[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 36 (Monday, September 8, 2003)]
[Page 1148]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003

September 4, 2003

    Today, I have signed into law S. 1435, the ``Prison Rape Elimination 
Act of 2003.'' The Act provides for analysis of the incidence and 
effects of prison rape in Federal, State and local institutions, and for 
information, resources, recommendations and funding to protect 
individuals from prison rape. The Act also creates a National Prison 
Rape Reduction Commission.
    Section 7(h) of the Act purports to grant to the Commission a right 
of access to any Federal department or agency information it considers 
necessary to carry out its duties, and section 7(k)(3) provides for 
release of information to the public. The executive branch shall 
construe sections 7(h) and 7(k)(3) in a manner consistent with the 
President's constitutional authority to withhold information when its 
disclosure could impair deliberative processes of the Executive or the 
performance of the Executive's constitutional duties and, to the extent 
possible, in a manner consistent with Federal statutes protecting 
sensitive information from disclosure.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 September 4, 2003.

Note: S. 1435, approved September 4, was assigned Public Law No. 108-79. 
An original was not available for verification of the content of this 
statement.