[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 49 (Monday, March 16, 2009)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 11271-11273]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-5802]



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Part III





The President





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Executive Order 13506--Establishing a White House Council on Women and 
Girls


                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 49 / Monday, March 16, 2009 / 
Presidential Documents

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

[[Page 11271]]

                Executive Order 13506 of March 11, 2009

                
Establishing a White House Council on Women And 
                Girls

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

                Section 1. Policy. Over the past generation, our 
                society has made tremendous progress in eradicating 
                barriers to women's success. A record number of women 
                are attending college and graduate school. Women make 
                up a growing share of our workforce, and more women are 
                corporate executives and business owners than ever 
                before, helping boost the U.S. economy and foster U.S. 
                competitiveness around the world. Today, women are 
                serving at the highest levels of all branches of our 
                Government.

                Despite this progress, certain inequalities continue to 
                persist. On average, American women continue to earn 
                only about 78 cents for every dollar men make, and 
                women are still significantly underrepresented in the 
                science, engineering, and technology fields. Far too 
                many women lack health insurance, and many are unable 
                to take time off to care for a new baby or an ailing 
                family member. Violence against women and girls remains 
                a global epidemic. The challenge of ensuring equal 
                educational opportunities for women and girls endures. 
                As the current economic crisis has swept across our 
                Nation, women have been seriously affected.

                These issues do not concern just women. When jobs do 
                not offer family leave, that affects men who wish to 
                help care for their families. When women earn less than 
                men for the same work, that affects families who have 
                to work harder to make ends meet. When our daughters do 
                not have the same educational and career opportunities 
                as our sons, that affects entire communities, our 
                economy, and our future as a Nation.

                The purpose of this order is to establish a coordinated 
                Federal response to issues that particularly impact the 
                lives of women and girls and to ensure that Federal 
                programs and policies address and take into account the 
                distinctive concerns of women and girls, including 
                women of color and those with disabilities.

                Sec. 2. White House Council on Women and Girls. There 
                is established within the Executive Office of the 
                President a White House Council on Women and Girls 
                (Council).

(a) Membership of the Council. The Council shall consist of the following 
members:

(1) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental 
Affairs and Public Liaison, who shall serve as Chair of the Council;

(2) the Secretary of State;

(3) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(4) the Secretary of Defense;

(5) the Attorney General;

(6) the Secretary of the Interior;

(7) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(8) the Secretary of Commerce;

(9) the Secretary of Labor;

(10) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(11) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;

(12) the Secretary of Transportation;

(13) the Secretary of Energy;

[[Page 11272]]

(14) the Secretary of Education;

(15) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(16) the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(17) the Representative of the United States of America to the United 
Nations;

(18) the United States Trade Representative;

(19) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(20) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(21) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;

(22) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;

(23) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;

(24) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy 
Council;

(25) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the 
National Economic Council; and

(26) the heads of such other executive branch departments, agencies, and 
offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

A member of the Council may designate, to perform the Council functions of 
the member, a senior-level official who is a part of the member's 
department, agency, or office, and who is a full-time officer or employee 
of the Federal Government. At the direction of the Chair, the Council may 
establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or their 
designees under this section, as appropriate.

(b) Administration of the Council. The Department of Commerce shall provide 
funding and administrative support for the Council to the extent permitted 
by law and within existing appropriations. The Chair shall convene regular 
meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, and direct its work. The 
Chair shall designate an Executive Director of the Council, who shall 
coordinate the work of the Council and head any staff assigned to the 
Council.

                Sec. 3. Mission and Functions of the Council. The 
                Council shall work across executive departments and 
                agencies to provide a coordinated Federal response to 
                issues that have a distinct impact on the lives of 
                women and girls, including assisting women-owned 
                businesses to compete internationally and working to 
                increase the participation of women in the science, 
                engineering, and technology workforce, and to ensure 
                that Federal programs and policies adequately take 
                those impacts into account. The Council shall be 
                responsible for providing recommendations to the 
                President on the effects of pending legislation and 
                executive branch policy proposals; for suggesting 
                changes to Federal programs or policies to address 
                issues of special importance to women and girls; for 
                reviewing and recommending changes to policies that 
                have a distinct impact on women in the Federal 
                workforce; and for assisting in the development of 
                legislative and policy proposals of special importance 
                to women and girls. The functions of the Council are 
                advisory only.

                Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set 
                out in this order, the Council, in accordance with 
                applicable law, in addition to regular meetings, shall 
                conduct outreach with representatives of nonprofit 
                organizations, State and local government agencies, 
                elected officials, and other interested persons that 
                will assist with the Council's development of a 
                detailed set of recommendations.

                Sec. 5. Federal Interagency Plan. The Council shall, 
                within 150 days of the date of this order, develop and 
                submit to the President a Federal interagency plan with 
                recommendations for interagency action consistent with 
                the goals of this order. The Federal interagency plan 
                shall include an assessment by each member executive 
                department, agency, or office of the status and scope 
                of its efforts to further the progress and advancement 
                of women and girls. Such an assessment shall include a 
                report on the status of any offices or programs that 
                have been created to develop, implement, or monitor 
                targeted initiatives concerning women or girls. The 
                Federal interagency plan shall also include 
                recommendations for issues, programs, or initiatives 
                that

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                should be further evaluated or studied by the Council. 
                The Council shall review and update the Federal 
                interagency plan periodically, as appropriate, and 
                shall present to the President any updated 
                recommendations or findings.

                Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive 
                departments and agencies shall assist and provide 
                information to the Council, consistent with applicable 
                law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of 
                the Council. Each executive department and agency shall 
                bear its own expense for participating in the Council.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

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

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 
subject to the availability of appropriations.

(d) 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.
<GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT>

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    March 11, 2009.

[FR Doc. E9-5802
Filed 3-13-09; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W9-P