[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 35 (Monday, August 30, 2004)]
[Pages 1694-1696]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13353--Establishing the President's Board on 
Safeguarding Americans' Civil Liberties

August 27, 2004

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, and in order to further 
strengthen protections for the rights of Americans in the effective 
performance of national security and homeland security functions, it is 
hereby ordered as follows:
    Section 1. Policy. The United States Government has a solemn 
obligation, and shall continue fully, to protect the legal rights of all 
Americans, including freedoms, civil liberties, and information privacy 
guaranteed by Federal law, in the effective performance of national 
security and homeland security functions.
    Sec. 2. Establishment of Board. To advance the policy set forth in 
section 1 of this order (Policy), there is hereby established the 
President's Board on Safeguarding Americans' Civil Liberties (Board). 
The Board shall be part of the Department of Justice for administrative 
purposes.
    Sec. 3. Functions. The Board shall:
 (a)         (i) advise the President on effective means to implement 
            the Policy, and (ii) keep the President informed of the 
            implementation of the Policy;
 (b)         periodically request reports from Federal departments and 
            agencies relating to policies and procedures that ensure 
            implementation of the Policy;
 (c)         recommend to the President policies, guidelines and other 
            administrative actions, technologies, and legislation, as 
            necessary to implement the Policy;
 (d)         at the request of the head of any Federal department or 
            agency, unless the Chair, after consultation with the Vice 
            Chair, declines the request, promptly review and provide 
            advice on a policy or action of that department or agency 
            that implicates the Policy;
 (e)         obtain information and advice relating to the Policy from 
            representatives of entities or individuals outside the 
            executive branch of the Federal Government in a manner that 
            seeks their individual advice and does not involve 
            collective judgment or consensus advice or deliberation;
 (f)         refer, consistent with section 535 of title 28, United 
            States Code, credible information pertaining to possible 
            violations of law relating to the Policy by any Federal 
            employee or official to the appropriate office for prompt 
            investigation;
 (g)         take steps to enhance cooperation and coordination among 
            Federal departments and agencies in the implementation of 
            the Policy, including but not limited to working with the 
            Director of the Office of Management and Budget and other 
            officers of the United States to review and assist in

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            the coordination of guidelines and policies concerning 
            national security and homeland security efforts, such as 
            information collection and sharing; and
 (h)         undertake other efforts to protect the legal rights of all 
            Americans, including freedoms, civil liberties, and 
            information privacy guaranteed by Federal law, as the 
            President may direct.
    Upon the recommendation of the Board, the Attorney General or the 
Secretary of Homeland Security may establish one or more committees that 
include individuals from outside the executive branch of the Federal 
Government, in accordance with applicable law, to advise the Board on 
specific issues relating to the Policy. Any such committee shall carry 
out its functions separately from the Board.
    Sec. 4. Membership and Operation. The Board shall consist 
exclusively of the following:
 (a)         the Deputy Attorney General, who shall serve as Chair;
 (b)         the Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security, 
            Department of Homeland Security, who shall serve as Vice 
            Chair;
 (c)         the Assistant Attorney General (Civil Rights Division);
 (d)         the Assistant Attorney General (Office of Legal Policy);
 (e)         the Counsel for Intelligence Policy, Department of Justice;
 (f)         the Chair of the Privacy Council, Federal Bureau of 
            Investigation;
 (g)         the Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis, 
            Department of Homeland Security;
 (h)         the Assistant Secretary (Policy), Directorate of Border and 
            Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security;
 (i)         the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, 
            Department of Homeland Security;
 (j)         the Privacy Officer, Department of Homeland Security;
 (k)         the Under Secretary for Enforcement, Department of the 
            Treasury;
 (l)         the Assistant Secretary (Terrorist Financing), Department 
            of the Treasury;
 (m)         the General Counsel, Office of Management and Budget;
 (n)         the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Community 
            Management;
 (o)         the General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency;
 (p)         the General Counsel, National Security Agency;
 (q)         the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence;
 (r)         the General Counsel of the Department of Defense;
 (s)         the Legal Adviser, Department of State;
 (t)         the Director, Terrorist Threat Integration Center; and
 (u)         such other officers of the United States as the Deputy 
            Attorney General may from time to time designate.
    A member of the Board may designate, to perform the Board or Board 
subgroup functions of the member, any person who is part of such 
member's department or agency and who is either (i) an officer of the 
United States appointed by the President, or (ii) a member of the Senior 
Executive Service or the Senior Intelligence Service. The Chair, after 
consultation with the Vice Chair, shall convene and preside at meetings 
of the Board, determine its agenda, direct its work, and, as appropriate 
to deal with particular subject matters, establish and direct subgroups 
of the Board that shall consist exclusively of members of the Board. The 
Chair may invite, in his discretion, officers or employees of other 
departments or agencies to participate in the work of the Board. The 
Chair shall convene the first meeting of the Board within 20 days after 
the date of this order and shall thereafter convene meetings of the 
Board at such times as the Chair, after consultation with the Vice 
Chair, deems appropriate. The Deputy Attorney General shall designate an 
official of the Department of Justice to serve as the Executive Director 
of the Board.
    Sec. 5. Cooperation. To the extent permitted by law, all Federal 
departments and

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agencies shall cooperate with the Board and provide the Board with such 
information, support, and assistance as the Board, through the Chair, 
may request.
    Sec. 6. Administration. Consistent with applicable law and subject 
to the availability of appropriations, the Department of Justice shall 
provide the funding and administrative support for the Board necessary 
to implement this order.
    Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) This order shall not be construed to 
impair or otherwise affect the authorities of any department, agency, 
instrumentality, officer, or employee of the United States under 
applicable law, including the functions of the Director of the Office of 
Management and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or legislative 
proposals.
    (b) This order shall be implemented in a manner consistent with 
applicable laws and Executive Orders concerning protection of 
information, including those for the protection of intelligence sources 
and methods, law enforcement information, and classified national 
security information, and the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
552a).
    (c) This order is intended only to improve the internal management 
of the Federal Government and is not intended to, and does not, create 
any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or 
in equity, by a party against the United States, or any of its 
departments, agencies, instrumentalities, entities, officers, employees, 
or agents, or any other person.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 August 27, 2004.

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., August 31, 
2004]

Note: This Executive order will be published in the Federal Register on 
September 1.