[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2002)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 4869-4871]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2638]


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                         Presidential Documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 22 / Friday, February 1, 2002 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 4869]]

                Executive Order 13254 of January 29, 2002

                
Establishing the USA Freedom Corps

                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. Policy. Building on our Nation's rich 
                tradition of citizen service, this Administration's 
                policy is to foster a culture of responsibility, 
                service, and citizenship by promoting, expanding, and 
                enhancing public service opportunities for all 
                Americans and by making these opportunities readily 
                available to citizens from all geographic areas, 
                professions, and walks of life. More specifically, this 
                Administration encourages all Americans to serve their 
                country for the equivalent of at least 2 years (4,000 
                hours) over their lifetimes. Toward those ends, the 
                executive departments, agencies, and offices 
                constituting the USA Freedom Corps shall coordinate and 
                strengthen Federal and other service opportunities, 
                including opportunities for participation in homeland 
                security preparedness and response, other areas of 
                public and social service, and international service. 
                The executive branch departments, agencies, and offices 
                also will work with State and local governments and 
                private entities to foster and encourage participation 
                in public and social service programs, as appropriate.

                Sec. 2. USA Freedom Corps. The USA Freedom Corps shall 
                be an interagency initiative, bringing together 
                executive branch departments, agencies, and offices 
                with public service programs and components, including 
                but not limited to programs and components with the 
                following functions:

                    (i) recruiting, mobilizing, and encouraging all 
                Americans to engage in public service;
                    (ii) providing concrete opportunities to engage in 
                public service;
                    (iii) providing the public with access to 
                information about public service opportunities through 
                Federal programs and elsewhere; and
                    (iv) providing recognition and awards to volunteers 
                and other participants in public service programs.

                Sec. 3. USA Freedom Corps Council. (a) Establishment 
                and Mission. There shall be a USA Freedom Corps Council 
                (Council) chaired by the President and composed of 
                heads of executive branch departments, agencies, and 
                offices, which shall have the following functions:

  (i) serving as a forum for Federal officials responsible for public 
service programs to coordinate and improve public service programs and 
activities administered by the executive branch;

  (ii) working to encourage all Americans to engage in public service, 
whether through Federal programs or otherwise;

  (iii) advising the President and heads of executive branch departments, 
agencies, and offices concerning the optimization of current Federal 
programs to enhance public service opportunities;

  (iv) coordinating public outreach and publicity of citizen service 
opportunities provided by Federal programs;

  (v) encouraging schools, universities, private public service 
organizations, and other non-Federal entities to foster and reward public 
service;

  (vi) studying the availability of public service opportunities provided 
by the Federal Government and elsewhere; and

[[Page 4870]]

  (vii) tracking progress in participation in public service programs.

                    (b) Membership. In addition to the Chair, the 
                members of the Council shall be the heads of the 
                executive branch departments, agencies, and offices 
                listed below, or their designees, and such other 
                officers of the executive branch as the President may 
                from time to time designate. Every member of the 
                Council or designee shall be a full-time or permanent 
                part-time officer or employee of the Federal 
                Government. Members shall not be compensated for their 
                service on the Council in addition to the salaries they 
                receive as employees or officers of the Federal 
                Government.

  (i) Vice President;

  (ii) Attorney General;

  (iii) Secretary of State;

  (iv) Secretary of Health and Human Services;

  (v) Secretary of Commerce;

  (vi) Secretary of Education;

  (vii) Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

  (viii) Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency;

  (ix) Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
Community Service;

  (x) Director of the Peace Corps;

  (xi) Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development;

  (xii) Director of the USA Freedom Corps Office; and

  (xiii) Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

                    (c) Chair. The President shall be the Chair of the 
                USA Freedom Corps Council, and in his absence, the Vice 
                President shall serve as Chair. The Director of the USA 
                Freedom Corps Office may, at the President's direction, 
                preside over meetings of the Council in the President's 
                and Vice President's absence.
                    (d) Honorary Co-Chair. The President may, from time 
                to time, designate an Honorary Co-Chair or Co-Chairs, 
                who shall serve in an advisory role to the Council and 
                to the President on matters considered by the Council. 
                Any Honorary Co-Chair shall be a full-time or permanent 
                part-time employee or officer of the Federal 
                Government.
                    (e) Meetings. The Council shall meet at the 
                President's direction. The Director of the USA Freedom 
                Corps Office shall be responsible, at the President's 
                direction, for determining the agenda, ensuring that 
                necessary papers are prepared, and recording Council 
                actions and Presidential decisions.
                    (f) Responsibilities of Executive Branch 
                Departments, Agencies, and Offices.

  (i) Members of the Council shall remain responsible for overseeing the 
programs administered by their respective departments, agencies, and 
offices. Each such department, agency, and office will retain its authority 
and responsibility to administer those programs according to law;

  (ii) Each executive branch department, agency, or office with 
responsibility for programs relating to the functions and missions of the 
USA Freedom Corps as described in section 2 of this order shall be 
responsible for identifying those public service opportunities and 
coordinating with the USA Freedom Corps Council to ensure that such 
programs are, if appropriate, publicized and encouraged by the Council; and

  (iii) Upon the request of the Chair, and to the extent permitted by law, 
the heads of executive branch departments and agencies shall provide the 
Council with relevant information.

                Sec. 4. USA Freedom Corps Office. (a) General. The USA 
                Freedom Corps also shall be supported by a USA Freedom 
                Corps Office (Office), which

[[Page 4871]]

                shall be a component of the White House Office. The USA 
                Freedom Corps Office shall have a Director who shall be 
                appointed by the President. The Director shall be 
                assisted by an appropriate staff within the White House 
                Office.

                    (b) Presidential Recognition to Participants in USA 
                Freedom Corps Programs. In addition to supporting and 
                facilitating the functions of the Council listed in 
                section 3 of this order, the Office shall support the 
                President in providing recognition to volunteers and 
                other participants in programs and activities relating 
                to the functions and missions of the USA Freedom Corps 
                as described in section 2 of this order.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) The White House Office 
                shall provide the Council and Office with such funding 
                and administrative support, to the extent permitted by 
                law and subject to the availability of appropriations, 
                as directed by the Chief of Staff to the President to 
                carry out the provisions of this order.

                    (b) This order does not alter the existing 
                authorities or roles of executive branch departments, 
                agencies, or offices. Nothing in this order shall 
                supersede any requirement made by or under law.
                    (c) This order does not create any right or 
                benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law 
                or equity, against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, 
                or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    January 29, 2002.

[FR Doc. 02-2638
Filed 1-31-02; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P