[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 105 (Thursday, June 3, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 29675-29681]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11792]
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 105 / Thursday, June 3, 2021 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 29675]]
Executive Order 14031 of May 28, 2021
Advancing Equity, Justice, and Opportunity for
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific
Islanders
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. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) individuals and
communities are irrefutable sources of our Nation's
strength. These communities have molded the American
experience, and the achievements of AA and NHPI
communities make the United States stronger and more
vibrant. The richness of America's multicultural
democracy is strengthened by the diversity of AA and
NHPI communities and the many cultures and languages of
AA and NHPI individuals in the United States.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander
communities together constitute the fastest growing
ethnic group in the United States and make rich
contributions to our society, our economy, and our
culture. Yet for far too long, systemic barriers to
equity, justice, and opportunity put the American dream
out of reach of many AA and NHPI communities. Many AA
and NHPI individuals face persistent disparities in
socioeconomic, health, and educational outcomes.
Linguistic isolation and lack of access to language-
assistance services continue to lock many AA and NHPI
individuals out of opportunity. Too often Federal data
collection practices fail to measure, reflect, and
disaggregate the diversity of AA and NHPI experiences.
These practices contribute to often painful and
enduring stereotypes about Asian Americans as a ``model
minority'' and obscure disparities within AA and NHPI
communities.
Our Nation has also seen again that anti-Asian bias,
xenophobia, racism, and nativism have deep roots in our
Nation. Tragic acts of anti-Asian violence have
increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, casting a
shadow of fear and grief over many AA and NHPI
communities, in particular East Asian communities. Long
before this pandemic, AA and NHPI communities in the
United States--including South Asian and Southeast
Asian communities--have faced persistent xenophobia,
religious discrimination, racism, and violence. The
Federal Government must provide the moral leadership,
policies, and programs to address and end anti-Asian
violence and discrimination, and advance inclusion and
belonging for all AA and NHPI communities.
At the same time, many AA and NHPI communities, and in
particular Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
communities, have also been disproportionately burdened
by the COVID-19 public health crisis. Evidence suggests
that Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are three
times more likely to contract COVID-19 compared to
white people and nearly twice as likely to die from the
disease. On top of these health inequities, many AA and
NHPI families and small businesses have faced
devastating economic losses during this crisis, which
must be addressed.
As I directed in Executive Order 13985 of January 20,
2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for
Underserved Communities Through the Federal
Government), the entire Federal Government must advance
equity and racial justice for underserved communities,
which include AA and NHPI communities. As I established
in the Presidential Memorandum of January 26, 2021
(Condemning and Combating Racism, Xenophobia, and
Intolerance
[[Page 29676]]
Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the
United States), it is the policy of my Administration
to address and confront racism, xenophobia, and
intolerance. The purpose of this order is to build on
those policies by establishing the President's Advisory
Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and
Pacific Islanders and the White House Initiative on
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific
Islanders. Both will work to advance equity, justice,
and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities in the
United States.
Sec. 2. President's Advisory Commission on Asian
Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. (a)
There is established in the Department of Health and
Human Services the President's Advisory Commission on
Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific
Islanders (Commission).
(b) The Commission shall be led by two Co-Chairs,
one of whom shall be the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, the other of whom shall be the head of an
executive department or agency (agency) designated by
the President. The Commission shall provide advice to
the President, in close coordination with the Deputy
Assistant to the President and Asian American, Native
Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison, on:
(i) the development, monitoring, and coordination of executive branch
efforts to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI
communities in the United States, including efforts to close gaps in
health, socioeconomic, employment, and educational outcomes;
(ii) policies to address and end anti-Asian bias, xenophobia, racism, and
nativism, and opportunities for the executive branch to advance inclusion,
belonging, and public awareness of the diversity and accomplishments of AA
and NHPI people, cultures, and histories;
(iii) policies, programs, and initiatives to prevent, report, respond to,
and track anti-Asian hate crimes and hate incidents;
(iv) ways in which the Federal Government can build on the capacity and
contributions of AA and NHPI communities through equitable Federal funding,
grantmaking, and employment opportunities;
(v) policies and practices to improve research and equitable data
disaggregation regarding AA and NHPI communities;
(vi) policies and practices to improve language access services to ensure
AA and NHPI communities can access Federal programs and services; and
(vii) strategies to increase public- and private-sector collaboration, and
community involvement in improving the safety and socioeconomic, health,
educational, occupational, and environmental well-being of AA and NHPI
communities.
(c) The Commission shall consist of 25 members
appointed by the President. The Commission shall
include members who:
(i) have a history of advancing equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and
NHPI communities;
(ii) represent diverse sectors, including education, commerce, business,
health, human services, housing, the environment, the arts, agriculture,
labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs, economic
and community development, immigration, law, and national security;
(iii) are from organizations or associations representing one or more of
the diverse AA and NHPI communities;
(iv) have personal or professional experience addressing intersectional
barriers faced by AA and NHPI communities, such as discrimination or lack
of access to opportunity based on country of origin, immigration status,
disability, age, or sex, including based on sexual orientation and gender
identity; or
(v) have such other experience as the President deems appropriate.
[[Page 29677]]
(d) The Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall designate an Executive Director of the Commission
(Executive Director). The Executive Director shall
report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
in coordination with the other Co-Chair of the
Commission and the Deputy Assistant to the President
and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific
Islander Senior Liaison.
(i) The Department of Health and Human Services shall provide funding and
administrative support for the Commission to the extent permitted by law
and within existing appropriations, and may, as necessary and appropriate
under section 1535 of title 31, United States Code, enter into one or more
agreements to obtain goods or services from one or more agencies in support
of the Commission.
(ii) The heads of other agencies shall assist and provide information to
the Commission, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to
carry out its functions. Each agency shall bear its own expenses of
assisting the Commission.
(iii) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation, but shall
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as
authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the Government
service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707). Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee
Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.) (the ``Act''), may apply to the
administration of the Commission, any functions of the President under the
Act, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, in accordance with the guidelines
issued by the Administrator of General Services.
(e) The Commission shall terminate 2 years from the
date of this order, unless sooner renewed by the
President.
Sec. 3. White House Initiative on Asian Americans,
Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. (a) There is
established the White House Initiative on Asian
Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
(Initiative), a Federal interagency working group. The
Initiative shall be led by two Co-Chairs, one of whom
shall be the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
the other of whom shall be the head of an agency
designated by the President. The Executive Director of
the Commission established in section 2(d) of this
order shall also serve as the Executive Director of the
Initiative, reporting to the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, in coordination with the other Co-Chair
of the Initiative and the Deputy Assistant to the
President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander Senior Liaison.
(b) The Initiative shall advance equity, justice,
and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities by
coordinating Federal interagency policymaking and
program development efforts to eliminate barriers to
equity, justice, and opportunity faced by AA and NHPI
communities, including by advancing policies, programs,
and initiatives. In developing and implementing such
policies, programs, and initiatives, the Co-Chairs of
the Initiative and the Executive Director shall
coordinate closely with the Deputy Assistant to the
President and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and
Pacific Islander Senior Liaison. To support
implementation of a whole-of-government approach to
equity and racial justice, as established in Executive
Order 13985, the Assistant to the President for
Domestic Policy and the Director of the Office of
Management and Budget shall coordinate closely with the
Co-Chairs of the Initiative and the Executive Director
to ensure that the needs and voices of AA and NHPI
communities are considered in the efforts of my
Administration to advance equity and civil rights.
In particular, the Initiative shall advance efforts
to:
(i) identify and eliminate any existing institutional policies or barriers
within Federal programs and services that may disadvantage or burden AA and
NHPI communities;
(ii) improve safety, access to justice, and violence prevention for AA and
NHPI communities, including by preventing, reporting, addressing,
[[Page 29678]]
and better tracking acts of hate and bias (such as acts of hate and bias at
the intersection of gender-based violence);
(iii) promote inclusion and belonging for AA and NHPI communities,
including by expanding public education and knowledge of AA and NHPI people
and their diverse cultures, languages, and histories;
(iv) expand the collection and use of disaggregated data at the Federal,
State and local level on AA and NHPI communities, and facilitate improved
research on policy and program outcomes for AA and NHPI communities, in
coordination with the Interagency Working Group on Equitable Data
established by Executive Order 13985;
(v) end language access and other barriers faced by AA and NHPI communities
in accessing government benefits and services;
(vi) improve health outcomes, eliminate health disparities, and expand
access to quality, affordable, and culturally competent medical and mental
healthcare services for AA and NHPI individuals and communities;
(vii) end disparities in educational outcomes for AA and NHPI youth and
students of all ages, and address barriers to learning, including bullying,
harassment, and other forms of discrimination at school;
(viii) address the concentration of poverty facing many AA and NHPI
communities, including by identifying and addressing disparities in access
to safe, affordable housing and homeownership;
(ix) expand economic opportunity for AA and NHPI families, including by
advancing opportunities for AA and NHPI entrepreneurs and small businesses,
supporting access to jobs and workforce training for AA and NHPI
communities, promoting AA and NHPI participation and success in the private
sector, ensuring workplaces are free from race and national origin
harassment and other forms of employment discrimination, and ensuring AA
and NHPI communities can access consumer and finance protections;
(x) increase opportunities for civic engagement, such as electoral
participation, within AA and NHPI communities;
(xi) improve the equitable allocation of Federal resources, including
through Federal funds, contracts, grants, and awards, to AA and NHPI
communities and AA and NHPI-serving organizations;
(xii) support AA and NHPI communities in responding to and recovering from
national or regional crises and public health emergencies, including the
COVID-19 pandemic and related economic crisis;
(xiii) secure climate and environmental justice for AA and NHPI communities
who are particularly impacted by the climate crisis and are overburdened by
environmental degradation; and
(xiv) identify ways to foster the recruitment, career and leadership
development, retention, advancement, and participation of AA and NHPI
public servants at all levels of the Federal workforce.
(c) In addition to the Co-Chairs, the Initiative
shall consist of senior officials from the following
agencies and offices, designated by the heads thereof:
(i) the Office of the Vice President;
(ii) the Department of State;
(iii) the Department of the Treasury;
(iv) the Department of Defense;
(v) the Department of Justice;
(vi) the Department of the Interior;
(vii) the Department of Agriculture;
(viii) the Department of Commerce;
[[Page 29679]]
(ix) the Department of Labor;
(x) the Department of Health and Human Services;
(xi) the Department of Housing and Urban Development;
(xii) the Department of Energy;
(xiii) the Department of Education;
(xiv) the Department of Veterans Affairs;
(xv) the Department of Homeland Security;
(xvi) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(xvii) the Office of Management and Budget;
(xviii) the Office of the United States Trade Representative;
(xix) the Small Business Administration;
(xx) the Office of Science and Technology Policy;
(xxi) the National Security Council;
(xxii) the National Economic Council;
(xxiii) the Domestic Policy Council;
(xxiv) the Gender Policy Council;
(xxv) the Council on Environmental Quality;
(xxvi) the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs;
(xxvii) the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs;
(xxviii) the White House Office of Public Engagement;
(xxix) the White House Office of Presidential Personnel;
(xxx) the Social Security Administration;
(xxxi) the General Services Administration;
(xxxii) the United States Agency for International Development;
(xxxiii) the Office of Personnel Management;
(xxxiv) the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission; and
(xxxv) other agencies and offices as the President may, from time to time,
designate.
At the direction of the Co-Chairs, the Initiative may
establish subgroups consisting exclusively of
Initiative members or their designees, as appropriate.
To the extent permitted by law, members of the
Initiative, or their designees, shall devote the time,
skill, and resources necessary and adequate to carry
out the functions of the Initiative. Each agency and
office shall bear its own expenses for participating in
the Initiative.
(d) The Department of Health and Human Services
shall provide funding and administrative support for
the Initiative to the extent permitted by law and
within existing appropriations, and may, as necessary
and appropriate under section 1535 of title 31, United
States Code, enter into one or more agreements to
obtain goods or services from one or more agencies in
support of the Initiative.
(e) Each agency in the Initiative shall prepare a
plan (agency plan) outlining measurable actions the
agency is considering or will take to advance equity,
justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI communities,
including plans to implement the policy goals outlined
in subsection (b) of this section. Agencies shall
report their plans to the Co-Chairs of the Initiative
and the Executive Director on a frequency established
by the Executive Director. In developing such plans,
officials participating in the Initiative shall seek
opportunities to engage with employee affinity groups
or Federal networks representing AA and NHPI public
servants.
(i) Each such agency shall assess and report to the Co-Chairs of the
Initiative and the Executive Director on its progress in implementing its
[[Page 29680]]
respective agency plan on a regular basis as established by the Co-Chairs
of the Initiative and the Executive Director.
(ii) On an annual basis, the Co-Chairs of the Initiative shall develop and
submit to the President a report outlining a Government-wide interagency
plan to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPI
communities, and progress made in implementing the policy goals outlined in
subsection (b) of this section.
(f) The Initiative shall coordinate with and
support the existing regional network of Federal
officials who facilitate improved communication,
engagement, and coordination between the Federal
Government and AA and NHPI communities throughout the
United States (Regional Network). Agencies identified
as participants in the Initiative shall seek
opportunities, consistent with applicable law and
available resources, to provide support and resources
to the Regional Network through each agency's
respective regional offices. The Executive Director
shall coordinate the efforts of the Regional Network,
and may establish regular reporting and information-
sharing activities between the Regional Network and the
Initiative.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) This order supersedes
Executive Order 13125 of June 7, 1999 (Increasing
Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
in Federal Programs); Executive Order 13339 of May 13,
2004 (Increasing Economic Opportunity and Business
Participation of Asian Americans and Pacific
Islanders); Executive Order 13515 of October 14, 2009
(Increasing Participation of Asian Americans and
Pacific Islanders in Federal Programs); and Executive
Order 13872 of May 13, 2019 (Economic Empowerment of
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders).
(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to
impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or 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.
(d) For purposes of this order, references to
executive departments and agencies shall not include
the agencies described in section 3502(5) of title 44,
United States Code. Independent regulatory agencies are
strongly encouraged to comply with the provisions of
this order.
[[Page 29681]]
(e) 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,
May 28, 2021.
[FR Doc. 2021-11792
Filed 6-2-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P