[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 54 (Tuesday, March 20, 2012)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 16131-16134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-6797]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 54 / Tuesday, March 20, 2012 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 16131]]

                Executive Order 13602 of March 15, 2012

                
Establishing a White House Council on Strong 
                Cities, Strong Communities

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and in order to forge a partnership with local 
                communities to provide them with comprehensive 
                technical assistance to use and compete for Federal 
                resources more effectively and efficiently, which will 
                enable them to develop and implement economic 
                strategies to become more competitive, sustainable, and 
                inclusive, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. Cities, towns, and regions across 
                our Nation continue to face difficult economic 
                challenges. Enhancing current Federal assistance is 
                helping to lift communities out of distress. To allow 
                the Federal Government to better partner with these 
                local communities to build local capacity to address 
                economic issues, and to support comprehensive planning 
                and regional collaboration, my Administration 
                established the Strong Cities, Strong Communities (SC2) 
                pilot initiative. By partnering with cities and regions 
                to augment their vision for stability and economic 
                growth, the SC2 was designed to help communities 
                strengthen their capacity to create jobs and more 
                competitive business climates, and implement locally 
                driven community and regional planning approaches that 
                lead to sustained economic growth, as well as ensure 
                that Federal assistance is more efficiently provided 
                and used.

                This order improves the way the Federal Government 
                engages with and supports local communities by better 
                aligning resources and coordinating efforts across 
                executive departments and agencies (agencies) so that 
                communities across the country have access to 
                comprehensive, localized technical assistance and 
                planning resources to develop and implement their 
                economic vision and strategies.

                Sec. 2. White House Council on Strong Cities, Strong 
                Communities. There is established a White House Council 
                on Strong Cities, Strong Communities (Council) within 
                the Department of Housing and Urban Development, to be 
                chaired by the Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                Development and the Assistant to the President for 
                Domestic Policy (Co-Chairs).

                    (a) Membership. In addition to the Co-Chairs, the 
                Council shall consist of the following members:

(i) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(ii) the Secretary of Defense;

(iii) the Attorney General;

(iv) the Secretary of the Interior;

(v) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(vi) the Secretary of Commerce;

(vii) the Secretary of Labor;

(viii) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(ix) the Secretary of Transportation;

(x) the Secretary of Energy;

(xi) the Secretary of Education;

[[Page 16132]]

(xii) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(xiii) the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(xiv) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;

(xv) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(xvi) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(xvii) the Administrator of General Services;

(xviii) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

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

(xx) the Chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts;

(xxi) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for 
Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement;

(xxii) the Assistant to the President and Cabinet Secretary;

(xxiii) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy;

(xxiv) the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality;

(xxv) the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and

(xxvi) the heads of such other agencies and offices as the President may, 
from time to time, designate.

                    A member of the Council may designate, to perform 
                the Council functions of the member, a senior-level 
                official who is a part of the member's agency or 
                office, and who is a full-time officer or employee of 
                the Federal Government.
                    (b) Administration. The Co-Chairs shall convene 
                regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, 
                and direct its work. The Secretary of Housing and Urban 
                Development shall appoint an Executive Director of the 
                Council to coordinate the Council's activities. At the 
                direction of the Co-Chairs, the Council may establish 
                subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or 
                their designees, as appropriate. Agencies may detail 
                staff to the Council to support its coordination and 
                implementation efforts.

                Sec. 3. Mission and Function of the Council. The 
                Council shall, to the extent permitted by law, work 
                across agencies and offices to:

                    (a) coordinate the development and implementation 
                of the various components of the SC2, as determined by 
                the Co-Chairs;
                    (b) coordinate agency efforts to ensure communities 
                have access to comprehensive, localized technical 
                assistance and planning resources to develop and 
                execute their economic vision and strategies 
                (including, where appropriate, efforts of existing 
                committees or taskforces related to providing technical 
                assistance to local governments and improving their 
                capacity to address economic issues);
                    (c) ensure that members of the Council incorporate 
                SC2 implementation efforts into their agency annual 
                performance plans and those efforts' outcomes into 
                their annual performance results;
                    (d) provide recommendations to the President, 
                through the Co-Chairs on:

(i) policies for building local expertise in strengthening local economies;

(ii) changes to Federal policies and programs to address issues of special 
importance to cities and local governments that pertain to local capacity 
and economic growth;

(iii) implementing best practices from the SC2 initiative Government-wide 
to better support cities and local governments; and

(iv) opportunities to increase the flexible utilization of existing Federal 
program resources across agencies to enable more performance and outcome-
based funding;

[[Page 16133]]

                    (e) encourage the development of technical 
                assistance, planning, and financing tools and 
                implementation strategies that can be coordinated or 
                aligned across agencies to assist communities in 
                building local capacity to address economic issues, 
                engaging in comprehensive planning, and advancing 
                regional collaboration; and
                    (f) facilitate the exchange of ideas and strategies 
                to help communities address economic challenges and 
                create sustained economic opportunity.

                Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set 
                forth in this order, the Council, in accordance with 
                applicable law, shall conduct outreach to 
                representatives of nonprofit organizations, businesses, 
                labor organizations, State and local government 
                agencies, school districts, elected officials, faith 
                and other community-based organizations, 
                philanthropies, other institutions of local importance, 
                and other interested persons with relevant expertise in 
                the expansion and improvement of efforts to build local 
                capacity to address economic issues in cities and 
                communities. The Council will convene an annual meeting 
                of interested parties--including mayors and city 
                employees--to share key findings and progress, offer 
                best practices, and promote strategies that have worked 
                in communities participating in the initiative.

                Sec. 5. Reports. Within 1 year of the date of this 
                order, and annually thereafter, the Executive Director 
                shall provide a report to the Co-Chairs on the work of 
                the Council and its achievements during the year, 
                including demonstrable changes in the capacity of local 
                communities to implement their economic development 
                goals and efforts to achieve more efficient and 
                effective use of Federal resources.

                Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of agencies 
                shall assist and provide information to the Council, 
                consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to 
                implement this order. Each agency shall bear its own 
                expense for participating in the Council.

                    (b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the 
head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (c) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

[[Page 16134]]

                    (d) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person. 
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    March 15, 2012.

[FR Doc. 2012-6797
Filed 3-19-12; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F2-P