Executive Order 12439

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, in order to establish, in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App. I), an advisory committee to examine programs intended to render food assistance to the needy and to make recommendations on how such programs may be improved, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment.

(a) There is established the President's Task Force on Food Assistance, which shall be composed of not more than fifteen persons, who shall be appointed by the President from among citizens of the United States who are not full-time officers or employees of the Federal Government.

(b) The President shall designate a Chairman, and may also designate a Vice Chairman, from among the members of the Task Force.

Sec. 2. Functions.

The Task Force shall analyze Federal and other programs intended to render food assistance to the needy and shall make recommendations to the President and the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to how such programs may be improved. The Task Force shall submit its report to the President within ninety days of its first meeting.

Sec. 3. Administration.

(a) The heads of Executive agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide the Task Force such information as it may require for purposes of carrying out its functions.

(b) Members of the Task Force shall serve without compensation for their work on the Task Force, but 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), to the extent funds are available therefor.

(c) The Secretary of Agriculture shall, to the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of funds, provide the Task Force with such administrative services, facilities, staff and other support services as may be necessary for the effective performance of its functions.

Sec. 4. General.

(a) Notwithstanding any other Executive Order, the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, which are applicable to the Task Force, except that of reporting to the Congress, shall be performed by the Secretary of Agriculture in accordance with guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.

(b) The Task Force shall, unless sooner extended, terminate thirty days after submission of its report to the President, but in no event later than January 31, 1984.

RONALD REAGAN The White House, September 8, 1983.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:45 a.m., September 9, 1983]