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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Executive Order No. 11280 on May 11, 1966, as superseded by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;
     (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 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.

                    /s/William J. Clinton


THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 21, 1996.