Interagency Group on Insular Areas

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Part IV

The President

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Executive Order 13299--Interagency Group on Insular Areas

___________________________________________________________________

Title 3--
The President

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

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.