[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 12 (Monday, March 25, 1996)]
[Pages 540-542]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 12994--Continuing the President's Committee on Mental 
Retardation and Broadening Its Membership and Responsibilities

March 21, 1996

    The President's Committee on Mental Retardation, established by 
Executive Order No. 11280 on May 11, 1966, as superseded by Executive 
Order No. 11776 on March 28, 1974, has organized national planning, 
stimulated development of plans, policies and programs, and advanced the 
concept of community participation in the field of mental retardation.
    National goals have been established to:
    (1) promote full participation of people with mental retardation in 
      their communities;
    (2) provide all necessary supports to people with mental retardation 
      and their families for such participation;
    (3) reduce the occurrence and severity of mental retardation by one-
      half by the year 2010;
    (4) assure the full citizenship rights of all people with mental 
      retardation, including those rights secured by such landmark 
      statutes as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Public 
      Law 101-336 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.);
    (5) recognize the right of all people with mental retardation to 
      self-determination and autonomy, to be treated in a 
      nondiscriminatory manner, and to exercise meaningful choice, with 
      whatever supports are necessary to effectuate these rights;
    (6) recognize the right of all people with mental retardation to 
      enjoy a quality of life that promotes independence, self-
      determination, and participation as productive members of society; 
      and
    (7) promote the widest possible dissemination of information on 
      models, programs, and services in the field of mental retardation.
    The achievement of these goals will require the most effective 
possible use of public and private resources.
    Now, Therefore, by the authority vested in me as President by the 
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. 2), it is 
hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. Committee Continued and Responsibilities Expanded. The 
President's Committee on Mental Retardation (the ``Committee''), with 
expanded membership and expanded responsibilities, is hereby continued 
in operation.
    Sec. 2. Composition of Committee. (a) The Committee shall be 
composed of the following members:
    (1) The Secretary of Health and Human Services;
    (2) The Secretary of Education;
    (3) The Attorney General;

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    (4) The Secretary of Labor;
    (5) The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
    (6) The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation for National and 
      Community Service (formerly ACTION);
    (7) The Commissioner of Social Security;
    (8) The Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission;
    (9) The Chairperson of the National Council on Disability;
    (10) No more than 21 other members who shall be appointed to the 
      Committee by the President. These citizen members shall consist of 
      individuals who represent a broad spectrum of perspectives, 
      experience, and expertise on mental retardation, and shall include 
      self-advocates with mental retardation and members of families 
      with a child or adult with mental retardation, and persons 
      employed in either the public or the private sector. Except as the 
      President may from time to time otherwise direct, appointees under 
      this paragraph shall have two-year terms, except that an 
      appointment made to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration 
      of a term shall be made for the balance of the unexpired term.
    (b) The President shall designate the Chair of the Committee from 
the 21 citizen members. The Chair shall advise and counsel the Committee 
and represent the Committee on appropriate occasions.
    Sec. 3. Functions of the Committee. (a) The Committee shall provide 
such advice and assistance in the area of mental retardation as the 
President or Secretary of Health and Human Services may request, and 
particularly shall advise with respect to the following areas:
    (1) evaluating and monitoring the national efforts to establish 
      appropriate policies and supports for people with mental 
      retardation;
    (2) providing suggestions for improvement in the delivery of mental 
      retardation services, including preventive services, the 
      promulgation of effective and humane policies, and the provision 
      of necessary supports;
    (3) identifying the extent to which various Federal and State 
      programs achieve the national goals in mental retardation 
      described in the preamble to this order and have a positive impact 
      on the lives of people with mental retardation;
    (4) facilitating liaison among Federal, State, and local 
      governments, foundations, nonprofit organizations, other private 
      organizations, and citizens concerning mental retardation;
    (5) developing and disseminating such information as will tend to 
      reduce the incidence and severity of mental retardation; and
    (6) promoting the concept of community participation and development 
      of community supports for citizens with mental retardation.
    (b) The Committee shall make an annual report, through the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services, to the President concerning mental 
retardation. Such additional reports may be made as the President may 
require or as the Committee may deem appropriate.
    Sec. 4. Cooperation by Other Agencies. To assist the Committee in 
providing advice to the President, Federal departments and agencies 
requested to do so by the Committee shall designate liaison officers to 
the Committee. Such officers shall, on request by the Committee, and to 
the extent permitted by law, provide the Committee with information on 
department and agency programs that do contribute to or could contribute 
to achievement of the President's goals in the field of mental 
retardation.
    Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Department of Health and Human 
Services shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Committee 
with necessary staff, administrative services, and facilities and 
funding.
    (b) Each member of the Committee, except any member who receives 
other compensation from the United States Government, may receive 
compensation for each day he or she is engaged in the work of the 
Committee, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 3109), and may also receive 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as 
authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), for persons employed 
intermittently in the Government service. Committee members with

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disabilities may be compensated for attendant expenses, consistent with 
Government procedures and practices.
    (c) The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall perform such 
other functions with respect to the Committee as may be required by the 
provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
App. 2), except that of reporting to the Congress.
    Sec. 6. Construction. Nothing in this order shall be construed as 
subjecting any Federal agency, or any function vested by law in, or 
assigned pursuant to law to, any Federal agency, to the authority of the 
Committee or as abrogating or restricting any such function in any 
manner.
    Sec. 7. Superseded Authority. Executive Order No. 11776 is hereby 
superseded.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
March 21, 1996.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., March 25, 
1996]

Note: This Executive order was released by the Office of the Press 
Secretary on March 22, and it will be published in the Federal Register 
on March 26.