Establishing a Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors and a Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror Heroes, 10589-10591 [07-1137]

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• Executive Office of the President
• Presidential Documents

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 45 (Thursday, March 8, 2007)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 10589-10591]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-1137]



[[Page 10587]]

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Part II





The President





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Executive Order 13426--Establishing a Commission on Care for America's 
Returning Wounded Warriors and a Task Force on Returning Global War on 
Terror Heroes


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 45 / Thursday, March 8, 2007 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 10589]]

                Executive Order 13426 of March 6, 2007

                
Establishing a Commission on Care for America's 
                Returning Wounded Warriors and a Task Force on 
                Returning Global War on Terror Heroes

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to provide a comprehensive review of the 
                care provided to America's returning Global War on 
                Terror service men and women from the time they leave 
                the battlefield through their return to civilian life, 
                it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Establishment of Commission. There is 
                established the President's Commission on Care for 
                America's Returning Wounded Warriors (Commission).

                Sec. 2. Membership of Commission. The Commission shall 
                be composed of nine members appointed by the President. 
                The President shall designate two Co-Chairs from among 
                the members of the Commission.

                Sec. 3. Mission of Commission. The mission of the 
                Commission shall be to:

                (a) examine the effectiveness of returning wounded 
                service members' transition from deployment in support 
                of the Global War on Terror to successful return to 
                productive military service or civilian society, and 
                recommend needed improvements;

                (b) evaluate the coordination, management, and adequacy 
                of the delivery of health care, disability, traumatic 
                injury, education, employment, and other benefits and 
                services to returning wounded Global War on Terror 
                service members by Federal agencies as well as by the 
                private sector, and recommend ways to ensure that 
                programs provide high-quality services;

                (c) (i) analyze the effectiveness of existing outreach 
                to service members regarding such benefits and 
                services, and service members' level of awareness of 
                and ability to access these benefits and services, and 
                (ii) identify ways to reduce barriers to and gaps in 
                these benefits and services; and

                (d) consult with foundations, veterans service 
                organizations, non-profit groups, faith-based 
                organizations, and others as appropriate, in performing 
                the Commission's functions under subsections (a) 
                through (c) of this section.

                Sec. 4. Administration of Commission.

                (a) The Secretary of Defense shall, to the extent 
                permitted by law, provide administrative support and 
                funding for the Commission. To the extent permitted by 
                law, office space, analytical support, and staff 
                support for the Commission shall be provided by the 
                Department of Defense.

                (b) Members of the Commission shall serve without any 
                compensation for their work on the Commission. Members 
                of the Commission appointed from among private citizens 
                of the United States, while engaged in the work of the 
                Commission, may be allowed travel expenses, including 
                per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law 
                for persons serving intermittently in Government 
                service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), consistent with the 
                availability of funds.

                (c) The Co-Chairs of the Commission shall select an 
                Executive Director to coordinate administration of the 
                Commission.

[[Page 10590]]

                (d) The heads of executive branch departments and 
                agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide 
                the Commission with information as requested by the Co-
                Chairs.

                (e) The Co-Chairs of the Commission shall convene and 
                preside at the meetings of the Commission, determine 
                its agenda, and direct its work.

                (f) The functions of the President under the Federal 
                Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 
                App.)(Act), except for those in section 6 of that Act, 
                that are applicable to the Commission, shall be 
                performed by the Secretary of Defense, in accordance 
                with the guidelines that have been issued by the 
                Administrator of General Services.

                Sec. 5. Report of Commission. The Commission shall 
                report its recommendations to the President through the 
                Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs. The Commission shall issue a final report by 
                June 30, 2007, unless the Co-Chairs provide written 
                notice to the President that an extension is necessary, 
                in which case the Commission shall issue the final 
                report by July 31, 2007.

                Sec. 6. Termination of Commission. The Commission shall 
                terminate 30 days after submitting its final report, 
                unless extended by the President prior to that date.

                Sec. 7. Establishment of Task Force. The Secretary of 
                Veterans Affairs (Secretary) shall establish within the 
                Department of Veterans Affairs for administrative 
                purposes only an Interagency Task Force on Returning 
                Global War on Terror Heroes (Task Force).

                Sec. 8. Membership and Operation of Task Force. The 
                Task Force shall consist exclusively of the following 
                members, or their designees who shall be at the Under 
                Secretary level (or its equivalent) or higher:

                (a) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, who shall serve 
                as Chair;

                (b) the Secretary of Defense;

                (c) the Secretary of Labor;

                (d) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

                (e) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

                (f) the Secretary of Education;

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

                (h) the Administrator of the Small Business 
                Administration; and

                (i) other officers or employees of the United States, 
                as determined by the Secretary.

                The Secretary or the Secretary's designee shall convene 
                and preside at meetings of the Task Force and direct 
                its work. The Secretary shall designate an official of 
                the Department of Veterans Affairs to serve as the 
                Executive Secretary of the Task Force, and the 
                Executive Secretary shall head any staff assigned to 
                the Task Force.

                Sec. 9. Mission of Task Force. The mission of the Task 
                Force shall be to:

                (a) identify and examine existing Federal services that 
                currently are provided to returning Global War on 
                Terror service members;

                (b) identify existing gaps in such services;

                (c) seek recommendations from appropriate Federal 
                agencies on ways to fill those gaps as effectively and 
                expeditiously as possible using existing resources; and

                (d) (i) ensure that in providing services to these 
                service members, appropriate Federal agencies are 
                communicating and cooperating effectively, and (ii) 
                facilitate the fostering of agency communications and 
                cooperation through informal and formal means, as 
                appropriate.

[[Page 10591]]

                Sec. 10. Administration of Task Force. The Secretary of 
                Veterans Affairs shall, to the extent permitted by law, 
                provide administrative support and funding for the Task 
                Force.

                Sec. 11. Action Plan of Task Force. Consistent with 
                applicable law, the Task Force shall outline a 
                Government-wide action plan that identifies existing 
                Federal services for returning Global War on Terror 
                service men and women and that ensures the provision of 
                such services to those service members as effectively 
                and expeditiously as possible. The Task Force shall 
                submit the action plan to the President within 45 days 
                of the date of this order.

                Sec. 12. Termination of Task Force. The Secretary, with 
                the approval of the President, shall terminate the Task 
                Force upon the completion of its duties.

                Sec. 13. General Provisions.

                (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair 
                or otherwise affect (i) authority granted by law to an 
                agency or the head thereof, or (ii) functions of the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
                relating to budget, administrative, or legislative 
                proposals.

                (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

                (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create 
                any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity, against the United 
                States, its departments, agencies, entities, officers, 
                employees, agents, or any other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    March 6, 2007.

[FR Doc. 07-1137
Filed 3-7-07; 10:57 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P