Improving Assistance for Disaster Victims, 52729-52731 [06-7492]

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• Executive Office of the President
• Presidential Documents

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 172 (Wednesday, September 6, 2006)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 52729-52731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-7492]



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Part VI





The President





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Executive Order 13411--Improving Assistance for Disaster Victims


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 172 / Wednesday, September 6, 2006 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 52729]]

                Executive Order 13411 of August 29, 2006

                
Improving Assistance for Disaster Victims

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, including the Robert T. Stafford Disaster 
                Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (42 
                U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) (the ``Stafford Act''), and to 
                take further actions to improve the delivery of Federal 
                disaster assistance, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of the Federal 
                Government to ensure that individuals who are victims 
                of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other 
                incident that is the subject of an emergency or major 
                disaster declaration under the Stafford Act, and who 
                are thereby eligible for financial or other assistance 
                delivered by any department or agency of the executive 
                branch (Federal disaster assistance), have prompt and 
                efficient access to Federal disaster assistance, as 
                well as information regarding assistance available from 
                State and local government and private sector sources.

                Sec. 2.  Task Force on Disaster Assistance 
                Coordination. (a) Plan to Improve Delivery of Federal 
                Disaster Assistance. To further the policy in section 1 
                of this order, there is established the interagency 
                ``Task Force on Disaster Assistance Coordination'' 
                (Task Force). The Task Force shall develop a plan to 
                streamline and otherwise improve the delivery of 
                Federal disaster assistance (Plan). The Plan shall:

                    (i) include an inventory of Federal disaster 
                assistance programs and assess the effectiveness of 
                their respective delivery mechanisms;
                    (ii) recommend specific actions to improve the 
                delivery of Federal disaster assistance, which shall 
                include actions to provide a centralized application 
                process for Federal disaster assistance, provide a 
                centralized and continuously updated clearinghouse from 
                which disaster victims may obtain information regarding 
                Federal disaster assistance and State and local 
                government and private sector sources of disaster 
                assistance, reduce unnecessarily duplicative 
                application forms and processes for Federal disaster 
                assistance, and strengthen controls designed to prevent 
                improper payments and other forms of fraud, waste, and 
                abuse; and
                    (iii) include an implementation schedule for the 
                Plan's recommendations that provides for the phased 
                implementation of the Plan by December 31, 2008, 
                including quarterly milestones and metrics to be used 
                to measure and evaluate implementation.

                (b) Membership of the Task Force. (i) The Task Force 
                shall consist exclusively of the following members, or 
                their designees who shall be at the Assistant Secretary 
                level (or its equivalent) or higher:

(A) the Secretary of Homeland Security, who shall serve as Chair;

(B) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(C) the Secretary of Defense;

(D) the Attorney General;

(E) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(F) the Secretary of Commerce;

(G) the Secretary of Labor;

(H) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(I) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

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(J) the Secretary of Education;

(K) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(L) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;

(M) the Commissioner of Social Security;

(N) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(O) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and

(P) such other officers of the United States as the Secretary of Homeland 
Security may designate from time to time.

                (ii) The Secretary of Homeland Security, or the 
                Secretary's designee, shall convene and preside at 
                meetings of the Task Force, determine its agenda, 
                direct its work, and, as appropriate to address 
                specific subject matters, establish and direct 
                subgroups of the Task Force. A member of the Task Force 
                may designate, to perform Task Force subgroup functions 
                of the member, any person who is part of such member's 
                department or agency and who is either an officer of 
                the United States appointed by the President or a 
                member of the Senior Executive Service.

                (c) Plan Approval and Implementation. Not later than 
                March 1, 2007, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
                submit the Plan to the President for approval through 
                the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security 
                and Counterterrorism and the Director of the Office of 
                Management and Budget. Upon approval of the Plan by the 
                President, the Secretary of Homeland Security, assisted 
                by the Task Force, shall coordinate the implementation 
                of the Plan. Until the completion of such 
                implementation, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
                shall submit a quarterly progress report to the 
                Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and 
                Counterterrorism and the Director of the Office of 
                Management and Budget.

                Sec. 3. Assistance and Support. To the extent permitted 
                by law, the heads of all executive departments and 
                agencies shall provide such assistance and information 
                as the Secretary of Homeland Security may request in 
                carrying out the Secretary's responsibilities under 
                this order. Consistent with applicable law and subject 
                to the availability of appropriations, the Department 
                of Homeland Security shall provide necessary funding 
                and administrative support for the Task Force.

                Sec. 4. Administration. This order shall: (a) be 
                implemented in a manner consistent with applicable 
                laws, including Federal laws protecting the information 
                privacy rights and other legal rights of Americans, and 
                subject to the availability of appropriations;

                (b) be implemented in a manner consistent with the 
                statutory authority of the principal officers of 
                executive departments and agencies as heads of their 
                respective departments or agencies; and

                (c) not be construed to impair or otherwise affect the 
                functions of the Director of the Office of Management 
                and Budget relating to budget, administrative, 
                regulatory, and legislative responsibilities.

                Sec. 5. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to 
                improve the internal management of the Federal 
                Government and is not intended to, and does not, create 
                any rights or benefits, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable

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                at law or in equity by a party against the United 
                States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its 
                officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    August 29, 2006.

[FR Doc. 06-7492
Filed 9-5-06; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P