Establishment of the White House Office of Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

(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.

(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.

(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 Faith-Based 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.

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

(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.