Executive Order 12607

by President of the United States

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, and in order to establish, in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. I), a Commission to review the appropriate division of responsibilities between the Federal government and the private sector, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment. (a) There is established the President's Commission on Privatization. The Commission shall be composed of not more than 13 members appointed or designated by the President. The members shall be drawn from among a bipartisan cross-section of distinguished leaders.

(b) The President shall designate a Chairman from among the members of the Commission.

Sec. 2. Functions. (a) The Commission shall study and evaluate:

(1) Past and current privatization efforts by the Federal government, State and local governments, and foreign governments, including asset sales by the Federal government;

(2) Literature and writing on privatization; and

(3) The environment for additional privatization efforts by the Federal government.

(b) The Commission shall review the current activities of the Federal government, including asset holdings, and identify those functions that:

(1) Are not properly the responsibility of the Federal government and should be divested or transferred to the private sector, with no residual involvement by the Federal government; or

(2) Require continuing oversight by an Executive Branch agency but can be performed more efficiently by a private entity, including the use of vouchers as an alternative to direct service.

(c) The Commission shall develop the framework for a privatization program, identifying:

(1) Privatization opportunities, including those identified in (b) above, listed in order of priority;

(2) Legislative and administrative actions necessary to effect the privatization initiatives or remove existing privatization restrictions;

(3) Needed improvements to personnel and administrative policy to create an environment conducive to privatization;

(4) Organizational and resource requirements necessary to implement successfully the privatization program; and

(5) Actions necessary to create broadbased support for privatization efforts.

(d) The Commission shall submit its findings and recommendations to the President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget by March 1, 1988. Interim recommendations shall be transmitted to the Director for consideration in the formulation of the President's FY 1989 budget.

Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The heads of Executive departments, agencies, and independent instrumentalities shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Commission, upon request, with such information as it may require for purposes of carrying out its functions.

(b) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation for their work on the Commission. While engaged in the work of the Commission, members appointed from among private citizens of the United States may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence , as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).

(c) To the extent provided by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall provide the Commission with such administrative services, funds, facilities, staff, and other support services as may be necessary for the performance of its functions.

Sec. 4. General Provision. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other Executive Order, the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act that are applicable to the Commission, except that of reporting annually to the Congress, shall be performed by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services; and

(b) The Commission shall terminate 30 days after submitting its final report to the President.

RONALD REAGAN
The White House,
September 2, 1987.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 11:57 a. m., September 8, 1987]

Note: The Executive order was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on September 3.