Executive Order 13299 of May 12, 2003

 
                Interagency Group on Insular Areas

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Interagency Group on Insular Areas. (a) 
                There is established, within the Department of the 
                Interior for administrative purposes, the Interagency 
                Group on Insular Areas (IGIA). The group shall consist 
                exclusively of:

                    (i) the heads of the executive departments; and
                    (ii) the heads of such agencies as the Secretary of 
                the Interior may designate.
                    (b) The Secretary of the Interior, or the 
                Secretary's designee under section 1(c) of this order, 
                shall convene and preside at the meetings of the IGIA, 
                determine its agenda, direct its work and, as 
                appropriate to deal with particular subject matters, 
                establish and direct subgroups of the IGIA that shall 
                consist exclusively of members of the IGIA.
                    (c) A member of the IGIA may designate, to perform 
                the IGIA or IGIA subgroup functions of the member, any 
                person who is a part of the member's department or 
                agency (agency) and who is either an officer of the 
                United States appointed by the President or a member of 
                the Senior Executive Service.

                Sec.  2. Functions of the IGIA. The IGIA shall:

                    (a) provide advice on establishment or 
                implementation of policies concerning American Samoa, 
                Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and the 
                Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (Insular 
                Areas) to:
                    (i) the President, through the Office of 
                Intergovernmental Affairs in the White House Office, in 
                written reports, at least once each year; and
                    (ii) the Secretary of the Interior;
                    (b) obtain information and advice concerning 
                Insular Areas from governors and other elected 
                officials in the Insular Areas (including through a 
                meeting at least once each year with such governors of 
                the Insular Areas who may wish to attend) in a manner 
                that seeks their individual advice and does not involve 
                collective judgment or consensus advice or 
                deliberation;
                    (c) obtain information and advice concerning 
                Insular Areas, as the IGIA determines appropriate, from 
                representatives of entities or other individuals in a 
                manner that seeks their individual advice and does not 
                involve collective judgment or consensus advice or 
                deliberation; and
                    (d) at the request of the head of any agency who is 
                a member of the IGIA, unless the Secretary of the 
                Interior declines the request, promptly review and 
                provide advice on a policy or policy implementation 
                action affecting one of the Insular Areas proposed by 
                that agency.

                Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) The Secretary of the 
                Interior may, as the Secretary determines appropriate, 
                make recommendations to the President, or to the heads 
                of agencies, regarding policy or policy implementation 
                actions of the Federal Government affecting the Insular 
                Areas.

                    (b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                impair or otherwise affect the functions of the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
                relating to budget, administrative, or legislative 
                proposals.

                Sec. 4. Judicial Review. This order is intended only to 
                improve the internal management of the Federal 
                Government and is not intended to, and does

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                not, create any right or benefit, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party 
                against the United States, its departments, agencies, 
                instrumentalities or entities, its officers or 
                employees, or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)B

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                     May 8, 2003.