[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 7 (Monday, February 19, 1996)]
[Pages 281-283]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 12989--Economy and Efficiency in Government Procurement 
Through Compliance With Certain Immigration and Naturalization Act 
Provisions

February 13, 1996

    This order is designed to promote economy and efficiency in 
Government procurement. Stability and dependability are important 
elements of economy and efficiency. A contractor whose work force is 
less stable will be less likely to produce goods and services 
economically and efficiently than a contractor whose work force is more 
stable. It remains the policy of this Administration to enforce the 
immigration laws to the fullest extent, including the detection and 
deportation of illegal aliens. In these circumstances, contractors 
cannot rely on the continuing availability and service of illegal 
aliens, and contractors that choose to employ unauthorized aliens 
inevitably will have a less stable and less dependable work force than 
contractors that do not employ such persons. Because of this 
Administration's vigorous enforcement policy, contractors that employ 
unauthorized alien workers are necessarily less stable and dependable 
procurement sources than contractors that do not hire such persons. I 
find, therefore, that adherence to the general policy of not contracting 
with providers that knowingly employ unauthorized alien workers will 
promote economy and efficiency in Federal procurement.
     Now, Therefore, to ensure the economical and efficient 
administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, and by 
the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws 
of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 486(a) and 3 U.S.C. 
301, it is hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. (a) It is the policy of the executive branch in procuring 
goods and services that, to ensure the economical and efficient 
administration and completion of Federal Government contracts, 
contracting agencies should not contract with employers that have not 
complied with section 274A(a)(1)(A) and 274A(a)(2) of the Immigration 
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1324a(a)(1)(A), 1324a(a)(2)) (the ``INA 
employment provisions'') prohibit- 

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ing the unlawful employment of aliens. All discretion under this 
Executive order shall be exercised consistent with this policy.
    (b) It remains the policy of this Administration to fully and 
aggressively enforce the antidiscrimination provisions of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act to the fullest extent. Nothing in this 
order relieves employers from their obligation to avoid unfair 
immigration-related employment practices as required by the 
antidiscrimination provisions of section 1324(b) of the INA (8 U.S.C. 
1324b) and all other antidiscrimination requirements of applicable law, 
including the requirements of 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(6) concerning the 
treatment of certain documentary practices as unfair immigration-related 
employment practices.
    Sec. 2. Contractor, as used in this Executive order, shall have the 
same meaning as defined in subpart 9.4 of the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation.
    Sec. 3. Using the procedures established pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 
1324a(e), the Attorney General: (a) may investigate to determine whether 
a contractor or an organizational unit thereof is not in compliance with 
the INA employment provisions;
    (b) shall receive and may investigate complaints by employees of any 
entity covered under section 3(a) of this order where such complaints 
allege noncompliance with the INA employment provisions; and
    (c) shall hold such hearings as are required under 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e) 
to determine whether an entity covered under section 3(a) is not in 
compliance with the INA employment provisions.
    Sec. 4. (a) Whenever the Attorney General determines that a 
contractor or an organizational unit thereof is not in compliance with 
the INA employment provisions, the Attorney General shall transmit that 
determination to the appropriate contracting agency and such other 
Federal agencies as the Attorney General may determine. Upon receipt of 
such determination from the Attorney General, the head of the 
appropriate contracting agency shall consider the contractor or an 
organizational unit thereof for debarment as well as for such other 
action as may be appropriate in accordance with the procedures and 
standards prescribed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
    (b) The head of the contracting agency may debar the contractor or 
an organizational unit thereof based on the determination of the 
Attorney General that it is not in compliance with the INA employment 
provisions. The Attorney General's determination shall not be reviewable 
in the debarment proceedings.
    (c) The scope of the debarment generally should be limited to those 
organizational units of a Federal contractor that the Attorney General 
finds are not in compliance with the INA employment provisions.
    (d) The period of the debarment shall be for 1 year and may be 
extended for additional periods of 1 year if, using the procedures 
established pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1324a(e), the Attorney General 
determines that the organizational unit of the Federal contractor 
continues to be in violation of the INA employment provisions.
    (e) The Administrator of General Services shall list a debarred 
contractor or an organizational unit thereof on the List of Parties 
Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs and the 
contractor or an organizational unit thereof shall be ineligible to 
participate in any procurement or nonprocurement activities.
    Sec. 5. (a) The Attorney General shall be responsible for the 
administration and enforcement of this order, except for the debarment 
procedures. The Attorney General may adopt such additional rules and 
regulations and issue such orders as may be deemed necessary and 
appropriate to carry out the responsibilities of the Attorney General 
under this order. If the Attorney General proposes to issue rules, 
regulations, or orders that affect the contracting departments and 
agencies, the Attorney General shall consult with the Secretary of 
Defense, the Secretary of Labor, the Administrator of General Services, 
the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
the Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy, and such other 
agencies as may be appropriate.
    (b) The Secretary of Defense, the Administrator of General Services, 
and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and

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Space Administration shall amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to 
the extent necessary and appropriate to implement the debarment 
responsibility and other related responsibilities assigned to heads of 
contracting departments and agencies under this order.
    Sec. 6. Each contracting department and agency shall cooperate with 
and provide such information and assistance to the Attorney General as 
may be required in the performance of the Attorney General's functions 
under this order.
    Sec. 7. The Attorney General, the Secretary of Defense, the 
Administrator of General Services, the Administrator of the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the heads of contracting 
departments and agencies may delegate any of their functions or duties 
under this order to any officer or employee of their respective 
agencies.
    Sec. 8. This order shall be implemented in a manner intended to 
least burden the procurement process. This order neither authorizes nor 
requires any additional certification provision, clause, or requirement 
to be included in any contract or contract solicitation.
    Sec. 9. This order is not intended, and should not be construed, to 
create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at 
law by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or 
its employees. This order is not intended, however, to preclude judicial 
review of final agency decisions in accordance with the Administrative 
Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. 701 et seq.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
February 13, 1996.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., February 14, 
1996]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
February 15.