Executive Order 11256—Establishing the President's Committee on Food and Fiber and the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows:

SECTION 1. Establishment of Committee. (a) There is hereby established the President's Committee on Food and Fiber (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee").

(b) The Committee shall be composed of the Secretary of Agriculture, who shall be the Chairman of the Committee; the Secretary of State; the Secretary of Commerce; and the Secretary of Labor. Each member of the Committee may designate an alternate member, who shall serve as a member of the Committee whenever the regular member is unable to attend any meeting of the Committee.

SEC. 2. Duties of the Committee. (a) The Committee shall:

(1) Appraise existing and alternative agricultural policies and foreign trade policies related thereto in terms of the national interest, the welfare of farmers, workers, consumers, rural Americans, and the general public; their effects on the performance of the economy and on foreign relations; and their implications for the optimum allocation of Federal resources among national objectives; and

(2) Develop such recommendations for action by Government or by private enterprise as it deems most appropriate to advance the general public interest.

(b) Such recommendations shall take into account the final report of the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber established by section 3 of this order, which report shall be transmitted to the President with the recommendations of the Committee.

SEC. 3. Establishment of Commission. (a) To assist the Committee in carrying out its functions under section 2 of this order, there is hereby established the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber (hereinafter referred to as the "Commission").

(b) The Commission shall be composed of members appointed by the President. The President shall designate the Chairman of the Commission from among its members.

(c) The Commission shall meet on call of the Chairman.

(d) Each member of the Commission may be compensated for each day such member is engaged upon the work of the Commission, and shall be reimbursed for travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 55a; 5 U.S.C. 73b-2) for persons in the Government service employed intermittently.

(e) The Commission shall have an Executive Director, who shall be designated by the President. Under the direction and supervision of the Chairman, the Executive Director shall direct and supervise staff assigned to assist the Commission in carrying out its responsibilities under this order.

SEC. 4. Duties of the Commission. (a) The Commission shall transmit to the Committee its independent analysis, evaluation, and recommendations with respect to all matters assigned to the Committee for study and recommendations.

(b) In carrying out its duties under subsection (a) above, the Commission shall:

(1) Make a comprehensive study and appraisal of the current economic situation and trends in American farming, including productivity, costs, prices, incomes, farm employment, labor standards, foreign trade, and related matters.

(2) Evaluate existing and alternative agriculture policies and foreign trade policies related thereto in terms of the national interest, the welfare of farmers, workers, consumers, rural Americans, and the general public; their effects on the performance of the economy and on foreign relations; and their implications for the optimum allocation of Federal resources among national objectives; and

(3) Develop such recommendations for action by Government or private enterprise as it deems appropriate to advance the general public interest.

(c) The Commission shall submit its final report and recommendations to the Committee no later than 18 months after the date of its first meeting and may make any interim reports which it deems would expedite the work of the Committee.

SEC. 5. Federal departments and agencies. (a) The Committee or the Commission is authorized to request from any Federal department, agency or independent instrumentality of the Government any information deemed necessary to carry out its functions under this order; and each department, agency, or instrumentality is authorized, to the extent permitted by law and within the limits of available funds, to furnish such information to the Committee or the Commission.

(b) Each department the head of which is named in section 1 (b) of this order shall, as may be necessary, furnish assistance to the Committee or the Commission in accordance with the provisions of section 214 of the act of May 3, 1945 (59 Stat. 134; 31 U.S.C. 691), or as otherwise permitted by law.

(c) The General Services Administration is hereby designated as the agency which shall, on a reimbursable basis, provide administrative services for the Commission.

SEC. 6. Termination of the Committee and the Commission. The Committee and the Commission shall terminate ninety days after the submission of the final report of the Commission.

SEC. 7. Revocation of Orders. Executive Order 10472 of July 20, 1953, and Executive Order 10937 of May 3, 1961, are hereby revoked.