Individuals With Disabilities in Emergency 
                Preparedness

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to strengthen emergency preparedness with 
                respect to individuals with disabilities, it is hereby 
                ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. To ensure that the Federal 
                Government appropriately supports safety and security 
                for individuals with disabilities in situations 
                involving disasters, including earthquakes, tornadoes, 
                fires, floods, hurricanes, and acts of terrorism, it 
                shall be the policy of the United States that executive 
                departments and agencies of the Federal Government 
                (agencies):

                     (a) consider, in their emergency preparedness 
                planning, the unique needs of agency employees with 
                disabilities and individuals with disabilities whom the 
                agency serves;
                     (b) encourage, including through the provision of 
                technical assistance, as appropriate, consideration of 
                the unique needs of employees and individuals with 
                disabilities served by State, local, and tribal 
                governments and private organizations and individuals 
                in emergency preparedness planning; and
                     (c) facilitate cooperation among Federal, State, 
                local, and tribal governments and private organizations 
                and individuals in the implementation of emergency 
                preparedness plans as they relate to individuals with 
                disabilities.

                Sec. 2. Establishment of Council. (a) There is hereby 
                established, within the Department of Homeland Security 
                for administrative purposes, the Interagency 
                Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and 
                Individuals with Disabilities (the ``Council''). The 
                Council shall consist exclusively of the following 
                members or their designees:

(i)

 the heads of executive departments, the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Administrator of General Services, the Director of 
the Office of Personnel Management, and the Commissioner of Social 
Security; and

(ii)

 any other agency head as the Secretary of Homeland Security may, with the 
concurrence of the agency head, designate.

                (b) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall chair the 
                Council, convene and preside at its meetings, determine 
                its agenda, direct its work, and, as appropriate to 
                particular subject matters, establish and direct 
                subgroups of the Council, which shall consist 
                exclusively of Council members.

                (c) A member of the Council may designate, to perform 
                the Council functions of the member, an employee of the 
                member's department or agency who is either an officer 
                of the United States appointed by the President, or a 
                full-time employee serving in a position with pay equal 
                to or greater than the minimum rate payable for GS-15 
                of the General Schedule.

                Sec. 3. Functions of Council. (a) The Council shall:

(i)

 coordinate implementation by agencies of the policy set forth in section 1 
of this order;

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(ii)

 whenever the Council obtains in the performance of its functions 
information or advice from any individual who is not a full-time or 
permanent part-time Federal employee, obtain such information and advice 
only in a manner that seeks individual advice and does not involve 
collective judgment or consensus advice or deliberation; and

(iii)

 at the request of any agency head (or the agency head's designee under 
section 2(c) of this order) who is a member of the Council, unless the 
Secretary of Homeland Security declines the request, promptly review and 
provide advice, for the purpose of furthering the policy set forth in 
section 1, on a proposed action by that agency.

                (b) The Council shall submit to the President each year 
                beginning 1 year after the date of this order, through 
                the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, a 
                report that describes:

(i)

 the achievements of the Council in implementing the policy set forth in 
section 1;

(ii)

 the best practices among Federal, State, local, and tribal governments and 
private organizations and individuals for emergency preparedness planning 
with respect to individuals with disabilities; and

(iii)

 recommendations of the Council for advancing the policy set forth in 
section 1.

                Sec. 4. General. (a) To the extent permitted by law:

(i)

 agencies shall assist and provide information to the Council for the 
performance of its functions under this order; and

(ii)

 the Department of Homeland Security shall provide funding and 
administrative support for the Council.

                (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.

                (c) This order is intended only to improve the internal 
                management of the executive branch and is not intended 
                to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 
                substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in 
                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,

                     July 22, 2004.