3. Membership.

                    (a) The Council shall be composed of not more than 
                18 members appointed by the President from among 
                individuals who are not officers or employees of the 
                Federal Government. The Council shall include members 
                drawn from the fields of science and medicine, law and 
                government, philosophy and theology, and other areas of 
                the humanities and social sciences.
                    (b) The President shall designate a member of the 
                Council to serve as Chairperson.
                    (c) The term of office of a member shall be 2 
                years, and members shall be eligible for reappointment. 
                Members may continue to serve after the expiration of 
                their terms until the President appoints a successor. A 
                member appointed to fill a vacancy shall serve only for 
                the unexpired term of such vacancy.

                Sec. 4. Administration.

                    (a) Upon the request of the Chairperson, the heads 
                of executive departments and agencies shall, to the 
                extent permitted by law, provide the Council with 
                information it needs for purposes of carrying out its 
                functions.
                    (b) The Council may conduct inquiries, hold 
                hearings, and establish subcommittees, as necessary.
                    (c) The Council is authorized to conduct analyses 
                and develop reports or other materials.
                    (d) Members of the Council may be compensated to 
                the extent permitted by Federal law for their work on 
                the Council. Members may be allowed travel expenses, 
                including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as 
                authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in 
                Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), to the extent 
                funds are available.
                    (e) To the extent permitted by law, and subject to 
                the availability of appropriations, the Department of 
                Health and Human Services shall provide the Council 
                with administrative support and with such funds as may 
                be necessary for the performance of the Council's 
                functions.
                    (f) The Council shall have a staff headed by an 
                Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services in consultation 
                with the Chairperson. To the extent permitted by law, 
                office space, analytical support, and additional staff 
                support for the Council shall be provided by the 
                Department of Health and Human Services or other 
                executive branch departments and agencies as directed 
                by the President.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions.

                    (a) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 
                as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), may apply to the Council, 
                any functions of the President under that Act, except 
                that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed 
                by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in 
                accordance with the guidelines that have been issued by 
                the Administrator of General Services.
                    (b) The Council shall terminate 2 years from the 
                date of this order unless extended by the President 
                prior to that date.

[[Page 59853]]

                    (c) This order is intended only to improve the 
                internal management of the executive branch and it is 
                not intended to create any right, benefit, trust, or 
                responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable 
                at law or equity by a party against the United States, 
                its agencies, its officers, or any person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    November 28, 2001.

[FR Doc. 01-29948
Filed 11-29-01; 10:19 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P