I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4909

To establish the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 22, 2004

Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin (for himself, Mr. SOUDER, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. 

RADANOVICH, and Mr. PITTS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Government Reform 

A BILL

To establish the Office of Faith-Based and Community 

Initiatives.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Tools for Community 

5 Initiatives Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 

7 There is established in the Executive Office of the 

8 President the Office of Faith-Based and Community Ini9 tiatives (hereafter referred to as ‘‘the Office’’). 
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1 SEC. 3. DIRECTOR. 

2 (a) DIRECTOR.—The head of the Office shall be the 

3 Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Ini4 tiatives, who shall be appointed by the President. 

5 (b) PAY OF DIRECTOR.—Section 5314 of title 5, 

6 United States Code, is amended by inserting after the 

7 item relating to the Administrator of the Centers for 

8 Medicare & Medicaid Services the following new item: 

9 ‘‘Director of the Office of Faith-Based and 

10 Community Initiatives.’’. 

11 (c) INTERIM DIRECTOR.—The individual serving as 

12 the Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community 

13 Initiatives on the date of the enactment of this Act may 

14 serve as Interim Director until such time as a Director 

15 is appointed by the President in accordance with sub16 section (a). 

17 SEC. 4. RESPONSIBILITIES. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall encourage 

19 faith-based and community initiatives and work to elimi20 nate improper Federal barriers so as to allow faith-based 

21 and community entities to compete for Federal funding 

22 to the fullest opportunity permitted by law. 

23 (b) SPECIFIC DUTIES.—In carrying out the respon24 sibilities of the Office, the Director shall—

25 (1) develop, lead, and coordinate policies with 

26 respect to faith-based and community initiatives; 
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1 (2) support faith-based and community initia2 tives, especially those serving at-risk youth, ex-of3 fenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abus4 ers, those with HIV and AIDS, and welfare-to-work 

5 families; 

6 (3) work to expand the role of faith-based and 

7 community initiatives through executive action, legis8 lation, regulation, and Federal and private funding; 

9 (4) ensure that the policy decisions made by the 

10 administration and the Federal Government are con11 sistent with stated goals with respect to faith-based 

12 and community initiatives; 

13 (5) help to integrate policies affecting faith14 based and other community organizations across the 

15 Federal Government; 

16 (6) coordinate public education activities de17 signed to mobilize public support for faith-based and 

18 community initiatives by encouraging volunteerism, 

19 special projects, demonstration pilots, and public-pri20 vate partnerships; 

21 (7) encourage private charitable giving to sup22 port faith-based and community initiatives; 

23 (8) advise the President on options and ideas to 

24 assist, strengthen, and replicate successful faith25 based and community initiatives; 
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1 (9) provide policy and legal education to State, 

2 local, and community policymakers and public offi3 cials seeking ways to support and encourage faith4 based and community initiatives; 

5 (10) develop and implement strategic initiatives 

6 in keeping with policies that will strengthen families, 

7 communities, and the institutions of civil society; 

8 (11) showcase and herald innovative grassroots 

9 nonprofit organizations and civic initiatives; 

10 (12) work to eliminate unnecessary legislative 

11 and regulatory barriers which impede the efforts of 

12 faith-based and community initiatives to solve social 

13 problems; 

14 (13) monitor the implementation of policies 

15 with respect to faith-based and community initiatives 

16 by the Centers for Faith-Based and Community Ini17 tiatives established within certain departments and 

18 agencies of the Federal Government; and 

19 (14) work to establish high standards of excel20 lence and accountability for faith-based and commu21 nity initiatives. 

22 SEC. 5. ADMINISTRATION. 

23 (a) OFFICERS.—The President shall assign to the Of24 fice such officers in addition to the Director, if any, as 
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1 the President, in consultation with the Director, considers 

2 appropriate to discharge the responsibilities of the Office. 

3 (b) STAFF.—The Director may appoint such employ4 ees as necessary to carry out the functions of the Office. 

5 (c) RESOURCES.—The President shall, in consulta6 tion with the Director, assign or allocate to the Office such 

7 resources, including funds and other resources, as the 

8 President considers appropriate in order to facilitate the 

9 discharge of the responsibilities of the Office. 

10 (d) OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES.—

11 (1) DESIGNATED DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY LI12 AISON.—

13 (A) IN GENERAL.—The head of each des14 ignated department or agency shall designate a 

15 liaison who shall be responsible for coordinating 

16 the activities of that department or agency with 

17 the Office. 

18 (B) DESIGNATED DEPARTMENT OR AGEN19 CY.—For the purposes of this paragraph, ‘‘des20 ignated department or agency’’ means a depart21 ment or agency of the Federal Government with 

22 a Center for Faith-Based and Community Ini23 tiatives, and shall include the following depart24 ments and agencies: 

25 (i) The Department of Education. 
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1 (ii) The Department of Labor. 

2 (iii) The Department of Justice. 

3 (iv) The Department of Health and 

4 Human Services. 

5 (v) The Department of Housing and 

6 Urban Development. 

7 (vi) The Department of Agriculture. 

8 (vii) The Agency for International De9 velopment. 

10 (viii) The Department of Commerce. 

11 (ix) The Department of Veterans Af12 fairs. 

13 (x) The Small Business Administra14 tion. 

15 (2) OBTAINING OFFICIAL DATA.—The Office 

16 may secure directly from any department or agency 

17 of the United States information necessary to enable 

18 it to carry out this Act. Upon request of the Direc19 tor, the head of that department or agency shall fur20 nish that information to the Office.

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