Executive Order 12606 --
The Family
By
the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the
Section 1. Family Policymaking
Criteria. In formulating and implementing policies and regulations that
may have significant impact on family formation, maintenance, and general
well-being, Executive departments and agencies shall, to the extent permitted
by law, assess such measures in light of the following questions:
(a)
Does this action by government strengthen or erode the stability of the family
and, particularly, the marital commitment?
(b)
Does this action strengthen or erode the authority and rights of parents in the
education, nurture, and supervision of their children?
(c)
Does this action help the family perform its
functions, or does it substitute governmental activity for the function?
(d)
Does this action by government increase or decrease family earnings? Do the
proposed benefits of this action justify the impact on the family budget?
(e)
Can this activity be carried out by a lower level of government or by the
family itself?
(f)
What message, intended or otherwise, does this program send to the public
concerning the status of the family?
(g)
What message does it send to young people concerning the relationship between
their behavior, their personal responsibility, and the norms of our society?
Sec. 2. Governmentwide Family Policy Coordination and Review.
(a)
Executive departments and agencies shall identify proposed regulatory and
statutory provisions that may have significant potential negative impact on the
family well-being and provide adequate rationale on why such proposal should be
submitted. The head of the department or agency, shall
certify in writing that, to the extent permitted by law, such measure has been
assessed in light of the criteria in Section 1 of this Order and how such
measures will enhance family well-being. Such certification shall be
transmitted to the Office of Management and Budget. Departments and agencies
shall give careful consideration to family-related concerns and their impact in
notices of proposed rulemaking and messages transmitting legislative proposals
to the Congress.
(b)
The Office of Management and Budget shall, to the extent permitted by law, take
action to ensure that the policies of the Executive departments and agencies
are applied in light of the criteria set forth in Section 1 of this Order.
(c)
The Office of Policy Development shall assess existing and proposed policies
and regulations that impact family well-being in light of the criteria
established by Section 1 of this Order, provide evaluations on those measures
that have significant potential impact on the family to the Office of
Management and Budget, and advise the President on policy and regulatory
actions that may be taken to strengthen the institutions of marriage and family
in America.
Sec. 3. Report. The
Office of Policy Development shall submit preliminary reports including
specific recommendations to the Domestic Policy Council and shall submit a
final report to the President no later than 180 days from the date of this
Order. Each year thereafter, a report, including recommendations shall be
submitted, through the Domestic Policy Council to the President.
Sec. 4. Judicial Review.
This Order is intended to improve the internal management of the Executive
branch and is not intended to create any right or benefit, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law by a party against the
Ronald
Reagan
The
White House,
[Filed with the Office
of the Federal Register,
Note: The executive
order was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on September 3.