President's New Freedom Commission on Mental 
                Health

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to improve America's mental health service 
                delivery system for individuals with serious mental 
                illness and children with serious emotional 
                disturbances, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Establishment. There is hereby established 
                the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health 
                (Commission).

                Sec. 2. Membership. (a) The Commission's membership 
                shall be composed of:

  (i) Not more than fifteen members appointed by the President, including 
providers, payers, administrators, and consumers of mental health services 
and family members of consumers; and

  (ii) Not more than seven ex officio members, four of whom shall be 
designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the remaining 
three of whom shall be designated--one each--by the Secretaries of the 
Departments of Labor, Education, and Veterans Affairs.

                    (b) The President shall designate a Chair from 
                among the fifteen members of the Commission appointed 
                by the President.

                Sec. 3. Mission. The mission of the Commission shall be 
                to conduct a comprehensive study of the United States 
                mental health service delivery system, including public 
                and private sector providers, and to advise the 
                President on methods of improving the system. The 
                Commission's goal shall be to recommend improvements to 
                enable adults with serious mental illness and children 
                with serious emotional disturbances to live, work, 
                learn, and participate fully in their communities. In 
                carrying out its mission, the Commission shall, at a 
                minimum:

                    (a) Review the current quality and effectiveness of 
                public and private providers and Federal, State, and 
                local government involvement in the delivery of 
                services to individuals with serious mental illnesses 
                and children with serious emotional disturbances, and 
                identify unmet needs and barriers to services.
                    (b) Identify innovative mental health treatments, 
                services, and technologies that are demonstrably 
                effective and can be widely replicated in different 
                settings.
                    (c) Formulate policy options that could be 
                implemented by public and private providers, and 
                Federal, State, and local governments to integrate the 
                use of effective treatments and services, improve 
                coordination among service providers, and improve 
                community integration for adults with serious mental 
                illnesses and children with serious emotional 
                disturbances.

                Sec. 4. Principles. In conducting its mission, the 
                Commission shall adhere to the following principles:

                    (a) The Commission shall focus on the desired 
                outcomes of mental health care, which are to attain 
                each individual's maximum level of employment, self-
                care, interpersonal relationships, and community 
                participation;
                    (b) The Commission shall focus on community-level 
                models of care that efficiently coordinate the multiple 
                health and human service providers and public and 
                private payers involved in mental health treatment and 
                delivery of services;

[[Page 22338]]

                    (c) The Commission shall focus on those policies 
                that maximize the utility of existing resources by 
                increasing cost effectiveness and reducing unnecessary 
                and burdensome regulatory barriers;
                    (d) The Commission shall consider how mental health 
                research findings can be used most effectively to 
                influence the delivery of services; and
                    (e) The Commission shall follow the principles of 
                Federalism, and ensure that its recommendations promote 
                innovation, flexibility, and accountability at all 
                levels of government and respect the constitutional 
                role of the States and Indian tribes.

                Sec. 5. Administration. (a) The Department of Health 
                and Human Services, to the extent permitted by law, 
                shall provide funding and administrative support for 
                the Commission.

                    (b) To the extent funds are available and as 
                authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in 
                Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707), members of the 
                Commission appointed from among private citizens of the 
                United States may be allowed travel expenses while 
                engaged in the work of the Commission, including per 
                diem in lieu of subsistence. All members of the 
                Commission who are officers or employees of the United 
                States shall serve without compensation in addition to 
                that received for their services as officers or 
                employees of the United States.
                    (c) The Commission shall have a staff headed by an 
                Executive Director, who shall be selected by the 
                President. To the extent permitted by law, office 
                space, analytical support, and additional staff support 
                for the Commission shall be provided by executive 
                branch departments and agencies.
                    (d) Insofar as the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 
                as amended, may apply to the Commission, any functions 
                of the President under that Act, except for those in 
                section 6 of that Act, shall be performed by the 
                Department of Health and Human Services, in accordance 
                with the guidelines that have been issued by the 
                Administrator of General Services.

                Sec. 6. Reports. The Commission shall submit reports to 
                the President as follows:

                    (a) Interim Report. Within 6 months from the date 
                of this order, an interim report shall describe the 
                extent of unmet needs and barriers to care within the 
                mental health system and provide examples of community-
                based care models with success in coordination of 
                services and providing desired outcomes.
                    (b) Final Report. The final report will set forth 
                the Commission's recommendations, in accordance with 
                its mission as stated in section 3 of this order. The 
                submission date shall be determined by the Chair in 
                consultation with the President.

                Sec. 7. Termination. The Commission shall terminate 1 
                year from the date of this order, unless extended by 
                the President prior to that date.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    April 29, 2002.