Presidential Documents

10007 

Federal Register 

Vol. 86, No. 31 

Thursday, February 18, 2021 

Title 3— 

The President 

Executive Order 14015 of February 14, 2021 

Establishment of the White House Office of Faith-Based and 

Neighborhood Partnerships 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, and in order to better serve people 

in need through partnerships with civil society, while preserving our fundamental constitutional commitments, it is hereby ordered: 

Section 1. Policy. Faith-based and other community-serving organizations 

are vital to our Nation’s ability to address the needs of, and lift up, lowincome and other underserved persons and communities, notably including 

persons of color. The American people are key drivers of fundamental change 

in our country, and few institutions are closer to the people than our 

faith-based and other community organizations. It is important that the 

Federal Government strengthen the ability of such organizations and other 

nonprofit providers in our communities to deliver services effectively in 

partnership with Federal, State, and local governments and with other private 

organizations, while preserving our fundamental constitutional commitments 

guaranteeing the equal protection of the laws and the free exercise of religion 

and forbidding the establishment of religion. The Federal Government can 

preserve these fundamental commitments while empowering faith-based and 

secular organizations to assist in the delivery of vital services in our neighborhoods. These partnerships are also vital for the success and effectiveness 

of the United States’ diplomatic, international development, and humanitarian work around the world. 

Sec. 2. Establishment. There is established a White House Office of FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships (White House Partnerships Office) 

within the Executive Office of the President, supported by the Domestic 

Policy Council and the Office of Public Engagement, that will have lead 

responsibility in the executive branch for establishing policies, priorities, 

and objectives for the Federal Government’s comprehensive effort to enlist, 

equip, enable, empower, and expand the work of community-serving organizations, both faith-based and secular, to the extent permitted by law. 

Sec. 3. Functions. The principal functions of the White House Partnerships 

Office are, to the extent permitted by law: 

(a) to assist in organizing more effective efforts to serve people in need 

across the country and around the world, in partnership with civil society, 

including faith-based and secular organizations; 

(b) to develop, lead, and coordinate the Administration’s policy agenda 

affecting faith-based and other community programs and initiatives and to 

optimize the role of such efforts in communities; 

(c) to ensure that policy decisions and programs throughout the Federal 

Government are consistent with the policy set forth in section 1 of this 

order with respect to faith-based and other community initiatives; 

(d) to bring concerns, ideas, and policy options to Administration leadership for assisting, strengthening, and replicating partnerships, whether financial or nonfinancial, with faith-based and other community organizations; 

and 

(e) to promote awareness among diverse civil society leaders of opportunities to partner—both financially and otherwise—with the Federal Government 

to serve people in need and to build institutional capacity. 


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10008 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 31 / Thursday, February 18, 2021 / Presidential Documents 

Sec. 4. Administration. (a) The White House Partnerships Office may make 

use of established or ad hoc committees, task forces, or interagency groups. 

(b) The White House Partnerships Office shall be led by an Executive 

Director and a Deputy Director. The operations of the White House Partnerships Office shall begin within 30 days of the date of this order. 

(c) The White House Partnerships Office shall coordinate with the liaison 

and point of contact designated by each executive department and agency 

(agency) with respect to this initiative. 

(d) All agencies shall cooperate with the White House Partnerships Office 

and provide such information, support, and assistance to the White House 

Partnerships Office as it may request, to the extent permitted by law. 

(e) In order to ensure that Federal programs and practices involving grants 

or contracts to faith-based organizations are consistent with applicable law, 

the Executive Director of the White House Partnerships Office, acting through 

the Counsel to the President, may seek the opinion of the Attorney General 

on any constitutional and statutory questions involving existing or prospective programs and practices. 

Sec. 5. Amendments to Executive Orders. (a) Executive Order 13198 of 

January 29, 2001 (Agency Responsibilities With Respect to Faith-Based and 

Community Initiatives); Executive Order 13279 of December 12, 2002 (Equal 

Protection of the Laws for Faith-Based and Community Organizations), as 

amended by Executive Order 13559 of November 17, 2010 (Fundamental 

Principles and Policymaking Criteria for Partnerships With Faith-Based and 

Other Neighborhood Organizations); Executive Order 13280 of December 

12, 2002 (Responsibilities of the Department of Agriculture and the Agency 

for International Development With Respect to Faith-Based and Community 

Initiatives); Executive Order 13342 of June 1, 2004 (Responsibilities of the 

Departments of Commerce and Veterans Affairs and the Small Business 

Administration With Respect to Faith-Based and Community Initiatives); 

and Executive Order 13397 of March 7, 2006 (Responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security With Respect to Faith-Based and Community 

Initiatives), are amended by: 

(i) substituting ‘‘White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood 

Partnerships’’ for ‘‘White House Office of Faith-Based and Community 

Initiatives’’ and ‘‘White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative’’ each 

time they appear in those orders; 

(ii) substituting ‘‘White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood 

Partnerships’’ for ‘‘White House OFBCI’’ each time it appears in those 

orders; 

(iii) substituting ‘‘Centers for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships’’ 

for ‘‘Centers for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives’’ and ‘‘Centers 

for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives’’ each time they appear in those 

orders; and 

(iv) substituting ‘‘Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships’’ 

for ‘‘Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives’’ and ‘‘Center for 

Faith and Opportunity Initiatives’’ each time they appear in those orders. 

(b) Executive Order 13397, as amended, is further amended by substituting, 

in section 1(b), ‘‘the Executive Director of the White House Office of FaithBased and Neighborhood Partnerships (Executive Director)’’ for ‘‘the Director 

of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives 

(WHOFBCI Director)’’ and by substituting ‘‘Executive Director’’ for 

‘‘WHOFBCI Director’’ each time it appears in the order. 

Sec. 6. Revocation. Executive Order 13831 of May 3, 2018 (Establishment 

of a White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative), is revoked. 

Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 


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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 31 / Thursday, February 18, 2021 / Presidential Documents 10009 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, 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 by any party 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

February 14, 2021. 

[FR Doc. 2021–03424 

Filed 2–17–21; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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