Federal Agencies

The Office of Administration (OA) was created by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977 and Executive Order 12028. As a component of the Executive Office of the President, the Office's primary function is to provide common administrative and support services for the various agencies and offices of the EOP.

The Executive Office for Immigration Review, under a delegation of authority from the Attorney General, is charged with adjudicating matters brought under various immigration statutes to its three administrative tribunals: the Board of Immigration Appeals, the Office of the Chief Immigration Judge, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer.

Under authority of the Reorganization Act of 1939 (5 U.S.C. 133-133r, 133t note), various agencies were transferred to the Executive Office of the President by the President's Reorganization Plans I and II of 1939 (5 U.S.C. app.), effective July 1, 1939. Executive Order 8248 of September 8, 1939, established the divisions of the Executive Office and defined their functions. Subsequently, Presidents have used Executive orders, reorganization plans, and legislative initiatives to reorganize the Executive Office to make its composition compatible with the goals of their administrations.

The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under President Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government agencies. The NSC is chaired by the President. Its regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) are the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military advisor to the Council, and the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to the President, Counsel to the President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend any NSC meeting. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited to attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as well as other senior officials, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate. The National Security Council was established by the National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235 - 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402), amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). Later in 1949, as part of the Reorganization Plan, the Council was placed in the Executive Office of the President.

ACTION was established by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1971, effective July 1, 1971. ACTION's purpose was to mobilize Americans for voluntary service throughout the United States and in developing countries overseas through programs which help meet basic human needs and support the self-help efforts of low-income individuals and communities. ACTION's functions relating to SCORE and ACT programs were transferred to the Small Business Administration. Other functions exercised by the Director of ACTION prior to March 31, 1995 were transferred to the Corporation for National and Community Service by 107 Stat. 888 and Proclamation 6662 of April 4, 1994.

The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) was established under the Administrative Conference Act (5 U.S.C. 591-96), as a permanent independent agency of the Federal Government. ACUS provides suitable arrangements through which Federal agencies, assisted by outside experts, may cooperatively study mutual problems, exchange information, and develop recommendations for action by proper authorities to the end that private rights may be fully protected and regulatory activities and other Federal responsibilities may be carried out expeditiously in the public interest. Other purposes of the ACUS include the promotion of effective public participation and efficiency in the rulemaking process; The reduction of unnecessary litigation in the regulatory process; the improvement of the use of science in the regulatory process; and the improvement of the effectiveness of laws applicable to the regulatory process.

Created in 1939, the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AO) serves the federal Judiciary in carrying out its constitutional mission to provide equal justice under law. The AO is the central support entity for the Judicial Branch. It provides a wide range of administrative, legal, financial, management, program, and information technology services to the federal courts. The AO provides support and staff counsel to the Judicial Conference of the United States and its committees, and implements and executes Judicial Conference policies, as well as applicable federal statutes and regulations. The AO facilitates communications within the Judiciary and with Congress, the Executive Branch, and the public on behalf of the Judiciary.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of our nation's historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. The goal of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which established the ACHP in 1966, is to have federal agencies act as responsible stewards of our nation's resources when their actions affect historic properties. The ACHP is the only entity with the legal responsibility to encourage federal agencies to factor historic preservation into federal project requirements.

USDA’s Office of Advocacy and Outreach was established by the 2008 Farm Bill to improve access to USDA programs and to improve the viability and profitability of small farms and ranches, beginning farmers and ranchers, and socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers. As such, OAO is split into five key program areas: Socially disadvantaged farmers, small and beginning farmers and ranchers, Higher education institutions program, farm worker coordination, and community engagement.

The Agency for Healthcare Policy and Research was renamed the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) under the Healthcare Research and Quality Act of 1999 which amended Title IX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 299 et seq). AHRQ is the health services research arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). AHRQ is a home to research centers that specialize in major areas of health care research such as: quality improvement and patient safety, outcomes and effectiveness of care, clinical practice and technology assessment, and health care organization and delivery systems. AHRQ is also a major source of funding and technical assistance for health services research and research training at leading U.S. universities and other institutions. In addition AHRQ acts as a science partner, working with the public and private sectors to build the knowledge base for what works—and does not work—in health and health care and to translate this knowledge into everyday practice and policymaking. For more information on the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and its activities, please visit the agency homepage at http://www.ahrq.gov. __________ Source: http://www.ahrq.gov/about/ahrqfact.htm.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent Federal agency established by 22 U.S.C. 6563 that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. Its principal statutory authority is the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.). USAID serves as the focal point within the Government for economic matters affecting U.S. relations with developing countries. USAID administers international economic and humanitarian assistance programs. The Administrator is under the direct authority and foreign policy guidance of the Secretary of State. For more information on the U.S. Agency for International Development’s organization and activities, please visit the agency homepage at http://www.usaid.gov/.

In 1980, Congress created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to implement the health-related sections of laws that protect the public from hazardous wastes and environmental spills of hazardous substances. The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as the "Superfund" Act, provided the Congressional mandate to remove or clean up abandoned and inactive hazardous waste sites and to provide federal assistance in toxic emergencies. As the lead Agency within the Public Health Service for implementing the health-related provisions of CERCLA, ATSDR is charged under the Superfund Act to assess the presence and nature of health hazards at specific Superfund sites, to help prevent or reduce further exposure and the illnesses that result from such exposures, and to expand the knowledge base about health effects from exposure to hazardous substances.

The Administration on Aging (AoA) was created under the Older Americans Act of 1965. The AoA is the Federal agency responsible for advancing the concerns and interests of older people and their caregivers. AoA works with and through the Aging Services Network to promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of home and community-based long-term care that is responsive to the needs and preferences of older people and their family caregivers. AoA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging, who reports directly to the Secretary.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) was established by the Secretary of Agriculture on April 2, 1972, under the authority of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.) and other authorities. The Service administers standardization, grading, certification, market news, marketing orders, research and promotion, and regulatory programs. The Agricultural Marketing Service includes five commodity programs--Dairy, Fruit and Vegetable, Livestock and Seed, Poultry, and Cotton and Tobacco. The programs provide standardization, grading and market news services for those commodities. They enforce such Federal Laws as the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act and the Federal Seed Act. AMS commodity programs also oversee marketing agreements and orders, administer research and promotion programs, and purchase commodities for Federal food programs. The AMS National Organic Program (NOP) develops, implements, and administers national production, handling, and labeling standards for organic agricultural products. The NOP also accredits the certifying agents (foreign and domestic) who inspect organic production and handling operations to certify that they meet USDA standards. The AMS Science and Technology Program lends centralized scientific support to AMS programs, including laboratory analyses, laboratory quality assurance, coordination of scientific research conducted by other agencies for AMS, and statistical and mathematical consulting services. The AMS Transportation and Marketing Program brings together a unique combination of traffic managers, engineers, rural policy analysts, international trade specialists, and agricultural marketing specialists to help solve problems of U.S. and world agricultural transportation., provides better quality products to the consumer at reasonable cost, improves market access for growers with small-to medium sized farms, and promotes regional economic development. AMS is part of the Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) mission area. MRP agencies facilitate the domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and ensure the health and care of animals and plants. MRP agencies are active participants in setting national and international standards.

The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) was established on November 2, 1953 under the Secretary of Agriculture’s Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953. ARS is the principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS conducts research to develop and transfer solutions to agricultural problems of high national priority. It provides information access and dissemination to ensure high-quality safe food and other agricultural products; assess the nutritional needs of Americans; sustain a competitive agricultural economy; enhance the natural resource base and the environment; and provide economic opportunities for rural citizens, communities, and society as a whole. Research activities are carried out at 103 domestic locations (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and 5 overseas locations. Much of this research is conducted in cooperation with partners in State universities and experiment stations, other Federal agencies, and private organizations. National Programs, headquartered in Beltsville, MD, is the focal point in the overall planning and coordination of ARS' research programs. Day-to-day management of the respective programs for specific field locations is assigned to eight area offices. ARS also includes the National Agricultural Library (NAL), which is the primary resource in the United States for information about food, agriculture, and natural resources, and serves as an electronic gateway to a widening array of scientific literature, printed text, and agricultural images. NAL serves USDA and a broad customer base including policymakers, agricultural specialists, research scientists, and the general public. NAL works with other agricultural libraries and institutions to advance open and democratic access to information about agriculture and the Nation's agricultural knowledge.

The Department of Agriculture works to improve and maintain farm income and to develop and expand markets abroad for agricultural products. The Department helps to curb and cure poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. It works to enhance the environment and to maintain production capacity by helping landowners protect the soil, water, forests, and other natural resources. The Department, through inspection and grading services, safeguards and ensures standards of quality in the daily food supply. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) was created by act of May 15, 1862 (7 U.S.C. 2201).

The Department of the Air Force is responsible for defending the United States through control and exploitation of air and space. The Department of the Air Force (USAF) was established as part of the National Military Establishment by the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 502) and came into being on September 18, 1947. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 redesignated the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense, established it as an executive department, and made the Department of the Air Force a military department within the Department of Defense (63 Stat. 578). The Department of the Air Force is separately organized under the Secretary of the Air Force. It operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense (10 U.S.C. 8010). The Department consists of the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Air Staff, and field organizations.

The National Commission on Air Quality was a 13 member Commission created by the 1977 Clean Air Act Amendments. The Commission was required to report to Congress on the effectiveness of that law and on alternative approaches to controlling air pollution, in time for the next Congressional revision of clean air legislation. NCAQ was terminated upon submission of its final report on March 3, 1981.

On September 22, 2001, President Bush signed into law the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act ("Act") (Public Law 107-42). The Act establishes the Air Transportation Stabilization Board ("Board"). The Board may issue up to $10 billion in Federal credit instruments, e.g. (loan guarantees).

The Alaska Power Administration was established by the Secretary of the Interior in 1967. The Administration was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the Department of Energy by act of August 4, 1977 (91 Stat. 578).

The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, statutorily named the Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) was established under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (the Act) on January 24, 2003. Rendering the functions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) into two new organizations with separate functions, the Act created a new tax and trade bureau within the Department of the Treasury, and shifted certain law enforcement functions of ATF to the Department of Justice. The Act called for the tax collection functions to remain with the Department of the Treasury; and the new organization was called the “Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.” The mission of TTB is to collect alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and ammunition excise taxes that are rightfully due; to protect the consumer of alcohol beverages through compliance programs that are based upon education and enforcement of the industry to ensure an effectively regulated marketplace; and to assist industry members to understand and comply with Federal tax, product, and marketing requirements associated with the commodities we regulate.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is responsible for enforcing Federal criminal laws and regulating the firearms and explosives industries. ATF, formerly known as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, was initially established by Department of Treasury Order No. 221, effective July 1, 1972, which transferred the functions, powers, and duties arising under laws relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives from the Internal Revenue Service to ATF. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 531) transferred certain functions and authorities of ATF to the Department of Justice and established it under its current name. ATF works, directly and through partnerships, to investigate and reduce violent crime involving firearms and explosives, acts of arson, and illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products. The Bureau provides training and support to its Federal, State, local, and international law enforcement partners and works primarily in 23 field divisions across the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. It also has foreign offices in Mexico, Canada, Colombia, and France.

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) was established by Congress in 1923 to commemorate the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces where they have served overseas since 1917, and within the U.S. when directed by public law. The ABMC commemorative mission is reflected in 24 overseas military cemeteries that serve as resting places for almost 125,000 American war dead; on Tablets of the Missing that memorialize more than 94,000 U.S. servicemen and women; and through 25 memorials, monuments and markers.

The Amtrak Reform Council was an independent bipartisan Federal commission established under the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-134). The Council consisted of eleven members whose statutory mandate was to make recommendations to Amtrak in order to help it reach operational self-sufficiency, and to report annually to Congress on Amtrak's performance. On February 7, 2002, the Council released to Congress its Action Plan for the Restructuring and Rationalization of the National Intercity Rail Passenger System. The Council, in a vote of nine Council members in favor, one against, and one abstaining (Secretary of Transportation), adopted the Action Plan.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service was reestablished by the Secretary of Agriculture on March 14, 1977, pursuant to authority contained in 5 U.S.C. 301 and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Service was established to conduct regulatory and control programs to protect and improve animal and plant health for the benefit of man and the environment. In cooperation with State governments, the agency administers Federal laws and regulations pertaining to animal and plant health and quarantine, humane treatment of animals, and the control and eradication of pests and diseases. Regulations to prevent the introduction or interstate spread of certain animal or plant pests or diseases are also enforced by the Service. It also carries out research and operational activities to reduce crop and livestock depredation caused by birds, rodents, and predators.

The Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division is responsible for promoting and maintaining competitive markets by enforcing the Federal antitrust laws. This involves investigating possible antitrust violations, conducting grand jury proceedings, reviewing proposed mergers and acquisitions, preparing and trying antitrust cases, prosecuting appeals, and negotiating and enforcing final judgments. The Division prosecutes serious and willful violations of antitrust laws by filing criminal suits that can lead to large fines and jail sentences. Where criminal prosecution is not appropriate, the Division seeks a court order forbidding future violations of the law and requiring steps by the defendant to remedy the anticompetitive effects of past violations. The Division also is responsible for acting as an advocate of competition within the Federal Government as well as internationally. This involves formal appearances in Federal administrative agency proceedings, development of legislative initiatives to promote deregulation and eliminate unjustifiable exemptions from the antitrust laws, and participation on executive branch policy task forces and in multilateral international organizations. The Division provides formal advice to other agencies on the competitive implications of proposed transactions requiring Federal approval, such as mergers of financial institutions.

The Antitrust Modernization Commission was created pursuant to the Antitrust Modernization Commission Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-273). The Commission was charged by statute to examine whether the need exists to modernize the antitrust laws and to identify and study related issues; to solicit views of all parties concerned with the operation of the antitrust laws; to evaluate the advisability of proposals and current arrangements with respect to any issues so identified; and to prepare and submit to Congress and the President a report. The Antitrust Modernization Commission submitted its Report and Recommendations to Congress and the President on April 2, 2007. The Antitrust Modernization Commission terminated on May 31, 2007, pursuant to the Antitrust Modernization Commission Act, as amended

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a regional economic development agency that represents a partnership of federal, state, and local government. Established by an act of Congress in 1965, ARC is composed of the governors of the 13 Appalachian states and a federal co-chair, who is appointed by the president. Local participation is provided through multi-county local development districts. ARC funds projects that address the four goals identified in the Commission's strategic plan: (1) Increase job opportunities and per capita income in Appalachia to reach parity with the nation. (2) Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia to compete in the global economy. (3) Develop and improve Appalachia's infrastructure to make the Region economically competitive. (4) Build the Appalachian Development Highway System to reduce Appalachia's isolation. Each year ARC provides funding for several hundred projects in the Appalachian Region, in areas such as business development, education and job training, telecommunications, infrastructure, community development, housing, and transportation. These projects create thousands of new jobs; improve local water and sewer systems; increase school readiness; expand access to health care; assist local communities with strategic planning; and provide technical and managerial assistance to emerging businesses.

In 1986, Maryland ratified the Appalachian States Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact (Chapter 33, Acts of 1986). Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia also have ratified the Compact. The Compact established the Appalachian States Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission to assure interstate cooperation for the proper management and disposal of low-level radioactive wastes. The Commission identifies a host state (based on the volume and curie content of radioactive waste generated) to receive and dispose of radioactive waste from party states. Pennsylvania is currently the host state. Costs and benefits are distributed equitably among party states. Wastes generated outside the region may be banned by the Commission. To reduce the volume of low-level radioactive waste, the Commission conducts research and recommends regulations. The Commission also prepares contingency plans in the event the regional facility is closed and enters into temporary agreements for emergency disposal.

The mission of the Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) is to ensure that the appraisal regulatory system promotes real estate appraisals that are conducted with accuracy, independence, and impartiality, in compliance with federal and State regulations. It is a subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) and was established by the Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101-73).

The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the care and maintenance of the U.S. Capitol and the buildings and grounds of the Capitol complex. The agency implements construction, renovation, conservation, and landscape improvement projects as authorized by the Congress. The Architect of the Capitol is charged with operating and maintaining the buildings of the Capitol complex committed to his care by Congress. Permanent authority for the care and maintenance of the Capitol was established by the act of August 15, 1876 (40 U.S.C. 162, 163). The Architect's duties include the mechanical and structural maintenance of the Capitol, the conservation and care of works of art in the building under the Architect's jurisdiction, the upkeep and improvement of the Capitol grounds, and the arrangement of inaugural and other ceremonies held in the building or on the grounds. In addition to the Capitol, the Architect is responsible for the upkeep of all of the congressional office buildings, the Library of Congress buildings, the U.S. Supreme Court building, the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building, the Capitol Power Plant, the Capitol Police headquarters, and the Robert A. Taft Memorial. The Architect performs his duties in connection with the Senate side of the Capitol and the Senate office buildings subject to the approval of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. In matters of general policy in connection with the House office buildings, his activities are subject to the approval and direction of the House Office Building Commission. The Architect is under the direction of the Speaker in matters concerning the House side of the Capitol. He is subject to the oversight of the Committee on House Administration with respect to many administrative matters affecting operations on the House side of the Capitol complex. In addition, the Architect of the Capitol serves as the Acting Director of the U.S. Botanic Garden under the Joint Committee on the Library.

The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design. The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology. It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design and continues to enforce accessibility standards that cover federally funded facilities. The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal agencies and to directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities. Half of its members are representatives from most of the Federal departments. The other half is comprised of members of the public appointed by the President, a majority of whom must have a disability.

The United States Arctic Research Commission was established by the Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 (as amended, Public Law 101-609). The Commission's principal duties are (1) to establish the national policy, priorities, and goals necessary to construct a federal program plan for basic and applied scientific research with respect to the Arctic, including natural resources and materials, physical, biological and health sciences, and social and behavioral sciences; (2) to promote Arctic research, to recommend Arctic research policy, and to communicate our research and policy recommendations to the President and the Congress; (3) to work with the National Science Foundation as the lead agency responsible for implementing the Arctic research policy and to support cooperation and collaboration throughout the Federal Government; (4) to give guidance to the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) to develop national Arctic research projects and a five-year plan to implement those projects; and (5) to interact with Arctic residents, international Arctic research programs and organizations and local institutions including regional governments in order to obtain the broadest possible view of Arctic research needs.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home is the nation's oldest retirement community for enlisted military veterans. Established by Congress in 1851, a permanent trust fund was established and was fed by monthly, by active duty payroll deductions of 25 cents, when the average pay of a soldier was $7 a month. Fines and forfeitures from the armed forces and the monthly withholding have provided the principal support for the Home throughout its history. In 1991, Congress incorporated the U.S. Naval Home in Gulfport, MS, and U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home into an independent establishment in the Executive Branch of the Federal government known as the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH). Each facility was maintained as a separate entity of the Retirement Home for administrative purposes. In 2001, Congress renamed the U.S. Naval Home and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home the Armed Forces Retirement Home - Gulfport and the Armed Forces Retirement Home - Washington, respectively.

The mission of the United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency is to strengthen the national security of the United States by formulating, advocating, negotiating, implementing and verifying effective arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament policies, strategies, and agreements. In so doing, ACDA ensures that arms control is fully integrated into the development and conduct of United States national security policy.

The mission of the Department of the Army is to organize, train, and equip active duty and reserve forces for the preservation of peace, security, and the defense of our Nation. As part of our national military team, the Army focuses on land operations; its soldiers must be trained with modern arms and equipment and be ready to respond quickly. The Army also administers programs aimed at protecting the environment, improving waterway navigation, flood and beach erosion control, and water resource development. It provides military assistance to Federal, State, and local government agencies, including natural disaster relief assistance. The American Continental Army, now called the United States Army, was established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, more than a year before the Declaration of Independence. The Department of War was established as an executive department at the seat of government by act approved August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49). The Secretary of War was established as its head. The National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401) created the National Military Establishment, and the Department of War was designated the Department of the Army. The title of its Secretary became Secretary of the Army (5 U.S.C. 171). The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 578) provided that the Department of the Army be a military department within the Department of Defense.

The Assassination Records Review Board was an independent federal agency created to oversee the identification and release of records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The Review Board was established by the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection act of 1992 (PL 102-526), and was signed into law by George Bush. The five members of the Board were appointed by President Clinton, confirmed by the United States Senate, and sworn in on April 11, 1994. Having until October 1, 1996 to fulfill its mandate, plus an additional year at the Board's discretion to complete its responsibilities, the Board was terminated in September of 1998 following the issuance of its Final Report. [http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/arrb/]

The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program was established by the United States Congress in 1986 in honor of former United States Senator and 1964 Presidential candidate Barry Goldwater (R-Arizona). Its goal is to provide a continuing source of highly qualified scientists, mathematicians, and engineers by awarding scholarships to college students who intend to pursue careers in these fields.

The Department of Labor's Benefits Review Board was created in 1972, by Congress, to review and issue decisions on appeals of worker's compensation claims arising under the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Compensation Act and the Black Lung Benefits amendments to the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969.

The Bipartisan Commission on Entitlement Reform was established on November 5, 1993 by Executive Order 12878. The Commission, which began work in February 1994, was comprised of ten U.S. Senators, ten members of Congress, and twelve members of the public, along with a professional staff of 27. In their approach, the Commission went well beyond the topics of Social Security and Medicare and lumped together everything that might be considered an "entitlement" --from welfare programs to the home mortgage interest tax deduction to the cost of federal civilian and military retirement. Its goal was to devise a package of proposals which would reduce the overall cost of all of these programs. The Commission failed to achieve consensus and went out of business without issuing any recommendations. Instead, its final report was a compilation of competing proposals.

Hope for Homeowners Program along with the Board of Directors of the Hope for Homeowners Program were established under Title II, sec. 257 of the National Housing Act, as amended by the HOPE for Homeowners Act of 2008, located in Title IV of division A of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA),(Pub. L. 110-289, 122 Stat. 2654, approved July 30, 2008). Under the National Housing Act, the Board's duties are to establish requirements and standards for the HOPE for Homeowners Program. This program is a temporary program established within the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that offers homeowners and existing loan holders (or servicers acting on their behalf) FHA insurance on refinanced loans for distressed borrowers to support long-term sustainable homeownership by, among other things, allowing homeowners to avoid foreclosure. The HOPE for Homeowners Program is administered by HUD through FHA. The Board is composed of the Secretary of HUD, the Secretary of Treasury, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or their respective designees.

The Bonneville Power Administration's mission as a public service organization is to create and deliver the best value for our customers and constituents as we act in concert with others to assure the Pacific Northwest: (1) An adequate, efficient, economical and reliable power supply; (2) A transmission system that is adequate to the task of integrating and transmitting power from federal and non-federal generating units, providing service to BPA's customers, providing interregional interconnections, and maintaining electrical reliability and stability; and (3) Mitigation of the Federal Columbia River Power System's impacts on fish and wildlife. BPA is committed to cost-based rates, and public and regional preference in its marketing of power. BPA will set its rates as low as possible consistent with sound business principles and the full recovery of all of its costs, including timely repayment of the federal investment in the system.

The Broadcasting Board of Governors' mission is to promote freedom and democracy and to enhance understanding by broadcasting accurate, objective, and balanced news and information about the United States and the world to audiences abroad. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) became an independent agency on October 1, 1999, by authority of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6501 note). It is composed of nine members. Eight members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate; the ninth, an ex-officio member, is the Secretary of State. The BBG serves as the governing body for all nonmilitary U.S. broadcasting and provides programming in 56 languages via radio, television, and the Internet. The BBG broadcast services include the Voice of America, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. All BBG broadcast services adhere to the broadcasting standards and principles of the International Broadcasting Act of 1994, which include reliable, accurate, and comprehensive news; balanced and comprehensive presentations of U.S. thought, institutions, and policies, as well as discussions about those policies; information about developments throughout the world; and a variety of opinions from nations around the world.

The Office of Fiscal Service helps formulate policy and develop systems for the collection, disbursement, management and security of public monies in the United States and abroad, and related government-wide accounting and reporting for those funds. Programs of interest in the Fiscal Service are cash and debt management and forecasting, accounting policy, and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The Fiscal Assistant Secretary leads this office.

The U.S.Census Bureau was established as a permanent office by act of March 6, 1902 (32 Stat. 51). The major functions of the Census Bureau are authorized by the Constitution, which provides that a census of population shall be taken every 10 years, and by laws codified as title 13 of the United States Code. The law also provides that the information collected by the Census Bureau from individual persons, households, or establishments be kept strictly confidential and be used only for statistical purposes. The Census Bureau is responsible for the the decennial censuses of population and housing; the quinquennial censuses of State and local governments, manufacturers, mineral industries, distributive trades, construction industries, and transportation; current surveys that provide information on many of the subjects covered in the censuses at monthly, quarterly, annual, or other intervals; the compilation of current statistics on U.S. foreign trade, including data on imports, exports, and shipping; special censuses at the request and expense of State and local government units; publication of estimates and projections of the population; publication of current data on population and housing characteristics; and current reports on manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, services, construction, imports and exports, State and local government finances and employment, and other subjects.

The Census Monitoring Board was established under the Act of Nov. 26, 1997 (111 Stat. 2483) The Board consisted of 8 members, whose duties were to monitor all aspects of the preparation and implementation of the 2000 decennial census (including dress rehearsals and other simulations of a census in preparation therefore). The Board was terminated as provided in the establishing act as of September 30, 2001.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as part of the Public Health Service, is charged with protecting the public health of the Nation by providing leadership and direction in the prevention of and control of diseases and other preventable conditions and responding to public health emergencies. Within the CDC, there are four coordinating centers, two coordinating offices, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, originally designated the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA), was established as a subagency under the Department of Health and Human Services by the Reorganization Order of march 9, 1977. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was created to administer oversight of the Medicare Program and the federal portion of the Medicaid Program. It also ensures that program beneficiaries are aware of the services for which they are eligible and that those services are accessible and of high quality and develops health and safety standards for providers of health care services authorized by Medicare and Medicaid legislation. CMS is also responsible for administering the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and several other health-related programs.

The Central Intelligence Agency was established by the National Security Act of 1947, as amended (50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). It now functions under that statute, Executive Order 12333 of December 4, 1981, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (50 U.S.C. 401 note), and other laws, Executive orders, regulations, and directives. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) collects intelligence from human sources and other appropriate means, but, it does not carry out internal security functions nor exercise police, subpoena, or law enforcement powers. The Agency also correlates, evaluates, and disseminates intelligence related to national security; provides overall direction for and coordination of intelligence collecting outside the United States by U.S. Intelligence Community elements authorized to engage in human source collection. In coordination with other departments, agencies, or authorized elements of the United States Government, the CIA ensures that resources are used effectively and that adequate consideration is given to the risks to those involved in such collection and to the United States; it also carries out other intelligence-related functions and duties necessary for safeguarding national security as the President or the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) may direct; and it coordinates, under the direction of the DNI and consistent with section 207 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, relationships between elements of the U.S. Intelligence Community and the intelligence or security services of foreign governments or international organizations in matters of national security or intelligence that is acquired clandestinely.

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency's board members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The CSB conducts root cause investigations of chemical accidents at fixed industrial facilities. Root causes are usually deficiencies in safety management systems, but can be any factor that would have prevented the accident if that factor had not occurred. Other accident causes often involve equipment failures, human errors, unforeseen chemical reactions or other hazards. The agency does not issue fines or citations, but does make recommendations to plants, regulatory agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), industry organizations, and labor groups. Congress designed the CSB to be non-regulatory and independent of other agencies so that its investigations might, where appropriate, review the effectiveness of regulations and regulatory enforcement. [http://www.csb.gov]

The Office of Child Support Enforcement was established pursuant to act of January 4, 1975 (42 U.S.C. 651). Its mission is to provide leadership in the planning, development, management, and coordination of the Department's Child Support Enforcement programs and activities authorized and directed by title IV-D of the Social Security Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 651), and other pertinent legislation. The general purpose of this legislation and the Child Support Enforcement programs is to require States to enforce support obligations owed by absent parents to their children by locating absent parents, establishing paternity when necessary, and obtaining child support.

The Administration for Children and Families was created April 15, 1991, under authority of section 6 of the Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1953. The Administration provides advice to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues pertaining to children, youth, and families; child support enforcement; community services; developmental disabilities; family assistance; Native American assistance; refugee resettlement; and legalized aliens.

The Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commission was established by the act of August 7, 1984 (98 Stat.1257) and was formed on September 12, 1985. The Commission consisted of 30 members whose mission was to plan, encourage, coordinate and conduct the commemoration of the voyages of Christopher Columbus and to set forth general provisions and policies governing the process of recognition and support of the Quincentenary projects. In accordance with the terms of the act that established it, the Commission was terminated on December 31, 1993 after submitting a comprehensive report to Congress that incorporated the Commission's recommendations for the commemoration.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) was created under the Civil Rights Act of 1957, as amended, and reestablished by the United States Commission on Civil Rights Act of 1994, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1975). The Commission on Civil Rights collects and studies information on discrimination or denials of equal protection of the laws because of race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, or in the administration of justice in such areas as voting rights, enforcement of Federal civil rights laws, and equal opportunity in education, employment, and housing.

The United States Coast Guard was established by act of January 28, 1915 (14 U.S.C. 1) and became a component of the Department of Transportation on April 1, 1967, pursuant to the Department of Transportation Act of October 15, 1966. Following the enactment of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, The Coast Guard was transferred from Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003 (116 Stat. 2135). The Coast Guard protects the public, the environment, and U.S. economic interests in the Nation's ports and waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime region, as required, to support national security. Among its duties are: search and rescue operations in and over the high seas and navigable waters, maritime law enforcement, marine inspection and licensing, pilotage of the Great Lakes, protection of the marine environment by enforcing the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, ensuring the safety and security of ports and anchorages, maintaining the management of waterways, providing navigational aids, and regulating the construction, maintenance and operation of bridges and causeways across navigable waters.

The Department of Commerce encourages, serves, and promotes the Nation's international trade, economic growth, and technological advancement. The Department provides a wide variety of programs through the competitive free enterprise system. It offers assistance and information to increase America's competitiveness in the world economy; administers programs to prevent unfair foreign trade competition; provides social and economic statistics and analyses for business and government planners; provides research and support for the increased use of scientific, engineering, and technological development; works to improve our understanding and benefits of the Earth's physical environment and oceanic resources; grants patents and registers trademarks; develops policies and conducts research on telecommunications; provides assistance to promote domestic economic development; and assists in the growth of minority businesses.

The Commercial Space Transportation Office regulates and encourages the U.S. commercial space transportation industry. It licenses the private sector launching of space payloads on expendable launch vehicles and commercial space launch facilities. It also sets insurance requirements for the protection of persons and property and ensures that space transportation activities comply with U.S. domestic and foreign policy. Registration The agency provides a system for registering aircraft and recording documents affecting title or interest in the aircraft, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, and spare parts.

The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, established in 1910 by Act of Congress, is charged with giving expert advice to the President, Congress and the heads of departments and agencies of the Federal and District of Columbia governments on matters of design and aesthetics, as they affect the Federal interest and preserve the dignity of the nation's capital. The Commission consists of seven "well qualified judges of the fine arts" who are appointed by the President and serve for a term of four years; they may also be reappointed. The Commission provides advice to the U. S. Mint on the design of coins and medals, and approves the site and design of national memorials, both in the United States and on foreign soil, in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act or the American Battle Monuments Act, whichever applies.

The Commission on Immigration Reform was established by the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649) as an independent advisory commission. The Commission was created to review and evaluate the implementation and impact of U.S. immigration policy. Specifically, it focused on how the provisions of the implementing Act impacted family reunification, employment-based immigration, and diversifying the source of immigration, among other things. The Commission was terminated December 31, 1997.

The Commission on Protecting and Reducing Government Secrecy was established under Title IX of the Act of April 30, 1994 (Pub.L. 103-236. The purpose of the Commission was to review and provide comprehensive recommendations for reform designed to reduce the volume of classified information to strengthen the protection of legitimate classified information. The Commission was terminated in 1997 following the submission of its final report to Congress.

The Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States was established as an ad hoc independent presidential advisory Commission by the Act of November 22, 2003 (Pub. L. 108-32). Also known as the Overseas Basing Commission (OSBC), the Commission was created to conduct a comprehensive study of matters relating to the military facility structure overseas. The Commission was terminated in 2005.

The Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals was established by the Act of Nov. 26, 1997 (Pub. L. 105-119). The Commission was formed to study the structure and alignment of the federal appellate system, with particular focus on the Ninth Circuit. The Commission was terminated March 19, 1999 upon the submission of its final report.

The Commission on the Advancement of Federal Law Enforcement was established by the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-132). The Commission was created to review and ascertain, evaluate, report and recommend actions to the Congress on a broad spectrum of issues affecting federal law enforcement priorities for the Twenty-First Century. The Commission was terminated following the submission of its final report in February, 2000.

The Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution was established as an independent advisory commission by an Act of September 29, 1983 (Pub. L. 98-101). The Commission was created to plan and develop appropriate activities to commemorate the bicentennial of the signing of the Constitution, September 17, 1787, the formation of the three branches of government, and the Bill of Rights. The Commission was terminated on December 31, 1991.

The Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry was established as an independent public advisory commission by the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Pub. L. 106-398). The Commission was created to conduct a study of issues pertaining to the future of the U.S. aerospace industry in the global economy, particularly as it pertained to national security; and to assess the future importance of the domestic aerospace industry for the economic and national security of the national security of the United States.

The Commission on the Social Security Notch Issue was established by an Act of October 6, 1992 (Pub. L. 102-393). The Commission was charging with examining the question of whether those born in the "Notch" years had been treated unfairly and recommending, if necessary, remedial legislation and the means to pay for it. This so-called "Notch issue" has its origins in 1972, when Congress decided to create automatic cost-of-living adjustments to help Social Security benefits keep pace with inflation.

The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (CITA) was established as an independent Federal agency by the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) amendments of 1971. The function of the Committee was to provide employment opportunities for people who were blind or severely disabled. In 2006 JWOD was re-named AbilityOne. The AbilityOne Program uses the purchasing power of the federal government to buy products and services from participating, community-based nonprofit agencies nationwide dedicated to training and employing individuals with disabilities. Currently, AbilityOne employs more than 40,000 Americans who are blind or have other severe disabilities, making it the single largest source of jobs for such individuals in the United States.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA), an interagency group chaired by the Department of Commerce, is responsible for matters affecting textile trade policy and for supervising the implementation of all textile trade agreements. CITA negotiates and administers provisions of Free Trade Agreements; implements the short supply, wool provisions, and other aspects of the Trade Preference Acts; and takes textile and apparel safeguard actions, when appropriate, under the World Trade Organization (WTO). CITA administers textile and apparel quotas on non-WTO countries and safeguard limits. CITA coordinates the administration's efforts to combat illegal textile and apparel transshipment. CITA was established by the President in Executive Order 11651 on March 3, 1972 and is comprised of the Departments of Commerce, State, Labor, and Treasury and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office. CITA is chaired by the Commerce Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Textiles and Apparel. The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) provides the staff support for the Committee, monitors all agreements and provides economic analysis and statistical data upon which the Committee relies in taking action.

The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of promoting economic revitalization and community development through investment in and assistance to community development financial institutions (CDFIs). The CDFI Fund was established by the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994.

All Americans—including people with disabilities and older adults—should be able to live at home with the supports they need, participating in communities that value their contributions. To help meet these needs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) created a new organization, the Administration for Community Living (ACL). ACL brings together the efforts and achievements of the Administration on Aging, the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and the HHS Office on Disability to serve as the Federal agency responsible for increasing access to community supports, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities across their lifespan.

The Competitiveness Policy Council was established in 1991as an independent public advisory council by the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-418). The Council was created to develop recommendations for national strategies and on specific policies intended to enhance the productivity and international competitiveness of U.S. industries. During its existence, the Council made a number of important recommendations during its years of operation regarding pensions, education, public investment, trade negotiations, and many other issues. The Council was terminated in July 1996 after the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee withheld further funding of its operations on the grounds that the Council was "duplicative of private sector organizations" that performed the same function without receiveing Federal funding. [Source: Wickipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitiveness_Policy_Council]

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency was created February 25, 1863, (12 Stat. 665), as an independent bureau of the Department of the Treasury. Its mission is to ensure that national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banking organizations operating in the United States (banks) operate in a safe and sound manner, provide fair access to financial services, treat customers fairly, and comply with applicable laws and regulations. The Office is headed by the Comptroller, who is appointed for a 5-year term by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Office has the power to supervise and examine banks; approve or deny applications for new bank charters, branches, or mergers; take enforcement action against banks that do not comply with laws and regulations; and issue regulations and interpretations pertaining to banks. The Office supervises approximately 1,200 banks. The Office is independently funded through assessments on the assets of banks.

The Congressional Budget Office provides the Congress with economic analyses of alternative fiscal, budgetary, and programmatic policy issues, and with information and estimates required for the congressional budget process. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was established by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 601), which also created a procedure by which the United States Congress considers and acts upon the annual Federal budget. This process enables the Congress to have an overview of the Federal budget and to make overall decisions regarding spending and taxing levels and the deficit or surplus these levels incur.

The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) links the research and education resources and activities of USDA and works with academic and land-grant institutions throughout the Nation. In cooperation with its partners and customers, CSREES advances a global system of research, extension, and higher education in the food and agricultural sciences and related environmental and human sciences to benefit people, communities, and the Nation. CSREES's programs increase and provide access to scientific knowledge; strengthen the capabilities of land-grant and other institutions in research, extension, and higher education; increase access to and use of improved communication and network systems; and promote informed decisionmaking by producers, consumers, families, and community leaders to improve social conditions in the United States and around the world. These conditions include improved agricultural and other economic enterprises; safer, cleaner water, food, and air; enhanced stewardship and management of natural resources; healthier, more responsible and more productive individuals, families, and communities; and a stable, secure, diverse, and affordable national food supply. CSREES provides research, extension, and education leadership through programs in plant and animal systems; natural resources and environment; economic and community systems; families, 4-H, and nutrition; competitive research and integrated research, education, and extension programs and awards management; science and education resources development; and information systems and technology management. In 2009, CSREES was reorganized into the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008.

The Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention was established as an independent organization under the authority of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974 (Pub. L. 93-415) as amended. Access information about the Council, an independent organization in the executive branch that coordinates all federal juvenile delinquency prevention programs, all federal programs and activities that detain or care for unaccompanied juveniles, and all federal programs relating to missing and exploited children.

The United States Copyright Office, a part of the Library of Congress. It is the official U.S. government body that maintains records of copyright registration in the United States. It is used by copyright title searchers who are attempting to clear a chain of title for copyrighted works.

The Copyright Royalty and Distribution Reform Act of 2004 (CRDRA) established the Copyright Royalty Judges program in the Library of Congress. The Copyright Royalty Judges (Judges) oversee the copyright law’s statutory licenses, which permit qualified parties to use multiple copyrighted works without obtaining separate licenses from each copyright owner. The Judges determine and adjust royalty rates and terms applicable to the statutory copyright licenses. They also oversee distribution of royalties deposited with the Copyright Office by certain statutory licensees and adjudicate controversies relating to the distributions.

The Copyright Royalty Judges, who make up the Library of Congress’ Copyright Royalty Board, were established under the Copyright Royalty and Distribution Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-418). The Copyright Royalty Judges were created to replace copyright arbitration royalty panels and to make determinations and adjustments of reasonable terms and rates of certain royalty payments under certain sections of Title 17 of the United States Code. Other duties assigned to the Judges included making determinations concerning the adjustment of the copyright royalty rates; authorizing certain royalty fees collected to the extent that the Copyright Royalty Judges find that the distribution of such fees is not subject to controversy; accepting or rejecting certain royalty claims filed on the basis of timeliness or the failure to establish the basis for a claim; accepting or rejecting rate adjustment petitions and petitions to participate; determining the status of a digital audio recording device or a digital audio interface device; adopting as a basis for statutory terms and rates or as a basis for the distribution of statutory royalty payments, an agreement concerning such matters reached among some or all of the participants in a proceeding at any time during the proceeding; and performing other duties, as assigned by the Register of Copyrights within the Library of Congress.

The Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) was established as an independent entity within the Executive branch under the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008. Prior to its establishment of the CIGIE, the Federal Inspectors General operated under the auspices of the President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) and the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE) The mission of the CIGIE is to address integrity, economy and effectiveness issues that transcend individual Government agencies; and to increase the professionalism and effectiveness of personnel by developing policies, standards, and approaches to aid in the establishment of a well-trained and highly skilled workforce in the offices of the Inspectors General.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was established within the Executive Office of the President by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). The Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970 (42 U.S.C. 4371 et seq.) established the Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) to provide professional and administrative support for the Council. The Council and OEQ are collectively referred to as the Council on Environmental Quality, and the CEQ Chair, who is appointed by the President, serves as the Director of OEQ. The Council develops policies which bring into productive harmony the Nation's social, economic, and environmental priorities, with the goal of improving the quality of Federal decisionmaking. As required by NEPA, CEQ evaluates, coordinates, and mediates Federal activities; advises and assists the President on both national and international environmental policy matters; and prepares the President's annual environmental quality report to Congress. In addition, it oversees Federal agency and department implementation of NEPA.

The Office of Counsel to the President was created in 1943, and is responsible for advising on all legal aspects of policy questions, legal issues arising in connection with the President's decision to sign or veto legislation, ethical questions, financial disclosures, and conflicts of interest during employment and post employment. The Counsel's Office also helps define the line between official and political activities, oversees executive appointments and judicial selection, handles Presidential pardons, reviews legislation and Presidential statements, and handles lawsuits against the President in his role as President, as well as serving as the White House Contact for the Department of Justice.

The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia (CSOSA) is a Federal, Executive branch agency, created by Congress in 1997 to perform the offender supervision function for D.C. Code offenders. It does so in coordination with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Parole Commission. CSOSA's mission is to increase public safety, prevent crime, reduce recidivism, and support the fair administration of justice in close collaboration with the community. With a budget of $140 million and nearly 1,000 employees, CSOSA provides community supervision to 15,000 individuals on probation, parole or supervised release each day. [http://www.csosa.gov/about.aspx]

The Interagency Commission on Crime and Security in U.S. Seaports was established by Executive Memorandum of April 27, 1999 by President Clinton. The Commission was formed to examine and report on the importance of seaports to the nation’s commerce and the presence at seaports of crime and conspiracies associated with those crimes that “pose threats to the people and criminal infrastructures of seaport cities. The President called for a comprehensive review of the nature and extent of seaport crime and the overall state of security in seaports, as well as the ways in which governments at all levels are responding to the problem. __________ Source: http://www.securitymanagement.com/archive/library/seaport1200.pdf.

Until March 2003, the United States Customs Service was an agency of the U.S. Federal Government that collected import tariffs and performed other selected border security duties. Before it was dissolved to form part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Customs Service had three major missions: collecting tariff revenue, protecting the U.S. economy from smuggling and illegal goods, and processing people and goods at ports of entry.

The Defense Acquisition Regulations System (DARS) develops and maintains acquisition rules and guidance to facilitate the acquisition workforce as they acquire the goods and services DoD requires to ensure America's warfighters continued worldwide success.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission was a presidential advisory commission under the Office of the Secretary, Department of Defense. The Commission was established March 26, 1991 under the authority of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1991 (Pub. L. 101-510). The Commission was created to readdress charges brought against the process of a prior Defense Secretary’s Commission on Base Realignment and Closure established in 1988. The 1991 Commission reviewed recommendations made by the Secretary of Defense regarding base closures and realignments in 1991, 1993 and 1995. The Commission was terminated December 31, 1995.

The Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) is a subagency of the Department of Defense under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller. It was established January 8, 1965. While serving the public interest as its primary customer, The DCAA performs all necessary contract audits for the Department of Defense and provides accounting and financial advisory services regarding contracts and subcontracts to all DoD Components responsible for procurement and contract administration. These services are provided in connection with negotiation, administration, and settlement of contracts and subcontracts to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent on fair and reasonable contract prices. The DCAA also provides contract audit services to other Federal agencies as appropriate.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) was established in 1981 as the criminal investigative arm of the Office of Inspector General, Department of Defense. The Office of the Inspector General along with the DCIS was established under the DOD Authorization Act in 1983 (Pub. L. 97-252). The DCIS protects America’s Warfighters by investigating terrorism; preventing the illegal transfer of sensitive defense technologies to proscribed nations and criminal elements; investigating companies that use defective parts in weapons systems and equipment utilized by the military; stopping cyber crimes and computer intrusions; and investigating cases of fraud, bribery, and corruption to ensure taxpayer dollars are better spent defending our Nation.

The Department of Defense is responsible for providing the military forces needed to deter war and protect the security of our country. The major elements of these forces are the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, consisting of about 1.3 million men and women on active duty. They are backed, in case of emergency, by the 825,000 members of the Reserve and National Guard. In addition, there are about 600,000 civilian employees in the Defense Department. Under the President, who is also Commander in Chief, the Secretary of Defense exercises authority, direction, and control over the Department, which includes the separately organized military departments of Army, Navy, and Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff providing military advice, the combatant commands, and defense agencies and field activities established for specific purposes. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 redesignated the National Military Establishment as the Department of Defense and established it as an executive department (10 U.S.C. 111), headed by the Secretary of Defense.

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) was originally established as the Defense Communication Agency (DCA) within the Department of Defense by direction of the Secretary of Defense on May 12, 1960. The DCA was renamed Defense Information Systems Agency by DoD Directive 5105.19 of June 25, 1991. DISA is a combat support agency comprised of military, federal civilian, and contractor partners. DISA engineers and provides command and control capabilities and enterprise infrastructure to continuously operate and assure a global net-centric enterprise in direct support to joint warfighters, National level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across the full spectrum of operations. (Source: http://www.disa.mil/)

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was established on October 1, 1961 by DoD Directive 5105.21 of August 1, 1961. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) is a Department of Defense combat support agency and an important member of the United States Intelligence Community. It is comprised of more than 16,500 military and civilian employees worldwide, DIA is a major producer and manager of foreign military intelligence. We provide military intelligence to warfighters, defense policymakers and force planners, in the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community, in support of U.S. military planning and operations and weapon systems acquisition.

The Defense Investigative Service (DIS) was established by the Secretary of Defense, effective January 1, 1972, to consolidate certain investigative activities within the Department of Defense. The DIS's functions were to provide DoD components, and other U.S. Government agencies when authorized, with a single centrally directed personnel security investigative service. In 1999 The Defense Investigative Service changed its name to Defense Security Service.

In 1977, The Defense Supply Agency was renamed the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and was placed under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. DLA supports both the logistics requirements of the military services and their acquisition of weapons and other materiel. The Agency provides logistics support and technical services to all branches of the military and to a number of Federal agencies. Agency supply centers consolidate the requirements of the military services and procure the supplies in sufficient quantities to meet their projected needs. The Agency manages supplies in eight commodity areas: fuel, food, clothing, construction material, electronic supplies, general supplies, industrial supplies, and medical supplies.

The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) was established from the Mapping Charting and Geodesy Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), by DoD Directive 5105.40 of January 1 1972, pursuant to a Presidential directive (press release), November 5, 1971, under authority of the National Security Act of 1947 (61 Stat. 495), July 26, 1947, as amended, initiating the consolidation of mapping functions previously dispersed among the military services. Consolidation effected, and DMA became operational, effective July 1, 1972, pursuant to General Order 3, DMA, on June 16, 1972, which formally transferred specified DOD components to DMA. DMA was terminated and its functions were transferred to the National Imagery and Mapping Agency by Pub. L. 104-201 (Sept. 23, 1996) In 2003, NIMA was redesignated as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board reviews and evaluates the content and implementation of standards relating to the design, construction, operation, and decommissioning of defense nuclear facilities of the Department of Energy (DOE). The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board was established as an independent agency on September 29, 1988, by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2286-2286i). The Board is composed of five members appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Members of the Board are appointed from among United States citizens who are respected experts in the field of nuclear safety.

The Defense Special Weapons Agency (DSWA) was established by General Order No. 1 of July 1, 1971. DSWA serves as the DoD center for nuclear and advanced weapons effects expertise and performs essential missions in the areas of nuclear weapons stockpile support, nuclear effects research and operational support and nuclear threat reduction to include arms control verification technology development. The functions of DSWA were absorbed into the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) by DoD Directive 5105.62 of September 30, 1998.

The Delaware River Basin Commission was created under the terms of the Delaware River Basin Compact, Part I of Public Law 87-328 (September 27, 1961 75 Stat. 688) as a body politic and corporate, with succession for the duration of this compact, as an agency and instrumentality of the governments of the respective signatory parties (Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York). The Commission membership consisted of the Governors of the signatory states, ex officio, and one commissioner to be appointed by the President. The Commission’s ex officio membership consists of the Governors of the signatory states and the Division Engineer, North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Commission was ordered to develop and effectuate plans, policies and projects relating to the water resources of the basin. As such it was given the authority to adopt and promote uniform and coordinated policies for water conservation, control, use and management in the basin. Other responsibilities included the encouragement, planning, development and financing of water resources projects according to such plans and policies. [http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/regs/compa.pdf]

The DRA was established in 2000 as a formal framework for joint federal-state collaboration to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River and Alabama Black Belt regions. To fulfill this purpose, DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA works to create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those that reside in the region. DRA’s region encompasses 255 counties and parishes in parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. DRA’s enabling legislation dictates that at least 75% of DRA’s funds must be invested in economically distressed counties and parishes and isolated areas within non-distressed counties and parishes. In addition, half of DRA’s funds must support transportation infrastructure and basic public infrastructure.

The Denali Commission is an independent federal agency with its office in Anchorage, Alaska. Congress created it in 1998 through the Denali Commission Act (P.L. 105-277, 42 U.S.C. 3121. The Commission was designed to provide critical utilities, infrastructure, and economic support throughout Alaska. With the creation of the Denali Commission, Congress acknowledged the need for increased inter-agency cooperation and focus on Alaska’s remote communities. Since its first meeting in April 1999, the Commission is credited with providing numerous cost-shared infrastructure projects across the State that exemplify effective and efficient partnership between federal and state agencies, and the private sector.

The Office of Disability Employment (ODEP) is a sub-cabinet level policy agency within the Department of Labor authorized by Congress in the Department of Labor's FY 2001 appropriation. ODEP provides national leadership on disability employment policy by developing and influencing the use of evidence-based disability employment policies and practices, building collaborative partnerships, and delivering authoritative and credible data on employment of people with disabilities. With the ultimate goal of increasing the number of people with disabilities who work, either as employees or entrepreneurs, ODEP provides policy analysis, technical assistance, development of innovative practices and strategies, and education and outreach to employers, employees, and the disability community. Related to these efforts, ODEP also conducts a variety of employment-related programs and initiatives.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is the lead Federal agency in enforcing narcotics and controlled substances laws and regulations. DEA also enforces the Federal money laundering and bulk currency smuggling statutes when the funds involved in the transactions or smuggling are derived from the sale of narcotics. It was created in July 1973 by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973 (5 U.S.C. app.). DEA enforces the provisions of the controlled substances and chemical diversion and trafficking laws and regulations of the United States, and operates on a worldwide basis. It presents cases to the criminal and civil justice systems of the United States--or any other competent jurisdiction--on those significant organizations and their members involved in cultivation, production, smuggling, distribution, laundering of proceeds, or diversion of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illegal traffic in the United States. DEA disrupts and dismantles these organizations by arresting their members, confiscating their drugs, and seizing their assets; and creates, manages, and supports enforcement-related programs--domestically and internationally--aimed at reducing the availability of and demand for illicit controlled substances.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) promotes a better understanding of the U.S. economy by providing the most timely, relevant, and accurate economic accounts data in an objective and cost-effective manner. BEA's economic statistics are closely watched and provide a comprehensive picture of the U.S. economy. BEA prepares national, regional, industry, and international accounts that present essential information on such issues in the world economy. BEA's national economic statistics provide a comprehensive look at U.S. production, consumption, investment, exports and imports, and income and saving. The international transactions accounts provide information on trade in goods and services (including the balance of payments and trade), investment income, and government and private finances. In addition, the accounts measure the value of U.S. international assets and liabilities and direct investment by multinational companies. The regional accounts provide data on total and per capita personal income by region, State, metropolitan area, and county, and on gross State product. The industry economic account provides a detailed view of the interrelationships between U.S. producers and users and the contribution to production across industries.

The Economic Analysis Staff (EAS) was established on June 15, 1982, by Secretary of Agriculture’s Memorandum 1020-6. The primary responsibility of the EAS was to advise and assist the Assistant Secretary for Economics in fulfilling his responsibility for economic policy review and analysis in the Department of Agriculture. Regulations that related to the organization and functions of EAS at 7 CFR XXXIX were removed in the Federal Register of December 31, 1996 (61 FR 68997).

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) was created in 1965 under the Public Works and Economic Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3121) as part of an effort to target Federal resources to economically distressed areas and to help develop local economies in the United States. It was mandated to assist rural and urban communities that were outside the mainstream economy and that lagged in economic development, industrial growth, and personal income. EDA provides grants to States, regions, and communities across the Nation to help create wealth and minimize poverty by promoting a favorable business environment to attract private capital investment and higher skill, higher wage jobs through capacity building, planning, infrastructure, research grants, and strategic initiatives. Through its grant program, EDA utilizes public sector resources to create an environment where the private sector risks capital and job opportunities are created.

The mission of the Economic Research Service (ERS) is to inform and enhance public and private decisionmaking on economic and policy issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development. Activities to support this mission and the following goals involve research and development of economic and statistical indicators on a broad range of topics including, but not limited to, global agricultural market conditions, trade restrictions, agribusiness concentration, farm and retail food prices, foodborne illnesses, food labeling, nutrition, food assistance programs, worker safety, agrichemical usage, livestock waste management, conservation, sustainability, genetic diversity, technology transfer, rural infrastructure, and rural employment. Research results and economic indicators on such important agricultural, food, natural resource, and rural issues are fully disseminated to public and private decisionmakers through published and electronic reports and articles; special staff analyses, briefings, presentations, and papers; databases; and individual contacts. Through such activities, ERS provides public and private decisionmakers with economic and related social science information and analysis in support of the department's goals of enhancing economic opportunities for agricultural producers; supporting economic opportunities and quality of life in rural America; enhancing the protection and safety of U.S. agriculture and food; improving U.S. nutrition and health; and enhancing the natural resource base and environment.

The Economics and Statistics Administration (ESA) provides broad and targeted economic data, analyses, and forecasts for use by Government agencies, businesses, and others, as well as develops domestic and international economic policy. The Under Secretary is the chief economic adviser to the Secretary and provides leadership and executive management of the Bureau of the Census and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. ESA provides key business, economic, and international trade information products that American business and the public can use to make informed decisions through STAT.USA.

The Department of Education was established by the Department of Education Organization Act (Pub. L. 96-88) of October 17, 1979. The U.S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for, administers and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress. The Department's mission is to serve America's students—to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information about election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as audits the use of HAVA funds. Other responsibilities include maintaining the national mail voter registration form developed in accordance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

The Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce was a public advisory commission under the Internal Revenue Service. The Commission was established in 1999 by the internet Tax Freedom Act (Pub. L. 105-277) The general duties of the Commission were to conduct a thorough study of Federal, State and local, and international taxation and tariff treatment of transactions using the Internet and Internet access and other comparable intrastate, interstate or international sales activities. The Commission was adjourned on March 30, 2000 with the submission of its final report. [Source: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/ecommerce/index.htm]

The Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Board was established under Chapter II of the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee and Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Act of 1999 (Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 252), to oversee the activities indicated in the Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Program established under the same act. The Program was created to provide loan guarantees to qualified oil and gas companies, as described in the act's provisions, by private banking and investment institutions. The Board is composed of the Secretary of Commerce, the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Board was established under Chapter I of the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee and Emergency Oil and Gas Guaranteed Loan Act of 1999 (Aug. 17, 1999, 113 Stat. 252), to oversee the activities indicated in the Emergency Steel Loan Guarantee Program established under the same act. The Program is designated to provide guaranteed loans to qualified steel and iron ore companies by private banking and investment institutions. The Board is composed of the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the Chairman on the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Secretary of the Commerce Department.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) promotes and protects the pension, health, and other benefits of the over 150 million participants and beneficiaries in over 6 million private sector employee benefit plans. In administering its responsibilities, EBSA assists workers in understanding their rights and protecting their benefits; facilitates compliance by plan sponsors, plan officials, service providers, and other members of the regulated community; encourages the growth of employment-based benefits; and deters and corrects violations of the relevant statutes. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is enforced through 15 EBSA field offices nationwide and the national office in Washington, DC.

Employees' Compensation Appeals Board The Board is a three-member quasi-judicial body appointed by the Secretary which has been delegated exclusive jurisdiction by Congress to hear and make final decisions on workers' compensation appeals of Federal employees from determinations of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs (Office) arising under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act. The Employees' Compensation Appeals Board (Board) was created by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1946 (60 Stat. 1095). The Board is independent of the Office, and its jurisdiction is strictly appellate and extends to questions of fact and law. The Board's decisions are not reviewable and are binding upon the Office.

The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) was originally established as the Manpower Administration, a subagency of the Department of Labor by General Order No. 63 on August 25, 1954. Renamed Employment and Training Administration by Secretarial Order 14-75 of November12, 1975 ETA fulfills responsibilities assigned to the Secretary of Labor that relate to employment services, job training, and unemployment insurance. Component offices and services administer a Federal/State employment security system; fund and oversee programs to provide work experience and training for groups having difficulty entering or returning to the work force; formulate and promote apprenticeship standards and programs; and conduct continuing programs of research development, and evaluation.

The Employment Standards Administration (ESA), originally designated the Workplace Standards Administration, was established as a subagency within the Department of Labor, effective April 28, 1971, by Secretary's Order 13-71, May 4, 1971. The role of ESA was to administer Federal employment standards programs in areas of minimum wage and overtime, nondiscrimination and affirmative action, and workers' compensation. Supervises the activities of the Wage and Hour Division, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, and Office of Workers' Compensation Programs. Prior to 1978, ESA also administered, through the Women's Bureau, programs directed at improving employment conditions of working women. ESA was eliminated in 2009, leaving its four component agencies to function as independent agencies.

The Office of Energy and Environmental Policy (OEEP) serves as a focal point for the Department’s energy, environmental markets, and climate change activities, positioning USDA and the people they serve to meet future challenges and opportunities. OEEP coordinates policy analysis, long-range planning, research priority setting, and response strategies for addressing energy development and environmental policy.

The Department of Energy's mission is to foster a secure and reliable energy system that is environmentally and economically sustainable; to be a responsible steward of the Nation's nuclear weapons; to clean up the Department's facilities; to lead in the physical sciences and advance the biological, environmental, and computational sciences; and to provide premier scientific instruments for the Nation's research enterprise. The Department of Energy (DOE) was established by the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7131), effective October 1, 1977, pursuant to Executive Order 12009 of September 13, 1977. The act consolidated the major Federal energy functions into one Cabinet-level Department.

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible for formulating and directing programs designed to increase the production and utilization of renewable energy (solar, biomass, wind, geothermal, alcohol fuels, etc.) and hydrogen, and improving the energy efficiency of the transportation, buildings, industrial, and utility sectors through support of research and development and technology transfer activities. It also has responsibility for administering programs that provide financial assistance for State energy planning; the weatherization of housing owned by the poor and disadvantaged; implementing State and local energy conservation programs; and the promotion of energy efficient construction and renovation of Federal facilities.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) is the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. EIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policymaking, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. EIA is the nation's premier source of energy information, and, by law, its data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the U.S. government.

The Office of Energy Policy and New Uses (OEPNU) was established in 1999 as a subagency under the Department of Agriculture. The primary role of the OEPNU is to assist the Secretary of Agriculture in developing and coordinating Departmental energy policy, programs, and strategies. OEPNU is responsible for conducting research on the feasibility and economic and market potential of new uses for agricultural products. Current research has been focused on the development of biodiesel fuels, ethanol fuels, and other sources of biomass energy. Since 2009, an important area of analysis by OEPNU has been the integration of renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal) and agriculture. OEPNU in cooperation with the Rural Utilities Service also tracks the potential effects of deregulation of electric utilities on rural communities.

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The Corps story began more than 200 years ago when Congress established the Continental Army with a provision for a chief engineer on June 16, 1775. The Army established the Corps of Engineers as a separate, permanent branch on March 16, 1802, and gave the engineers responsibility for founding and operating the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Since then, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has responded to changing defense requirements and played an integral part in the development of the country. Throughout the 19th century, the Corps built coastal fortifications, surveyed roads and canals, eliminated navigational hazards, explored and mapped the Western frontier, and constructed buildings and monuments in the Nation's capital. While the mission and tasks have evolved with the needs and priorities of the Nation, the dedication and commitment of the workforce has remained constant. Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approximately 34,000 dedicated Civilians and Soldiers delivering engineering services to customers in more than 90 countries worldwide. With environmental sustainability as a guiding principle, our disciplined Corps team is working diligently to strengthen our Nation's security by building and maintaining America's infrastructure and providing military facilities where our servicemembers train, work and live. We are also researching and developing technology for our war fighters while protecting America's interests abroad by using our engineering expertise to promote stability and improve quality of life. We are energizing the economy by dredging America's waterways to support the movement of critical commodities and providing recreation opportunities at our campgrounds, lakes and marinas. And by devising hurricane and storm damage reduction infrastructure, we are reducing risks from disasters. [http://www.usace.army.mil/]

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing operates on basic authorities conferred by act of July 11, 1862 (31 U.S.C. 303), and additional authorities contained in past appropriations made to the Bureau that are still in force. Operations are financed by a revolving fund established in 1950 in accordance with Public Law 81-656. The Bureau is headed by a Director who is selected by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Bureau designs, prints, and finishes all of the Nation's paper currency and many other security documents, including White House invitations and military identification cards. It also is responsible for advising and assisting Federal agencies in the design and production of other Government documents that, because of their innate value or for other reasons, require security or counterfeit-deterrence characteristics.

Through the development of Environmental Readiness documents (ERD’s ) and Environmental Development plans (EDP’s), the Office of Environment provided an independent and objective assessment of the environmental risks and potential impacts associated with the extensive use of energy technology. (Jan. 2, 1980, 45 FR 6641)

The Environmental Protection Agency protects human health and safeguards the natural environment. The Environmental Protection Agency was established in the executive branch as an independent agency pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. app.), effective December 2, 1970. It was created to permit coordinated and effective governmental action on behalf of the environment. The Agency is designed to serve as the public's advocate for a livable environment.

The Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency (ECIE) was established by Executive Order 12805 of May 11, 1992. The ECIE, along with the President’s Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) were created as interagency committees chaired by the Office of Management and Budget's Deputy Director for Management. The mission of the ECIE is to continually identify, review, and discuss areas of weakness and vulnerability in Federal programs and operations to fraud, waste, and abuse, and to develop plans for coordinated, Government-wide activities that address these problems and promote economy and efficiency in Federal programs and operations.

Established as a separate agency within the Department of Commerce on Oct. 1, 1987 (50 U.S.C. app. 2401 et seq. The Bureau directed the Nation’s dual –use export control policy. Major functions included processing license applications and enforcing export control laws. These activities were central not only to fighting proliferation, but also to pursuing other national security, short supply, and foreign policy goals. Renamed the Bureau of Industry and Security by order of April 18, 2002 (67 FR 20630). __________ Source: U.S. Government Manual (1999/2000 ed.), p. 153. U.S. Government Manual (2009/2010 ed.), p. 603.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States helps the private sector to create and maintain U.S. jobs by financing exports of the Nation's goods and services. To accomplish this mission, the Bank offers a variety of loan, guarantee, and insurance programs to support transactions that would not be awarded to U.S. companies without the Bank's assistance. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank), established in 1934, operates as an independent agency of the U.S. Government under the authority of the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945, as amended (12 U.S.C. 635 et seq.). Its Board of Directors consists of a President and Chairman, a First Vice President and Vice Chair, and three other Directors, all are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. Ex-Im Bank's mission is to help American exporters meet government-supported financing competition from other countries, so that U.S. exports can compete for overseas business on the basis of price, performance, and service, and in doing so help create and sustain U.S. jobs. The Bank also fills gaps in the availability of commercial financing for creditworthy export transactions. Ex-Im Bank is required to find a reasonable assurance of repayment for each transaction it supports. Its legislation requires it to meet the financing terms of competitor export credit agencies, but not to compete with commercial lenders. Legislation restricts the Bank's operation in some countries and its support for military goods and services.

The Office of Family Assistance administers the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs. The TANF Bureau provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families by granting States, Territories and Tribes the federal funds and wide flexibility to develop and implement their own welfare programs. The Child Care Bureau (CCB) provides funds to States, Territories and Tribes to support low-income working families' access to affordable, quality early care and afterschool programs. In February 2006, former President George W. Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, which reauthorized the TANF program. The DRA reauthorization also included $150 million for discretionary grants to support programs designed to help couples form and sustain healthy marriages. Up to $50 million of this amount may be used for programs designed to encourage responsible fatherhood.

The Farm Credit Administration is responsible for ensuring the safe and sound operation of the banks, associations, affiliated service organizations, and other entities that collectively comprise what is known as the Farm Credit System, and for protecting the interests of the public and those who borrow from Farm Credit institutions or invest in Farm Credit securities. The Farm Credit Administration (FCA) was established as an independent financial regulatory agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government by Executive Order 6084 on March 27, 1933. FCA carries out its responsibilities by conducting examinations of the various Farm Credit lending institutions, which are Farm Credit Banks, the Agricultural Credit Bank, Agricultural Credit Associations, and Federal Land Credit Associations. FCA also examines the service organizations owned by the Farm Credit lending institutions, as well as the National Cooperative Bank.

The FPAC Business Center is a first-of-its-kind organization at USDA, combining the talent of employees from all three FPAC agencies into specialized teams that serve employees and customers across the Farm Service Agency (FSA), the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Risk Management Agency (RMA). This new business approach helps agencies improve operations and efficiency at USDA and boosts support for America’s farmers, ranchers and foresters.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers farm commodity, disaster, and conservation programs for farmers and ranchers, and makes and guarantees farm emergency, ownership, and operating loans through a network of State and county offices.

The Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board was created in October 1990 as a federal advisory committee charged with the purpose of developing accounting standards and principles for the United States Government. The mission of the FASAB is to promulgate Federal accounting standards after considering the financial and budgetary information needs of citizens, congressional oversight groups, executive agencies, and the needs of other users of federal financial information. Accounting and financial reporting standards are essential for public accountability and for an efficient and effective functioning of our democratic system of government. Thus, Federal accounting standards and financial reporting play a major role in fulfilling the government's duty to be publicly accountable and can be used to assess (1) the government's accountability and its efficiency and effectiveness, and (2) the economic, political, and social consequences of the allocation and various uses of Federal resources. [http://www.fasab.gov/pdffiles/fasab_facts_2009.pdf]

The Federal Acquisition Regulations System is established for the codification and publication of uniform policies and procedures for acquisition by all executive agencies. The Federal Acquisition Regulations System consists of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), which is the primary document, and agency acquisition regulations that implement or supplement the FAR. The vision for the Federal Acquisition System is to deliver on a timely basis the best value product or service to the customer, while maintaining the public's trust and fulfilling public policy objectives.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), formerly the Federal Aviation Agency, was established by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 (72 Stat. 731). The agency became a component of the Department of Transportation in 1967 pursuant to the Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 106). The mission of the FAA is to regulate civil aviation and U.S. commercial space transportation, maintain and operate air traffic control and navigation systems for both civil and military aircrafts, and develop and administer programs relating to aviation safety and the National Airspace System.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the principal investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice. It is primarily charged with gathering and reporting facts, locating witnesses, and compiling evidence in cases involving Federal jurisdiction. It also provides law enforcement leadership and assistance to State and international law enforcement agencies. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was established in 1908 by the Attorney General, who directed that Department of Justice investigations be handled by its own staff. The Bureau is charged with investigating all violations of Federal law except those that have been assigned by legislative enactment or otherwise to another Federal agency. Its jurisdiction includes a wide range of responsibilities in the national security, criminal, and civil fields. Priority has been assigned to areas such as counterterrorism, counterintelligence, cyber-crimes, internationally and nationally organized crime/drug matters, and financial crimes. The FBI also offers cooperative services to local, State, and international law enforcement agencies. These services include fingerprint identification, laboratory examination, police training, the Law Enforcement Online communication and information service for use by the law enforcement community, the National Crime Information Center, and the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) administers and enforces three equal opportunity mandates: Executive Order 11246, as amended; section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended, 38 U.S.C. 4212. These mandates prohibit Federal contractors and subcontractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or veteran status. They also require Federal contractors and subcontractors to take affirmative steps to ensure equal opportunity in their employment processes. OFCCP also shares responsibility with the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission in enforcing Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities is composed of the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Secretary of Education, the Director of the National Science Foundation, the Librarian of Congress, the Chairman of the Commission of Fine Arts, the Archivist of the United States, the Commissioner, Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration, the Administrator of the General Services Administration, the Director of the United States Information Agency, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, the Chairman of the National Museum Services Board, the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the Commissioner of the Administration on Aging.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror. FEMA can trace its beginnings to the Congressional Act of 1803. This act, generally considered the first piece of disaster legislation, provided assistance to a New Hampshire town following an extensive fire. In the century that followed, ad hoc legislation was passed more than 100 times in response to hurricanes, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. In 2001, the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th focused the agency on issues of national preparedness and homeland security, and tested the agency in unprecedented ways. The agency coordinated its activities with the newly formed Office of Homeland Security, and FEMA's Office of National Preparedness was given responsibility for helping to ensure that the nation's first responders were trained and equipped to deal with weapons of mass destruction. In March 2003, FEMA joined 22 other federal agencies, programs and offices in becoming the Department of Homeland Security. The new department, headed by Secretary Tom Ridge, brought a coordinated approach to national security from emergencies and disasters - both natural and man-made. On October 4, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act. The act significantly reorganized FEMA, provided it substantial new authority to remedy gaps that became apparent in the response to Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the most devastating natural disaster in U.S. history, and included a more robust preparedness mission for FEMA.

The Council is a formal interagency body empowered to prescribe uniform principles, standards, and report forms for the federal examination of financial institutions by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (FRB), the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and to make recommendations to promote uniformity in the supervision of financial institutions. In 2006, the State Liaison Committee (SLC) was added to the Council as a voting member. The SLC includes representatives from the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS), the American Council of State Savings Supervisors (ACSSS), and the National Association of State Credit Union Supervisors (NASCUS). .

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was established as an agency of the Department of Transportation by the Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 104). Title 23 of the United States Code and other supporting legislation authorize the Administration's various activities. FHWA's mission is to improve mobility on our Nation's highways through national leadership, innovation, and program delivery. The Administration works with Federal, State, and local agencies as well as other stakeholders and partners to preserve and improve the National Highway System, which includes the Interstate System and other roads of importance for national defense and mobility. The FHWA works to improve highway safety and minimize traffic congestion on these and other key facilities. The FHWA bears the responsibility of ensuring that America's roads and highways remain safe, technologically up-to-date, and environmentally-friendly. Through surface transportation programs, innovative and traditional financing mechanisms, and new types of pavement and operational technology, FHWA increases the efficiency by which people and goods move throughout the Nation. The Administration also works to improve the efficiency of highway and road connections to other modes of transportation. The Federal-aid Highway Program's budget is primarily divided between Federal-aid funding and the Federal Lands Highway Program.

The Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight Office oversees the financial safety and soundness of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to ensure that they are adequately capitalized and operating safely.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) was created on July 30, 2008, when the President signed into law the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The Act created a world-class, empowered regulator with all of the authorities necessary to oversee vital components of our country's secondary mortgage markets - Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. In addition, this law combined the staffs of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB), and the GSE mission office at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). With a very turbulent market facing our nation, the strengthening of the regulatory and supervisory oversight of the 14 housing-related GSEs is imperative. The establishment of FHFA will promote a stronger, safer U.S. housing finance system. As of June 2008, the combined debt and obligations of these GSEs totaled $6.6 trillion, exceeding the total publicly held debt of the USA by $1.3 trillion. The GSEs also purchased or guaranteed 84% of new mortgages. Considering the impact of these GSEs on the U.S. economy and mortgage market, it is critical that we intensify our focus on oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. FHFA is comprised of combined staffs of the former Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the former Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB), and the GSE mission office at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

The Federal Housing Finance Board (FHFB) is an independent agency of the United States Government, created by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 or FIRREA (pronounced "fur-EE-ah"). In the aftermath of the savings and loan crisis, the FHFB took over supervision of the Federal Home Loan Banks from the now-defunct Federal Home Loan Bank Board ("FHLBB"). (The Office of Thrift Supervision took over most other functions of the FHLBB.) On July 30, 2008, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 combined the FHFB and the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) to form the new Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and will cease its existence one year later, on July 30, 2009. The FHFB provided regulatory oversight of the nation's Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBs). The twelve regional FHLBs are privately-held government sponsored enterprises that ensure the supply of funds to local lenders that, in turn, finance loans for home mortgages. The FHLBs are located in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Des Moines, Indianapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, and Topeka. Each bank serves a separate, non-overlapping district within the United States.

The Federal Labor Relations Authority oversees the Federal service labor-management relations program. It administers the law that protects the right of employees of the Federal Government to organize, bargain collectively, and participate through labor organizations of their own choosing in decisions affecting them. The Authority also ensures compliance with the statutory rights and obligations of Federal employees and the labor organizations that represent them in their dealings with Federal agencies. The Federal Labor Relations Authority was created as an independent establishment by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.), effective January 1, 1979, pursuant to Executive Order 12107 of December 28, 1978, to consolidate the central policymaking functions in Federal labor-management relations. Its duties and authority are specified in title VII (Federal Service Labor-Management Relations) of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 7101-7135).

The FLETC serves as an interagency law enforcement training organization for 88 Federal agencies. The FLETC also provides services to state, local, tribal, and international law enforcement agencies. The FLETC is headquartered at Glynco, Ga., near the port city of Brunswick, halfway between Savannah, Ga., and Jacksonville, Fla. In addition to Glynco, the FLETC operates two other residential training sites in Artesia, N.M., and Charleston, S.C. The FLETC also operates a non-residential in-service re-qualification and advanced training facility in Cheltenham, Md., for use by agencies with large concentrations of personnel in the Washington, D.C., area. The FLETC has oversight and program management responsibilities at the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA) in Gaborone, Botswana, and Bangkok, Thailand. The FLETC also supports training at other ILEAs in Hungary and El Salvador.

The Federal Maritime Commission regulates the waterborne foreign commerce of the United States. It ensures that U.S. oceanborne trades are open to all on fair and equitable terms and protects against concerted activities and unlawful practices. The Federal Maritime Commission was established by Reorganization Plan No. 7 of 1961 (46 U.S.C. 301-307), effective August 12, 1961. It is an independent agency that regulates shipping under the following statutes: the Shipping Act of 1984, as amended (46 U.S.C. 40101-41309); Section 19 of the Merchant Marine Act, 1920 (46 U.S.C. 42101-42109); the Foreign Shipping Practices Act of 1988 (46 U.S.C. 42301-42307); and the act of November 6, 1966 (46 U.S.C. 44101-44106).

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, created in 1947, is an independent agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management peace and cooperation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with two regional offices and more than 70 field offices, the agency provides mediation and conflict resolution services to industry, government agencies and communities. The Agency helps build better relationships through joint problem-solving and constructive responses to inevitable conflict. In turn, this improves the ability of organizations to create value for customers, shareholders and employees alike, and substantially benefits the national economy. The Agency concentrates its efforts on assisting employers and employees in coping with the demands of a rapidly changing workplace.[http://www.fmcs.gov/internet/index.asp]

The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission ensures compliance with occupational safety and health standards in the Nation's surface and underground coal, metal, and nonmetal mines. The Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is an independent, adjudicative agency established by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 801 et seq.), as amended. It provides administrative trial and appellate review of legal disputes arising from enforcement actions taken by the Department of Labor. The Commission consists of five members who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate and who serve staggered 6-year terms. The Chairman is appointed from among the Commissioners by the President. The Commission and its Office of Administrative Law Judges are charged with deciding cases brought before it by the Mine Safety and Health Administration, mine operators, and miners or their representatives. These cases generally involve review of the Administration's enforcement actions, including citations, mine-closure orders, and proposals for civil penalties issued for violations of the act or the mandatory safety and health standards promulgated by the Secretary of Labor. The Commission also has jurisdiction over discrimination complaints filed by miners or their representatives in connection with their safety and health, complaints for compensation filed on behalf of miners idled as a result of mine closure orders issued by the Administration, and disputes over mine emergency response plans.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 113). Formerly a part of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries. Activities of the Administration contribute to ensuring safety in motor carrier operations through strong enforcement of safety regulations, targeting high-risk carriers and commercial motor vehicle drivers; improving safety information systems and commercial motor vehicle technologies; strengthening commercial motor vehicle equipment and operating standards; and increasing safety awareness. To accomplish these activities, the Administration works with Federal, State, and local enforcement agencies, the motor carrier industry, labor safety interest groups, and others.

The Advisory Committee on Federal Pay was established by the Federal Pay Comparability Act of 1970. It consisted of three experts on pay and labor relations who were Federal employees only for the time that they served on this Committee. The Committee served as an independent third party in advising the President on salary adjustments for Federal white-collar employees. In making its recommendations on pay increases for these Federal employees, the Committee considered pay in the private sector, the view of Federal employee organizations, government officials and pay experts. __________ Source: Federal Register (Feb. 26, 1982, [47 FR 8388]).

The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC) is established under Title XLI of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (Public Law 114-94) (FAST Act). The FPISC is responsible for leading ongoing government-wide efforts to modernize the Federal permitting and review process for major infrastructure projects and work with Federal agency partners to implement and oversee adherence to the statutory requirements set forth in the FAST Act.

Federal Prison Industries (commonly referred to as FPI, or by its trade name UNICOR), is a wholly-owned government corporation established by the Congress June 23, 1934. Its mission is to employ and provide job skills training to the greatest practicable number of inmates confined within the Federal Bureau of Prisons; contribute to the safety and security of our Nation's federal correctional facilities by keeping inmates constructively occupied; provide market-quality products and services; operate in a self-sustaining manner; and to minimize FPI's impact on private sector business and labor. [http://www.unicor.gov/about/faqs/faqsgeneral.cfm]

The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) in the Office of Management and Budget plays a central role in shaping the policies and practices federal agencies use to acquire the goods and services they need to carry out their responsibilities. OFPP was established by Congress in 1974 to provide overall direction for government-wide procurement policies, regulations and procedures and to promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in acquisition processes. OFPP is headed by an Administrator who is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. Through a variety of statutory authorities and results-oriented policy initiatives, OFPP seeks to ensure the federal acquisition system provides the best value to the taxpayer. Current priorities are designed to provide for a better skilled and more agile workforce, consistent and effective use of competition, contract vehicles that reflect the government's buying power, and a data system that gives federal managers the information they need to evaluate results and plan effectively for the future. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/procurement_mission/]

The Federal Railroad Administration was created pursuant to section 3(e)(1) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (49 U.S.C. 103). The purpose of the Administration is to promulgate and enforce rail safety regulations, administer railroad financial assistance programs, conduct research and development in support of improved railroad safety and national rail transportation policy, provide for the rehabilitation of Northeast Corridor rail passenger service, and consolidate government support of rail transportation activities.

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) prepares and publishes a wide variety of public documents. Upon issuance, acts of Congress are published in slip law (pamphlet) form and then cumulated and published for each session of Congress in the United States Statutes at Large. Each Federal workday, the OFR publishes the Federal Register, which contains current Presidential proclamations and Executive orders, Federal agency regulations having general applicability and legal effect, proposed agency rules, and documents required by statute to be published. All Federal regulations in force are codified annually in the Code of Federal Regulations. Presidential speeches, news conferences, messages, and other materials released by the White House Office of the Press Secretary are published online in the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents and annually in the Public Papers of the Presidents. The United States Government Manual,published annually, serves as the official handbook of the Federal Government, providing extensive information on the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.

The Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) was established in 1935 under the Federal Register Act (FRA) (44 U.S.C. Chapter 15) as a permanent executive/legislative branch authority charged with overseeing the functions of the Federal Register publication system.

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board administers the Thrift Savings Plan, which provides Federal employees the opportunity to save for additional retirement security. The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board was established as an independent agency by the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (5 U.S.C. 8351 and 8401-79). The act vests responsibility for the agency in six named fiduciaries: the five Board members and the Executive Director. The five members of the Board, one of whom is designated as Chairman, are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate and serve on the Board on a part-time basis. The members appoint the Executive Director, who is responsible for the management of the agency and the Plan.

The Federal Service Impasses Panel, an entity within the Federal Labor Relations Authority, is assigned the function of providing assistance in resolving negotiation impasses between agencies and unions. After investigating an impasse, the Panel can either recommend procedures to the parties for the resolution of the impasse or assist the parties in resolving the impasse through whatever methods and procedures it considers appropriate, including fact-finding and recommendations. If the parties do not arrive at a settlement after assistance by the Panel, the Panel may hold hearings and take whatever action is necessary to resolve the impasse.

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) (formerly the Urban Mass Transportation Administration) was established as an operating administration of the Department of Transportation by section 1 of Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1968 (5 U.S.C. app. 1), effective July 1, 1968. FTA's mission is to assist in developing improved mass transportation, encourage the planning and establishment of areawide mass transportation systems, and provide financial assistance to State and local governments to finance mass transportation systems and carry out national transit goals and policy.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury established the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in 1990 to provide a government-wide multisource financial intelligence and analysis network. The organization's operation was broadened in 1994 to include regulatory responsibilities for administering the Bank Secrecy Act, one of the nation's most potent weapons for preventing corruption of the U.S. financial system. The mission of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network is to enhance U.S. national security, deter and detect criminal activity, and safeguard financial systems from abuse by promoting transparency in the U.S. and international financial systems.

The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission was created by the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009. It's purpose being to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." The membership of the bi-partisan Commission consists of 10 prominent private citizens with significant experience in banking, market regulation, taxation, finance, economics, housing, and consumer protection. The FCIC is charged with conducting a comprehensive examination of 22 specific and substantive areas of inquiry related to the financial crisis.

The Office of Financial Research (OFR) was established within the Department of the Treasury under Sec. 152 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Public Law 111-203). The OFR was created to improve the quality of financial data available to policymakers and facilitate more robust and sophisticated analysis of the financial system. To execute these functions, the OFR has two primary operational centers: a Data Center to standardize, validate, and maintain the data necessary to help regulators identify vulnerabilities in the system as a whole, and a Research and Analysis Center to conduct, coordinate, and sponsor research to support and improve operational simplicity.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) was established on July 21, 2010 by Public Law 111-203 (Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act). The Council was created to provide collective accountability for identifying risks and responding to emerging threats to financial stability. The FSOC has been granted the authority to constrain excessive risk in the financial system and to .avoid the regulatory gaps that existed before the recent crisis to help minimize the risk of a nonbank financial firm threatening the stability of the financial system. Additionally, the duties of the FSOC include assisting with the identification of emerging risks to financial stability, the FSOC provides direction to, and requests data and analyses from the Treasury Department’s Office of Financial Research. (Source: Financial Stability Oversight Council http://www.treas.gov/FSOC)

The First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet, is an independent government authority mandated to provide a single interoperable platform for emergency and daily public safety communications. FirstNet was created by the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, signed into law on February 22, 2012. Under that law, FirstNet was directed to build, operate and maintain the first high-speed, nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to public safety. Using nationwide the 700 MHz spectrum, FirstNet puts an end to decades-long interoperability and communications challenges and helps to keep communities and emergency responders safer.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the only agency in the Federal government whose primary responsibility is the conservation and management of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the American people. Its origins date back to 1871 when Congress established the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries to study why the nation’s food fishes were decreasing and recommend ways to reverse that decline. A second predecessor agency, the Bureau of Biological Survey, was established in 1885. In 1939, Fisheries and Biological Survey were moved to the Department of the Interior, and on June 30, 1940, they were combined to create the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Food and Consumer Service (FCS) was originally named the Food and Nutrition Service as established under Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 by the Secretary of Agriculture. The Food and Nutrition Service was abolished by the Secretary’s Memorandum 1010-1 dated Oct. 20, 1994. The functions of which were assumed by Food and Consumer Service. In 1998, the Food and Consumer Service was again renamed the Food and Nutrition Service as per the regulation published in the Federal Register of Feb. 26, 1998 (63 FR 9721). The duties of the Food and Consumer and Food and Nutrition Services as stated in the US Government Manual were to administer programs (Food Stamp Program, Special Nutrition Programs, Food Distribution Programs, Supplemental Food Programs, Commodity Supplemental Food Programs, and Nutrition, Education and Training Programs) to make food assistance available to people who need it. These programs were operated in cooperation with State and local governments. For further information on the functions, organization, and activities applicable to the current Food and Nutrition Service, please click on the agency description via this site, or visit the FNS webpage at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/about.htm. __________ Source: Information taken from U.S. Government Manual, 1996/97 and 2009/2010 editions

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, the Nation's food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by accelerating innovations to make medicines more effective and providing the public with accurate, science-based information on medicines and food to improve their health. FDA plays a significant role in addressing the Nation's counterterrorism capability and ensuring the security of the food supply.

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the USDA food assistance programs. These programs, which serve one in six Americans, represent our Nation's commitment to the principle that no one in this country should fear hunger or experience want. They provide a Federal safety net to people in need. The goals of the programs are to provide needy persons with access to a more nutritious diet, to improve the eating habits of the Nation's children, and to help America's farmers by providing an outlet for distributing foods purchased under farmer assistance authorities. The Service works in partnership with the States in all its programs. State and local agencies determine most administrative details regarding distribution of food benefits and eligibility of participants, and FNS provides commodities and funding for additional food and to cover administrative costs.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) was established by the Secretary of Agriculture on June 17, 1981, pursuant to authority contained in 5 U.S.C. 301 and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.). FSIS is responsible for ensuring that the nation's commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. Meat, Poultry, and Egg Products Inspection Federal meat and poultry inspection is mandatory for cattle, calves, swine, goats, sheep, lambs, horses (and other equines), chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, and guineas used for human food. FSIS provides for the inspection of each animal or bird at slaughter and processed products during various stages of production. FSIS inspects all raw meat and poultry sold in interstate and foreign commerce, including imported products. It monitors meat and poultry products after they leave federally inspected plants. FSIS tests samples of egg products and meat and poultry products for microbial and chemical contaminants to monitor trends for enforcement purposes. FSIS provides inspection at Federal facilities for meat, poultry, and egg products, as well as voluntary inspection for animals not covered under mandatory inspection regulations such as buffalo, rabbit, and deer. It monitors meat and poultry products in storage, distribution, and retail channels; and takes necessary compliance actions to protect the public, including detention of products, voluntary product recalls, court-ordered seizures of products, administrative withdrawal of inspection, and referral for criminal prosecution. FSIS also monitors state inspection programs which inspect meat and poultry products sold only within the state in which they were produced.

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) works to improve foreign market access for U.S. products, to build new markets, to improve the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace, and to provide food aid and technical assistance to foreign countries. FAS has the primary responsibility for USDA's activities in the areas of international marketing, trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection and analysis of international statistics and market information. It also administers the USDA's export credit guarantee and food aid programs. FAS helps increase income and food availability in developing nations by mobilizing expertise for agriculturally led economic growth. FAS also enhances U.S. agricultural competitiveness through a global network of agricultural economists, marketing experts, negotiators, and other specialists. FAS agricultural counselors, attaches, trade officers, and locally employed FAS staff stationed in over 90 countries support U.S. agricultural interests and cover 140 countries. In addition to agricultural affairs offices in U.S. embassies, agricultural trade offices also have been established in a number of key foreign markets and function as service centers for U.S. exporters and foreign buyers seeking market information. Reports prepared by our overseas offices cover changes in policies and other developments that could affect U.S. agricultural exports. FAS staff in U.S. embassies around the world assess U.S. export marketing opportunities and respond to the daily informational needs of those who develop, initiate, monitor, and evaluate U.S. food and agricultural policies and programs. In addition to data collection, FAS also maintains a worldwide agricultural reporting system based on information from U.S. agricultural traders, remote sensing systems, and other sources. Analysts in Washington, DC, prepare production forecasts, assess export marketing opportunities, and track changes in policies affecting U.S. agricultural exports and imports. FAS programs help U.S. exporters develop and maintain markets for hundreds of food and agricultural products, from bulk commodities to brand name items. Formal market promotion activities are carried out chiefly in cooperation with agricultural trade associations, State-regional trade groups, small businesses, and cooperatives that plan, manage, and contribute staff resources and funds to support these efforts. FAS also provides guidance to help exporters locate buyers and provides assistance through a variety of other methods. This includes supporting U.S. participation in several major trade shows and a number of single-industry exhibitions each year.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the US Department of the Treasury administers and enforces economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign policy and national security goals against targeted foreign countries and regimes, terrorists, international narcotics traffickers, those engaged in activities related to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and other threats to the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States. OFAC acts under Presidential national emergency powers, as well as authority granted by specific legislation, to impose controls on transactions and freeze assets under US jurisdiction. Many of the sanctions are based on United Nations and other international mandates, are multilateral in scope, and involve close cooperation with allied governments.

The Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States is a quasi-judicial, independent agency within the Department of Justice which adjudicates claims of U.S. nationals against foreign governments, either under specific jurisdiction conferred by Congress or pursuant to international claims settlement agreements. The decisions of the Commission are final and are not reviewable under any standard by any court or other authority. Funds for payment of the Commission's awards are derived from congressional appropriations, international claims settlements, or the liquidation of foreign assets in the United States by the Departments of Justice and the Treasury. The Commission also has authority to receive, determine the validity and amount, and provide for the payment of claims by members of the U.S. armed services and civilians held as prisoners of war or interned by a hostile force in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam conflict, or by the survivors of such service members and civilians. The Commission is also responsible for maintaining records and responding to inquiries related to the various claims programs it has conducted against the Governments of Albania, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia, the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Iran, Italy, Panama, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union, Vietnam, and Yugoslavia, as well as those authorized under the War Claims Act of 1948 and other statutes.

The Foreign Service Grievance Board was established under Section 1105 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as amended (the Act). The purpose of the Board is to determine jurisdiction in cases involving grievances and separation for cause proceedings; to compile a record of such cases; to conduct hearings in such cases, when required or deemed necessary; and to decide such cases, or otherwise disposing of them so as to ensure the fullest measure of due process for the members of the foreign service. T he Board consists of no fewer than five members who are independent, distinguished citizens of the United States. Well known for their integrity, they are not employees of the foreign affairs agencies or members of the Service.

The Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel (the Disputes Panel) was created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980. The purpose of the Disputes Panel is to resolve impasses between Federal agencies and Foreign Service personnel in the Agency for International Development and the Departments of State, Agriculture and Commerce over conditions of employment under the Foreign Service Act of 1980. The Disputes Panel consists of five part-time members appointed by the Chair of the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board (the FLRA Chair). The staff of the Federal Service Impasses Panel supports the Disputes Panel.

The Foreign Service Labor Relations Board (the Board), which is composed of three Members appointed by the Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority, was created by the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to administer the labor-management relations program for Foreign Service employees in the U.S. Information Agency, the Agency for International Development, and the Departments of State, Agriculture and Commerce. The Board is supported by the staff of the FLRA. The FLRA Chairman serves as Chairman of the Board and the FLRA General Counsel serves as General Counsel for the Board.

The Foreign-Trade Zones Board was established under the Foreign-Trade Zones Act of June 18, 1934, as amended (Pub. L. 397, 48 Stat. 998-1003). The FTZB consists of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce (chairman) and the Secretary of the Treasury, or their designated alternates. The Board has the authority to Prescribe rules and regulations concerning zones; issue grants of authority for zones and subzones, and approve modifications to the original zone project; approve manufacturing and processing certain activity in zones and subzones; make determinations on matters requiring Board decisions; decide appeals in regard to certain decisions of the Commerce Department's Assistant Secretary for Import Administration or the Executive Secretary; inspect the premises, operations and accounts of zone grantees and operators; require zone grantees to report on zone operations; report annually to the Congress on zone operations; restrict or prohibit zone operations; impose fines for violations of the Act; revoke grants of authority for cause; and determine, as appropriate, whether zone activity is or would be in the public interest or detrimental to the public interest.

The U.S.Forest Service was established in 1905 under the Transfer Act of February 1, 1905 (16 U.S.C. 472) which transferred the Federal forest reserves and the responsibility for their management from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture. The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The General Services Administration (GSA) was established by section 101 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (40 U.S.C. 751). The General Services Administration establishes policy for and provides economical and efficient management of Government property and records, including construction and operation of buildings; procurement and distribution of supplies; utilization and disposal of real and personal property; transportation, travel, fleet, and communications management; and management of the governmentwide automatic data processing resources program.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is a Federal body created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947. The Board was created to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. Sharing its responsibilities with the Secretary of the Interior, the Board promulgates official geographic feature names with locative attributes as well as principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of domestic names, foreign names, Antarctic names, and undersea feature names. The Board is made up of representatives of Federal agencies concerned with geographic information, population, ecology, and management of public lands.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was established by the Organic Act of March 3, 1879 (43 U.S.C. 31). USGS classifies public lands, examines the geological structure, and assesses the energy, mineral, water, and biology resources and products within and outside the national domain. USGS provides relevant, objective scientific studies and information used to help address issues and solve problems dealing with natural resources, natural hazards, and the environmental effects on human and wildlife health.

The Government Accountability Office is the investigative arm of the Congress and is charged with examining all matters relating to the receipt and disbursement of public funds. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent, nonpartisan Agency that works for Congress. GAO is often called the "congressional watchdog'' because it investigates how the Federal Government spends taxpayer dollars. The GAO was established as the General Accounting Office by the Budget Accounting Act of 1921 (31 U.S.C. 702). It was renamed the Government Accountability Office pursuant to the GAO Capital Reform Act of 2004 (31 U.S.C. 702 note).

The Office of Government Ethics (OGE), a small agency within the executive branch, was established by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. Originally part of the Office of Personnel Management, OGE became a separate agency on October 1, 1989 as part of the Office of Government Ethics Reauthorization Act of 1988. The Office of Government Ethics exercises leadership in the executive branch to prevent conflicts of interest on the part of Government employees, and to resolve those conflicts of interest that do occur. In partnership with executive branch agencies and departments, OGE fosters high ethical standards for employees and strengthens the public's confidence that the Government's business is conducted with impartiality and integrity.

The Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA) was created in 1968 under the National Housing Act of 1934 and its subsequent amendments. GNMA, also known as 'Ginnie Mae' was created as a Government-owned corporation within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The mission of Ginnie Mae, is to support expanded affordable housing by providing an efficient Government-guaranteed secondary market vehicle to link the capital markets with Federal housing markets. Ginnie Mae guarantees mortgage-backed securities composed of FHA-insured or VA-guaranteed mortgage loans that are issued by private lenders and guaranteed by GNMA with the full faith and credit of the United States. Through these programs, Ginnie Mae increases the overall supply of credit available for housing by providing a vehicle for channeling funds from the securities market into the mortgage market.

The Government Printing Office was created by Congress in June of 1860 as an agency of the legislative branch of the Federal Government. GPO is the Federal Government's primary centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and preserving published information in all its forms. GPO is also responsible for the production and distribution of information products and services for all three branches of the Federal Government. In December 2014 legislation was passed that changed the agency's name from Government Printing Office to Government Publishing Office.

The Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) was established in 1994 to facilitate the marketing of livestock, poultry, meat, cereals, oilseeds, and related agricultural products, and to promote fair and competitive trading practices for the overall benefit of consumers and American agriculture. The Agency's mission is carried out in two different segments of American agriculture. The Federal Grain Inspection Service provides the U.S. grain market with Federal quality standards and a uniform system for applying them. The Packers and Stockyards Programs (P&SP) enforces the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 (P&S Act), 7 U.S.C. 181 et seq., to promote fair and competitive marketing environments for the livestock, meat, and poultry industries. GIPSA also certifies State central filing systems for notification of liens against farm products. GIPSA is responsible for establishing official U.S. standards for grain and other assigned commodities, and for administering a nationwide official inspection and weighing system.

The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council was created under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act) (title I, subtitle F of Public Law 112-14.) Established as an independent entity, the Council is charged with developing a comprehensive plan for ecosystem restoration in the Gulf Coast (Comprehensive Plan), as well as any future revisions to the Comprehensive Plan. Among its other duties, the Gulf Restoration Council is tasked with identifying projects and programs aimed at restoring and protecting the natural resources and ecosystems of the Gulf Coast region, to be funded from a portion of the Trust Fund; establishing such other advisory committees as may be necessary to assist the Gulf Restoration Council, including a scientific advisory committee and a committee to advise the Gulf Restoration Council on public policy issues; gathering information relevant to Gulf Coast restoration, including through research, modeling, and monitoring; and providing an annual report to the Congress on implementation progress. Consistent with the RESTORE Act, the Comprehensive Plan developed by the Gulf Restoration Council will include provisions necessary to fully incorporate the Strategy, projects, and programs recommended by the Task Force.

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation - the federal memorial to our thirty-third President - awards merit-based scholarships to college students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school, participate in leadership development activities, and have special opportunities for internships and employment with the federal government. The mission of the Truman Scholarship Foundation is to find and recognize college juniors with exceptional leadership potential who are committed to careers in government, the nonprofit or advocacy sectors, education or elsewhere in the public service; and to provide them with financial support for graduate study, leadership training, and fellowship with other students who are committed to making a difference through public service.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was created as the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare on April 11, 1953 (5 U.S.C. app.). HHS is the Cabinet-level department of the Federal executive branch most involved with the Nation's human concerns. In one way or another, it touches the lives of more Americans than any other Federal agency. It is a department of people serving people, from newborn infants to persons requiring health services to our most elderly citizens.

The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was created in 1977 to combine under one administration the oversight of the Medicare program, the Federal portion of the Medicaid program, and related quality assurance activities. Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and over, younger people who are receiving social security disability benefits, and persons who need dialysis or kidney transplants for treatment of end-stage renal disease. Medicaid is a medical assistance program jointly financed by State and Federal governments for eligible low-income individuals. It covers health care expenses for all recipients of Aid to Families With Dependent Children, and most States also cover the needy elderly, blind, and disabled receiving cash assistance under the Supplemental Security Income Program. Coverage also is extended to certain infants and low-income pregnant women and, at the option of the State, other low-income individuals with medical bills that qualify them as categorically or medically needy. The Medicare/Medicaid programs include a quality assurance focal point to carry out the quality assurance provisions of the Medicare and Medicaid programs; the development and implementation of health and safety standards of care providers in Federal health programs; and the implementation of the end-stage renal disease and the peer review provisions. HCFA was renamed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in July, 2001.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was created in 1982 as a subagency of the Department of the Health and Human Services. Formed from the merger of the Health Resources Administration and Health Services Administration, HRSA is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated or medically vulnerable. Among its duties, HRSA provides leadership and financial support to health care providers in every State and U.S. Territory; it oversees organ, bone marrow and cord blood donation; it supports programs that prepare against bioterrorism, compensates individuals harmed by vaccination, and maintains databases that protect against health care malpractice and health care waste, fraud and abuse.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals is the focus of the Department of Energy's adjudicatory process and reviews and issues all final DOE orders of adjudicatory nature, in accordance with departmental procedures. The Office is responsible for considering and issuing decisions on appeals from orders of a programmatic or regulatory nature issued by any other part of DOE and requests for exception or exemption from any regulatory or mandatory requirements.

The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) exercises the delegated authority of the Secretary of the Interior to conduct hearings and decide appeals from decisions of the bureaus and offices of the Department of the Interior. OHA provides an impartial forum for parties who are affected by the decisions of the Department's bureaus and offices to obtain independent review of those decisions. OHA also handles the probating of Indian trust estates, ensuring that individual Indian interests in allotted lands, their proceeds, and other trust assets are conveyed to the decedents' rightful heirs and beneficiaries.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002, (6 U.S.C. 101 note). The Department came into existence on January 24, 2003, and is administered under the supervision and direction of the Secretary of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security leads the unified national effort to secure America. It will prevent and deter terrorist attacks and protect against and respond to threats and hazards to the Nation. The Department will ensure safe and secure borders, welcome lawful immigrants and visitors, and promote the free-flow of commerce.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was established in 1965 by the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 3532-3537). HUD is the principal Federal agency responsible for programs concerned with the Nation's housing needs, fair housing opportunities, and improvement and development of the Nation's communities.

The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was established under the Department of Labor in 1933 through the merger of the Bureau of Immigration and Bureau of Naturalization. The role of the INS was to administer matters related to establishing immigration and naturalization policy. After being transferred to the Department of Justice in 1940, the INS was subsequently dismantled by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135) at which time its various duties were split up and transferred to three new agencies established under the Department of Homeland Security: The administration of immigration services, including permanent residence, naturalization, asylum and similar functions became the responsibility of the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (later renamed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement); The INS investigative and enforcement functions were combined with related activities of U.S. Customs investigators, the Federal Protective Service, and the Federal Air Marshal Service to create the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and The border functions were combined with U.S. Customs Inspectors to create the U.S.Customs and Border Protection. 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was created as part of the War Department in 1824 and transferred to the Department of the Interior when the latter was established in 1849. The mission of BIA is to fulfill its trust responsibilities and promote self-determination on behalf of federally recognized tribal governments, American Indians, and Alaska Natives. BIA provides services directly or through contracts, grants, or compacts to approximately 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, members of 573 federally recognized Indian tribes in the 48 contiguous United States and Alaska.

The Indian Arts and Crafts Board, an agency located in the U.S. Department of the Interior, was created by Congress to promote the economic development of American Indians and Alaska Natives through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market. A top priority of the IACB is the implementation and enforcement of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, a truth-in-advertising law that provides criminal and civil penalties for marketing products as "Indian-made" when such products are not made by Indians, as defined by the Act. The IACB's other activities include providing professional business advice, information on the Act and related marketing issues, fundraising assistance, and promotional opportunities to Native American artists, craftspeople, and cultural organizations. The IACB operates three regional museums, the Sioux Indian Museum, the Museum of the Plains Indian, and the Southern Plains Indian Museum. The IACB also produces a consumer directory of approximately 290 Native American owned and operated arts and crafts businesses. These activities are not duplicated in either the federal or private sector. The Indian Arts and Crafts Board is the only federal agency that is consistently and exclusively concerned with the economic benefits of Native American cultural development. The IACB's policies are determined by five commissioners who are appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, and serve without compensation. The IACB's activities and programs are carried out by a professional, experienced staff.

The Indian Health Service, as part of the Public Health Service, provides a comprehensive health services delivery system for American Indians and Alaska Natives. It assists Native American tribes in developing their health programs; facilitates and assists tribes in coordinating health planning, obtaining and utilizing health resources available through Federal, State, and local programs, operating comprehensive health programs, and evaluating health programs; and provides comprehensive health care services including hospital and ambulatory medical care, preventive and rehabilitative services, and development of community sanitation facilities.

The Office of Indian Trust Transition (OITT) was organized in November 2001 by DOI Secretarial Order 3235 as a temporary office under the Department of the Interior by the authority of the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994. OITT was created to provide support in DOI’s efforts to reorganize the fiduciary Indian trust functions within the Department into a more efficient, effective and reliable organization. In accordance with the provisions of the establishing Order, the duties and existence of the OITT were terminated and considered obsolete on December 31, 2002.

The mission of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is to advance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership. BIS activities include regulating the export of sensitive goods and technologies in an effective and efficient manner; enforcing export control, antiboycott, and public safety laws; cooperating with and assisting other countries on export control and strategic trade issues; assisting U.S. industry to comply with international arms control agreements; and monitoring the viability of the U.S. defense industrial base and seeking to ensure that it is capable of satisfying U.S. national and homeland security needs.

The Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) oversees the security classification programs in both Government and industry and reports to the President annually on their status. Executive orders 12829 and 12958 serve as the authority for ISOO, and the Office receives its policy and program guidance from the National Security Council. An organizational component of the National Archives and Records Administration, ISOO's goals are to hold classification activity to the minimum necessary to protect the national security; to ensure the safeguarding of classified national security information in both Government and industry in a cost-effective and efficient manner; and to promote declassification and public access to information as soon as national security considerations permit.

The Office of Inspector General was legislatively established in 1978 with the enactment of the Inspector General Act (Public Law 95-452). The act requires the Inspector General to independently and objectively perform audits and investigations of the Department's programs and operations; work with the Department's management team in activities that promote economy, efficiency, and effectiveness or that prevent and detect fraud and abuse in programs and operations, both within USDA and in non-Federal entities that receive USDA assistance. The Office also reports OIG activities to the Secretary and the U.S. Congress semiannually as of march 31 and September 30 each year.

The mission of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), as mandated by Public Law 95-452 (as amended), is to protect the integrity of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) programs, as well as the health and welfare of the beneficiaries of those programs. OIG has a responsibility to report both to the Secretary and to the Congress program and management problems and recommendations to correct them. OIG's duties are carried out through a nationwide network of audits, investigations, evaluations and other mission related functions performed by OIG components.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Inspector General (OIG) was established in 1989 by the Secretary in accordance with the Inspector General Act Amendments of 1988. The OIG is headed by an Inspector General who is appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. The Inspector General reports to the Secretary of the Treasury through the Deputy Secretary and provides the Secretary with independent and objective reviews of the department's operations.

The Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development was established as a corporation by Title XV of Public Law 99-498 in 1986. Also known as the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) it became one of three colleges to be chartered by the United States Congress. IAIA is the only national center of research, training, and scholarship for Native Americans devoted solely to American Indian and Alaska Native arts and culture.

The Office of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) was established in 2008 to advise the President and coordinate with Cabinet departments and agencies on the development of the United States’ overall intellectual property policy and strategy, to promote innovation and creativity, and to ensure effective intellectual property protection and enforcement, domestically and abroad. It is part of the Executive Office of the President. Working with many department and agency heads within the administration, the IPEC, among other things, coordinates the development of a Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement and reports to the President and Congress on domestic and international intellectual property enforcement programs.

The Inter-American Foundation (IAF) was created in 1969 (22 U.S.C. 290f) as an experimental U.S. foreign assistance program. The Inter-American Foundation is an independent Federal agency that supports social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. It makes grants primarily to private, local, and community organizations that carry out self-help projects.

The Interagency Floodplain Management Review Committee was established by President Clinton in January 1994. The IFMRC was created to determine the major causes and consequences of the 1993 Midwest Floods, evaluate the performance of existing floodplain managements and related management programs, make recommendations as to what changes in current policies, programs, and activities would most effectively achieve risk reduction, economic efficiency, and environmental enhancement in the floodplain and related watersheds, and identify legislative initiatives that might by proposed by the Clinton administration.

The Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR) was an independent, bipartisan intergovernmental agency established by Public Law 86-380 in 1959. The mission of the ACIR was "To strengthen the American federal system and improve the ability of federal, state, and local governments to work together cooperatively, efficiently, and effectively." The ACIR was disbanded in September of 1996. [http://www.library.unt.edu/govinfo/digital-collections/acir/]

The Department of the Interior protects and provides access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honors our trust responsibilities to tribes and our commitments to island communities. The Department of the Interior was created by act of March 3, 1849 (43 U.S.C. 1451), which transferred to it the General Land Office, the Office of Indian Affairs, the Pension Office, and the Patent Office. It was reorganized by Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1950, as amended (5 U.S.C. app.). The Department manages the Nation's public lands and minerals, national parks, national wildlife refuges, and western water resources and upholds Federal trust responsibilities to Indian tribes and Alaskan natives. It is also responsible for migratory wildlife conservation; historic preservation; endangered species conservation; surface-mined lands protection and restoration; mapping geological, hydrological, and biological science for the Nation; and for financial and technical assistance for the insular areas.

The Office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue was established by act of July 1, 1862 (26 U.S.C. 7802). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is responsible for administering and enforcing the internal revenue laws and related statutes, except those relating to alcohol, tobacco, firearms, and explosives. Its mission is to collect the proper amount of tax revenue, at the least cost to the public, by efficiently applying the tax law with integrity and fairness.

Established in 1889, the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) has responsibility for applying the boundary and water treaties between the United States and Mexico and settling differences that may arise in their application. The IBWC is an international body composed of the United States Section and the Mexican Section, each headed by an Engineer-Commissioner appointed by his/her respective president. Each Section is administered independently of the other. The United States Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (USIBWC) is a federal government agency and is headquartered in El Paso, Texas. The IBWC operates under the foreign policy guidance of the Department of State. The mission of the IBWC is to apply the rights and obligations which the Governments of the United States and Mexico assume under the numerous boundary and water treaties and related agreements, and to do so in a way that benefits the social and economic welfare of the peoples on the two sides of the boundary and improves relations between the two countries.

The International Broadcasting Advisory Board is established under the International Broadcasting Act, as amended (22 U.S.C. 6205), as a permanent independent establishment of the Federal Government. The International Broadcasting Advisory Board is made up of seven members with expertise in the fields of mass communications, broadcast media, and international affairs. Six members are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The seventh, the Secretary of State, serves ex officio.

The International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) was created under the International Broadcasting Act (Public Law 103-236) on April 30, 1994. The IBB is a component of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which provides program placement and transmission services for all the BBG broadcast organizations and manages a global network of transmitting sites and an extensive system of leased satellite and fiber optic circuits, along with a rapidly growing Internet delivery system. The IBB also shapes Voice of America's increasing use of the Internet, mobile devices, social media and other digital platforms. It provides research and manages the evaluation of broadcasts and crafting of editorials.

The International Development Cooperation Agency (IDCA) was established by Executive Order in September, 1979. As an attempt to reorganize the foreign assistance management structure, the IDCA was envisioned by Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1978, to coordinate foreign assistance activities as they related to bilateral programs administered by USAID, multilateral programs of international lending institutions then under the purview of the Department of the Treasury, voluntary contributions to United Nations agencies then administered by the Department of State, food programs then administered by USAID, and the activities of OPIC. An International Development Institute would be established within IDCA to address, among other things, private and voluntary organizations and with one of the Institute's constituent parts being the Peace Corps. As established under Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1979, the only entity it actually coordinated was USAID and, since it was staffed with fewer than 75 people, could make only a marginal impact on overall bilateral and multilateral assistance policy. In the Reagan Administration, no staff were provided to IDCA and, functionally, it faded quickly from the scene. The Executive Order creating IDCA remained intact, however, defining some of the lines of authority in the administration of foreign assistance. Some of the other coordinating functions that had been expected to be exercised by IDCA (but not contained in the Executive Order) were initially exercised instead by USAID, but over time the functions fell into disuse. The IDCA was abolished by act of Oct. 2, 1998 (112 Stat. 2681-790) and its functions transferred to the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and overseas Private Investment Corporation. __________ Sources: U.S. Government Manual, (2009/2010 ed.), p. 612. http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/usaidhist.html

Name changed Nov. 21, 2008 (73 FR 70716) to Office of Investment Security.

The International Joint Commission is an independent binational organization established by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. The International Joint Commission prevents and resolves disputes between the United States of America and Canada under the 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty and pursues the common good of both countries as an independent and objective advisor to the two governments. In particular, the Commission rules upon applications for approval of projects affecting boundary or transboundary waters and may regulate the operation of these projects; it assists the two countries in the protection of the transboundary environment, including the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and the improvement of transboundary air quality; and it alerts the governments to emerging issues along the boundary that may give rise to bilateral disputes.

The International Organizations Employees Loyalty Board was created by Executive order 10422 of January 9, 1953. The Board consisted of not less than' three impartial officers or employees of the Office of Personnel Management.' The duty of the Board was to review cases referred to it under the provisions of EO 10422, in which the loyalty of U.S. citizens either employed or considered for employment by international organizations that's membership included the United States was in question. The Board in such cases was to make advisory determinations in such cases, under the standards set forth elsewhere in the Executive Order.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) was established on January 2, 1980, by the Secretary of Commerce to promote world trade and to strengthen the international trade and investment position of the United States. ITA is responsible for nonagricultural trade operations of the U.S. Government and supports the trade policy negotiation efforts of the U.S. Trade Representative. ITA strengthens the competitiveness of U.S. industry, promotes trade and investment, and ensures fair trade through the rigorous enforcement of our trade laws and agreements. ITA works to improve the global business environment and helps U.S. organizations compete at home and abroad.

The United States International Trade Commission is an independent agency created by the Revenue Act (39 Stat. 795) and originally named the United States Tariff Commission. The name was changed to the United States International Trade Commission by section 171 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2231). Six Commissioners are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate for 9-year terms, unless appointed to fill an unexpired term. The Chairman and Vice Chairman are designated by the President for 2-year terms, and succeeding Chairmen may not be of the same political party. The Chairman generally is responsible for the administration of the Commission. Not more than three Commissioners may be members of the same political party (19 U.S.C. 1330). The United States International Trade Commission furnishes studies, reports, and recommendations involving international trade and tariffs to the President, the U.S. Trade Representative, and congressional committees. The Commission also conducts a variety of investigations pertaining to international trade relief.

The ICC, the first regulatory commission in U.S. history, was established as a result of mounting public indignation in the 1880s against railroad malpractices and abuses. The ICC's jurisdiction was gradually extended beyond railroads to all common carriers except airplanes by 1940. Its enforcement powers to set rates were also progressively extended, through statute and broadened Supreme Court interpretations of the commerce clause of the Constitution, as were its investigative powers for determining fair rates of return on which to base rates. In addition, the ICC was given the task of consolidating railroad systems and managing labor disputes in interstate transport. In the 1950s and 60s the ICC enforced U.S. Supreme Court rulings that required the desegregation of passenger terminal facilities. The ICC's safety functions were transferred to the Department of Transportation in 1966. The ICC retained its rate-making and regulatory functions. However, in consonance with the deregulatory movement, the ICC's powers over rates and routes in rails and trucking were curtailed in 1980 by the Staggers Rail Act and Motor Carriers Act. Most ICC control over interstate trucking was abandoned in 1994, and the agency was terminated at the end of 1995. Many of its remaining functions were transferred to the new National Surface Transportation Board.

The Investment Security office is responsible for the implementation of Treasury’s responsibilities as Chair of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States ("CFIUS").​ CFIUS is an interagency committee that can review certain foreign investments in the United States in order to identify and address any effects on U.S. national security that may arise from the transactions. The CFIUS review process, which operates in the context of the United States’ longstanding open investment policy, focuses solely on national security concerns. The Investment Security office also leads Treasury’s open investment initiatives and dialogues with other countries, particularly as they relate to foreign investment review processes, to promote open investment policies and discourage foreign barriers to U.S. investment.

The James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation was established by Congress in 1986 for the purpose of improving teaching about the United States Constitution in secondary schools. The Foundation is an independent agency of the Executive Branch of the federal government. Funding for the Foundation's programs comes from Congress and generous contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations. The Foundation has a Board of Trustees and its daily operations are directed by a president and a small staff. The Foundation's office is located in Washington, D.C. [http://www.jamesmadison.com/]

The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission (JUSFC) was established as an independent agency by the United States Congress (P.L. 94-118) in 1975 to strengthen the U.S.-Japan relationship through educational, cultural, and intellectual exchange. JUSFC makes grants that support research, education, public affairs, and exchange with Japan, and generally does not operate its own programs. The agency receives no funds from general revenues from the United States budget. It operates entirely from the Japan-United States Friendship Trust Fund. The fund originated from payments by the Government of Japan for post-war assistance provided by the United States. A board of 18 Commissioners makes decisions on the expenditure of JUSFC’s earnings. The Commissioners are a group of nine private citizens and nine U.S. government officials who meet annually to consider all institutional grant proposals submitted to JUSFC. Among the government officials are four bi-partisan Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives who serve in a non-voting capacity.

The Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries was established by the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to section 3041 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1241). According to the text of 29 U.S.C. 1242: "The Joint Board shall, by regulations, establish reasonable standards and qualifications for persons performing actuarial services with respect to plans in which this chapter applies and, upon application by any individual, shall enroll such individual if the Joint Board finds that such individual satisfies such standards and qualifications."

The Conference of Senior Circuit Judges was created by Congress in 1922, to serve as the principal policy making body concerned with the administration of the U.S. Courts. In 1948, Congress enacted section 331 of title 28, United States Code, changing the name to the Judicial Conference of the United States. District judges were formally added to the Conference in 1957. As in 1922, the fundamental purpose of the Judicial Conference today is to make policy with regard to the administration of the U.S. courts. Section 331 of title 28 specifically provides that the Judicial Conference shall: (1) Make a comprehensive survey of the conditions of business in the courts of the United States; (2) Prepare plans for the assignment of judges to or from courts of appeals or district courts, where necessary; (3) Submit suggestions to the various courts in the interest of promoting uniformity of management procedures and the expeditious conduct of court business; (4) Exercise authority provided in chapter 16 of title 28 United States Codes for the review of circuit council conduct and disability orders filed under that chapter; and (5) Carry on a continuous study of the operation and effect of the general rules of practice and procedure in use within the federal courts, as prescribed by the Supreme Court pursuant to law. The Judicial Conference also supervises the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in the performance of his duties as the administrative officer of the courts of the United States under 28 U.S.C.

The Judicial Review Commission on Foreign Asset Control was established 21 U.S.C. 1908. The Commission's duties were to conduct a review of the current judicial, regulatory, and administrative authorities relating to the blocking of assets of foreign persons by the United States Government; and to conduct a detailed examination and evaluation of the remedies available to United States persons affected by the blocking of assets of foreign persons by the United States Government.

The U.S. Department of Justice serves as counsel for its citizens. It represents them in enforcing the law in the public interest. Through its thousands of lawyers, investigators, and agents, the Department plays the key role in protection against criminals and subversion, ensuring healthy business competition, safeguarding the consumer, and enforcing drug, immigration, and naturalization laws. The Department of Justice was established by act of June 22, 1870 (28 U.S.C. 501, 503, 509 note), with the Attorney General as its head. The affairs and activities of the Department of Justice are generally directed by the Attorney General.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges.

The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) was founded in 1974 as a result of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (JJDP) Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No. 93-415, 42 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.) and is guided by subsequent amendments. OJJDP provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families.

The Department of Labor (DOL) was created by act of March 4, 1913 (29 U.S.C. 551). A Bureau of Labor was first created by Congress by act of June 24, 1884, in the Interior Department. The Bureau of Labor later became independent as a Department of Labor without executive rank by act of June 13, 1888. It again returned to bureau status in the Department of Commerce and Labor, which was created by act of February 14, 1903 (15 U.S.C. 1501; 29 U.S.C. 1 note). The Department of Labor fosters and promotes the welfare of the job seekers, wage earners, and retirees of the United States, by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, protecting their retirement and health care benefits, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices, and other national economic measurements. In carrying out this mission, the Department administers a variety of Federal labor laws including those that guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthful working conditions; a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay; freedom from employment discrimination; unemployment insurance; and other income support.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) was originally established under the Department of the Interior as the Bureau of Labor under the Bureau of Labor Act (23 Stat. 60) of June 27, 1884. After several reorganizations and transfers, the agency was renamed the Bureau of Labor Statistics and transferred to the Department of Labor in 1913. The BLS is an independent national statistical agency that collects, processes, analyzes, and disseminates essential statistical data to the American public, the U.S. Congress, other Federal agencies, State and local governments, business, and labor. The BLS also serves as a statistical resource to the Department of Labor. BLS data must satisfy a number of criteria, including relevance to current social and economic issues, timeliness in reflecting today’s rapidly changing economic conditions, accuracy and consistently high statistical quality, and impartiality in both subject matter and presentation.

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) can trace its origin back to the passage of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended (LMRDA) on September 14, 1959. LMRDA was enacted by Congress to ensure certain basic standards of democracy and fiscal responsibility in labor organizations representing employees in private industry. The organization's original name was the Bureau of Labor-Management Reports (BLMR). It was re-named the Labor-Management Services Administration (LMSA) in 1963. At one time or another LMSA had responsibilities which included pension and welfare plans, Federal labor relations, veterans reemployment rights, and an anti-racketeering/organized crime strike force. Through reorganizations and the creation of new agencies through legislation, these functions were subsequently transferred to other Federal agencies. With the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) in 1978, the federal labor relations program was transferred to the newly created Federal Labor Relations Authority. However, the Standard of Conduct provisions of the CSRA which regulate internal affairs of federal-sector unions remained in LMSA. In 1980, the Foreign Service Act (FSA) was passed and unions representing employees of the Department of State and U.S. Information Agency (USIA) became subject to Standards of Conduct requirements. The agency became known as OLMS in 1984. In 1992, OLMS became part of the Employment Standards Administration (ESA). In 1993, OLMS was transferred to the newly created Office of the American Workplace (OAW). In 1996, OAW ceased to exist and OLMS was transferred back to ESA. In 2009, ESA was eliminated and OLMS became an independent agency reporting directly to the Secretary of Labor.

The Bureau of Land Management was established July 16, 1946, by the consolidation of the General Land Office (created in 1812) and the Grazing Service (formed in 1934). The Bureau manages more land--256 million surface acres--than any other Federal Government agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 western States, including Alaska. There are also small, scattered parcels in States east of the Mississippi River. The Bureau also administers more than 700 million acres of subsurface mineral estate throughout the Nation. These public lands make up about 13 percent of the total land surface of the United States and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the Federal Government. The Bureau preserves open space in the fast-growing, fast-changing West by managing the public lands for multiple uses and by conserving resources so that current and future generations may use and enjoy them.

The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States, offering diverse materials for research including the world's most extensive collections in many areas such as American history, music, and law. The Library of Congress was established by act of April 24, 1800 (2 Stat. 56), appropriating $5,000 ''for the purchase of such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress . . . .'' The Library's scope of responsibility has been widened by subsequent legislation (2 U.S.C. 131-168d). The Librarian, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, directs the Library.

The Local Television Loan Guarantee Board was established on December 21, 2000 under the Federal Funding Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (P.L. 106-553) Under the provisions of the act, the Board was authorized to guarantee loans to facilitate access, on a technologically neutral basis, to signals of local television stations for households located in non-served areas or underserved areas. The Board is authorized to approve Guarantees up to 80 percent of the principal amount of up to $1.25 billion in Loans. The Board's authority to guarantee Loans under the Program expires on the earlier of the date the Secretary of Agriculture determines that at least 75 percent of Designated Market Areas, other than the top 40 Designated Market Areas, have access to Local Television Broadcast Signals for virtually all households or December 31, 2006.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), formerly the Bureau of the Budget, was established in the Executive Office of the President pursuant to Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1939 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Office of Management and Budget evaluates, formulates, and coordinates management procedures and program objectives within and among Federal departments and agencies. It also controls the administration of the Federal budget, while routinely providing the President with recommendations regarding budget proposals and relevant legislative enactments.

The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) was established under Title II of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, to provide independent oversight of the marine mammal conservation policies and programs being carried out by Federal regulatory agencies. In carrying out its responsibilities, MMC is charged with seven primary duties: 1. undertake a review and study of the activities of the United States pursuant to existing laws and international conventions relating to marine mammals, including, but not limited to, the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, the Whaling Convention Act of 1949, the Interim Convention on the Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals and the Fur Seal Act of 1966; 2. conduct a continuing review of the condition of the stocks of marine mammals, of methods for their protection and conservation, of humane means of taking marine mammals, of research programs conducted or proposed to be conducted under the authority of this Act, and of all applications for permits for scientific research, public display, or enhancing the survival or recovery of a species or stock; 3. undertake or cause to be undertaken such other studies as it deems necessary or desirable in connection with its assigned duties as to the protection and conservation of marine mammals; 4. recommend to the Secretary and to other federal officials such steps as it deems necessary or desirable for the protection and conservation of marine mammals; 5. recommend to the Secretary of State appropriate policies regarding existing international arrangements for the protection and conservation of marine mammals and suggest appropriate international arrangements for the protection and conservation of marine mammals; 6. recommend to the Secretary such revisions of the endangered species list and threatened species list published pursuant to section 4(c)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 as may be appropriate with regard to marine mammals; and 7. recommend to the Secretary, other appropriate federal officials, and Congress such additional measures as it deems necessary or desirable to further the policies of this Act, including provisions for the protection of the Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts whose livelihood may be adversely affected by actions taken pursuant to this Act. The Marine Mammal Commission also carries out a small research program in support of projects aimed at meeting the conservation and protection goals of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

The Maritime Administration was established by Reorganization Plan No. 21 of 1950 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Maritime Act of 1981 (46 U.S.C. 1601) transferred the Maritime Administration to the Department of Transportation. Programs of the Maritime Administration promote the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine, sufficient to carry the Nation's domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce, and capable of service as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. The Maritime Administration also seeks to ensure that the United States maintains adequate shipbuilding and repair services, efficient ports, effective inter-modal water and land transportation systems, and reserve shipping capacity for use in time of national emergency.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) is an independent Congressional agency established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33) to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. The Commission's statutory mandate is quite broad: In addition to advising the Congress on payments to private health plans participating in Medicare and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program, MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare.

The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent, quasi-judicial agency in the Executive branch that serves as the guardian of Federal merit systems. The Board was established by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978, which was codified by the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (CSRA), Public Law No. 95-454. The CSRA, which became effective January 11, 1979, replaced the Civil Service Commission with three new independent agencies: Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which manages the Federal work force; Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA), which oversees Federal labor-management relations; and, the Board. The Board assumed the employee appeals function of the Civil Service Commission and was given new responsibilities to perform merit systems studies and to review the significant actions of OPM. The Board's mission is to protect Federal merit systems and the rights of individuals within those systems. MSPB carries out its statutory responsibilities and authorities primarily by adjudicating individual employee appeals and by conducting merit systems studies. In addition, MSPB reviews the significant actions of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to assess the degree to which those actions may affect merit.

The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission was established by the National Defense Authorization Act FY 2013 Pub. L. 112-239, 126 Stat. 1787 (2013) to conduct a review of military compensation and retirement systems and to make recommendations to modernize such systems in order to-- 1. Ensure the long-term viability of the All-Volunteer Force by sustaining the required human resources of that force during all levels of conflict and economic conditions; 2. Enable the quality of life for members of the Armed Forces and the other uniformed services and their families in a manner that fosters successful recruitment, retention, and careers for members of the Armed Forces and the other uniformed services; and 3. Modernize and achieve fiscal sustainability for the compensation and retirement systems for the Armed Forces and the other uniformed services for the 21st century. The Commission is tasked to submit a report, containing a comprehensive study and recommendations, by May 1, 2014 to the President of the United States and Congress. The report will contain detailed findings and conclusions of the Commission, together with its recommendations for such legislation and administrative actions it may consider appropriate in light of the results of the study.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is responsible for safety and health in the Nation's mines. MSHA develops and promulgates mandatory safety and health standards, ensures compliance with such standards, assesses civil penalties for violations, and investigates accidents. It cooperates with and provides assistance to the States in the development of effective State mine safety and health programs; improves and expands training programs in cooperation with the States and the mining industry; and contributes to the improvement and expansion of mine safety and health research and development. All of these activities are aimed at preventing and reducing mine accidents and occupational diseases in the mining industry.

The Minerals Management Service was established on January 19, 1982, by Secretarial order. The Service assesses the nature, extent, recoverability, and value of leasable minerals on the Outer Continental Shelf. It ensures the orderly and timely inventory and development and the efficient recovery of mineral resources; encourages utilization of the best available and safest technology; and safeguards against fraud, waste, and abuse. MMS was renamed Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE) on June 21, 2010. On October 1, 2011, BOEMRE was reorganized into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)

The United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) was established July 1, 1910, in the Department of the Interior by the organic Act of May 16, 1910, as amended (30 U.S.C. 1, 3, 5-7). The USBM was primarily a research and fact-finding agency. Its goal was to help ensure that the Nation had adequate supplies of nonfuel minerals for security and other needs. Research was conducted to provide the technology for the extraction, processing, use, and recycling of the Nation’s nonfuel mineral resources at a reasonable cost without harm to the environment or the workers involved. The Bureau also collected, compiled, analyzed, and published statistical and economic information on all phases of nonfuel mineral resource development, including exploration, production, shipments, demand, stocks, prices, imports and exports. The United States Bureau of Mines was terminated pursuant to act of Jan. 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 32). Certain functions were transferred to the Secretary of Energy by act of April 26, 1996 (110 Stat. 1321-167). __________ Source: U.S. Government Manual (1992/1993 Edition), p. 359 U.S. Government Manual (2009/2010 Edition), p. 616.

The Minority Business Development Agency was established by Executive order in 1969. The Agency develops and coordinates a national program for minority business enterprise. The Agency was created to assist minority businesses in achieving effective and equitable participation in the American free enterprise system and in overcoming social and economic disadvantages that have limited their participation in the past. The Agency provides national policies and leadership in forming and strengthening a partnership of business, industry, and government with the Nation's minority businesses. Business development services are provided to the minority business community through three vehicles: the minority business opportunity committees which disseminate information on business opportunities; the minority business development centers that provide management and technical assistance and other business development services; and electronic commerce which includes a Web page on the Internet that will show how to start a business and use the service to electronically match business with contract opportunities. The Agency promotes and coordinates the efforts of other Federal agencies in assisting or providing market opportunities for minority business. It coordinates opportunities for minority firms in the private sector. Through such public and private cooperative activities, the Agency promotes the participation of Federal, State, and local governments, and business and industry in directing resources for the development of strong minority businesses.

The Office of Minority Economic Impact (OMEI) was established under the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (Public Law 95-619) on November 9, 1978. OMEI is one of three subagencies that make up the Department of Energy’s Office of Economic Impact and Diversity (ED). As such, the primary mission of OMEI is to build effective partnerships between the Department and minority institutions, increase the capabilities of such institutions to compete effectively for grants and contracts, and to increase their participation in Department programs. __________ Source: http://diversity.doe.gov/minority/about.htm http://management.energy.gov/documents/Part_3_Minority_Economic_Impact.pdf

The Mississippi River Commission (MRC) was established by an Act of Congress on June 28, 1879. The Commission consists of three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officers, one member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (formerly the Coast and Geodetic Survey), and three civilians, two of whom must be civil engineers. Each member of the MRC is nominated by the United States President and confirmed by the Senate. The general duties of the MRC include the recommendation of policy and work on flood control, navigation, and environmental projects affecting the Mississippi River; the study of and reporting on the necessity for modifications to river operations, and conducting semiannual inspection trips and public hearings at various locations along the river. The intent behind the mission of the MRC today is to lead sustainable management and development of water related resources for the nation’s benefit and the people’s well-being. __________ Source: http://www.mvd.usace.army.mil/mrc/about/index.php

A federal independent agencie.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, the Udall Foundation honors Congressman Morris King Udall's thirty-year legacy of public service. As set forth in the founding legislation, the purposes of the Foundation are to: --increase the awareness of the importance of, and promote the benefit and enjoyment of, the nation's natural resources; --foster a greater recognition and understanding of the role of the environment, public lands and resources in the development of the United States; --identify critical environmental issues; --develop resources to train professionals properly in environmental and related fields; --provide educational outreach regarding environmental policy; --develop resources to train Native American and Alaska Native professionals in health care and public policy; --provide assessment, mediation, and other related services to resolve environmental disputes involving federal agencies In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to add Stewart Udall into the foundation, renaming it the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.). The mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research.

The National Agricultural Library (NAL), part of the Agricultural Research Service, is the primary resource in the United States for information about food, agriculture, and natural resources, and serves as an electronic gateway to a widening array of scientific literature, printed text, and agricultural images. NAL serves USDA and a broad customer base including policymakers, agricultural specialists, research scientists, and the general public. NAL works with other agricultural libraries and institutions to advance open and democratic access to information about agriculture and the Nation's agricultural knowledge.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) prepares estimates and reports on production, supply, price, chemical use, and other items necessary for the orderly operation of the U.S. agricultural economy. The reports include statistics on field crops, fruits and vegetables, dairy, cattle, hogs, sheep, poultry, aquaculture, and related commodities or processed products. Other estimates concern farm numbers, farm production expenditures, agricultural chemical use, prices received by farmers for products sold, prices paid for commodities and services, indexes of prices received and paid, parity prices, farm employment, and farm wage rates. The Service prepares these estimates through a complex system of sample surveys of producers, processors, buyers, and others associated with agriculture. Information is gathered by mail, telephone, personal interviews, and field visits. NASS is responsible for conducting the Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture is taken every 5 years and provides comprehensive data on the agricultural economy down to the county level. Periodic reports are also issued on aquacultures, irrigation, and horticultural specialties. The Service performs reimbursable survey work and statistical consulting services for other Federal and State agencies and provides technical assistance for developing agricultural data systems in other countries.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the successor agency to the National Archives Establishment, which was created in 1934 and subsequently incorporated into the General Services Administration as the National Archives and Records Service in 1949. NARA was established as an independent agency in the executive branch of the Government by act of October 19, 1984 (44 U.S.C. 2101 et seq.), effective April 1, 1985. NARA safeguards and preserves the records of our Government, ensuring that the people can discover, use, and learn from this documentary heritage; establishes policies and procedures for managing U.S. Government records; manages the Presidential Libraries system; and publishes the laws, regulations, and Presidential and other public documents.

The National Assessment Governing Board was created by Congress in 1988 as an independent, nonpartisan board to set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as The Nation’s Report Card. In overseeing The Nation’s Report Card, the Governing Board identifies subjects to be tested, determines the content and achievement levels for each assessment, approves all test questions, and takes steps to improve the reporting of results. The Governing Board is responsible for communicating NAEP results to a wide range of audiences.

The National Bankruptcy Review Commission NBRC was established as an independent commission on October 6, 1995 under the authority of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1994, (Pub. L. No. 103-394). The Commission was created to investigate and study issues relating to the Bankruptcy Code; to solicit divergent views of parties concerned with the operation of the bankruptcy system; to evaluate the advisability of proposals with respect to such issues; and to prepare a report to be submitted to the President, Congress and the Chief Justice. Pursuant to the Act, the Commission was terminated on November 20 1997 following the submission of its final report.

The National Biological Service (NBS) was established on November 11, 1993, through the transfer of certain functions of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Minerals Management Service, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Reclamation. The mission of NBS is to work with others to provide the scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of our Nation's biological resources. To accomplish this mission, NBS undertakes research, inventory, monitoring information sharing, and technology transfer activities to foster an understanding of biological systems and their benefits to society. Through these activities, NBS provides essential scientific support, technical assistance, and information required for sound management and policy decisions regarding the Nation's biological resources. NBS establishes partnerships with other Federal, State, and local agencies; with museums and universities; and with private organizations in order to bring coherence to largely uncoordinated efforts and to further fulfill its mission.

The National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare was established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 Conference Report. The purpose of the Commission is to study the future of Medicare including Medicare and the baby boomers, the health needs of an aging population, mutigenerational perspectives, and America in the next century.

The National Capital Planning Commission was established as a park planning agency by act of June 6, 1924, as amended (40 U.S.C. 71 et seq.). Two years later its role was expanded to include comprehensive planning. In 1952, under the National Capital Planning Act, the Commission was designated the central planning agency for the Federal and District of Columbia governments. The National Capital Planning Commission is the central agency for conducting planning and development activities for Federal lands and facilities in the National Capital Region. The region includes the District of Columbia and all land areas within the boundaries of Montgomery and Prince George's Counties in Maryland and Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Arlington Counties and the city of Alexandria in Virginia.

The National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is an AmeriCorps program that was established under the National and Community Service Act of 1990. The AmeriCorps NCCC is a full-time, team-based residential program for men and women age 18–24. The mission of AmeriCorps NCCC is to strengthen communities and develop leaders through direct, team-based national and community service. In partnership with non-profits—secular and faith based, local municipalities, state governments, federal government, national or state parks, Indian Tribes and schools members complete service projects throughout the region they are assigned. Drawn from the successful models of the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s and the U.S. military, AmeriCorps NCCC is built on the belief that civic responsibility is an inherent duty of all citizens and that national service programs work effectively with local communities to address pressing needs. Source: http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/nccc.asp.

The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform was create by Executive Order on February 18, 2010. The purpose of the Commission is to address the nation's fiscal challenges by identifying policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. Specifically, the Commission is ordered to meet as a whole on a monthly basis while Congress is in session. The members shall propose recommendations designed to balance the budget, excluding interest payments on the debt, by 2015. The Commission will also propose recommendations that meaningfully improve the long-run fiscal outlook, including changes to address the growth of entitlement spending and the gap between the projected revenues and expenditures of the Federal Government. No later than December 1, 2010, the Commission will vote on a final report containing a set of recommendations to achieve its mission. The final report will require the approval of at least 14 of the Commission's 18 members.

THe National Commission on Intermodal Transportation was created by Sec. 5005 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991. The Commission was established and charged by Congress to make a complete investigation and study of intermodal transportation (specifically, passenger and freight traffic, public and private sectors, and all modes of transportation.) in the United States and internationally. The investigation was to focus on three fundamental tasks: (1) to determine the status of, and problems related to, intermodal transportation today; (2) identify the resources needed to enhance intermodal transportation; and (3) make recommendations on how to achieve an efficient intermodal transportation system. The Commission was terminated after submitting its final report in 1994. Source: Federal Register Volume 59, Number 58 (Friday, March 25, 1994), FR Doc. 94-7104

The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science was established as an independent commission within the Executive branch by the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science Act (Pub. L. 91-345) on July 20, 1970. The role of the Commission is to advise the President and Congress on matters relating to library and information policies and plans. It is responsible for developing or recommending overall plans for the provision of library and information services adequate to meet the needs of the people of the United States.

The National Commission on Manufactured Housing was established on November 28, 1990 as an independent commission pursuant to Section 943 of the Cranston-Gonzales National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-625). The Commission was created to develop recommendations for modernizing the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974. It assessed the effectiveness of the Act and developed an action plan containing specific recommendations for legislative and regulatory revision to the present law. The Commission was terminated upon the submission of its final report.

This Commission was created with a broad, aspirational mandate: to develop ideas that will foster a greater ethos of military, national, and public service among Americans of all ages and, in the process, strengthen our democracy. The Commission will also conduct a review of the military selective service process. Over the course of the next two-plus years, we hope to ignite a national conversation around service and inspire more Americans to serve. We intend to listen to the public, learn from those who serve and have yet to serve, and understand what barriers may exist that prevent more Americans from serving. Ultimately, our goal is to transform this conversation into a series of recommendations for the country, the American people, Congress, and the President.

The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States was established as an independent, bipartisan commission of the legislative branch of the federal government by Title VI of PL 107-306, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 of November 27, 2002, as amended by PL 108-207 of January 20, 2004 The Commission was created to examine evidence developed by all relevant government agencies regarding the facts and causes of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, occurring at the World Trade Center in New York, in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon in Virginia. The Commission reviewed the findings and recommendations of the Joint Inquiry of the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House, and other executive branch, congressional or independent commission investigations regarding the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Commission was terminated August 24, 2004 after submitting its final report. Source: The Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations (EGAO 6560, p. 981)

National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education was established as a public advisory commission under the Department of Education by Title IV of the Cost of Higher Education Review (PL 105-18) of June 12, 1997. The Commission was created to examine the costs of higher education. According to the Final Report issued by the Commission on January 21, 1998, the Commission was created to examine eleven specific factors related to the costs of higher education. These factors included: 1. The increase in tuition compared with other commodities and services. 2. Innovative methods of reducing or stabilizing tuition. 3. Trends in college and university administrative costs, including administrative staffing, ratio of administrative staff to instructors, ratio of administrative staff to students, remuneration of administrative staff, and remuneration of college and university presidents and chancellors. 4. Trends in faculty workload and remuneration (including the use of adjunct faculty); faculty-to-student ratios; number of hours spent in the classroom by faculty; and tenure practices, and the impact of such trends on tuition. 5. Trends in the construction and renovation of academic and other collegiate facilities, the modernization of facilities to access and utilize new technologies, and the impact of such trends on tuition. 6. The extent to which increases in institutional financial aid and tuition discounting have effected tuition increases, including the demographics of students receiving such aid, the extent to which such aid is provided to students with limited need in order to attract such students to particular institutions or major fields of study, and the extent to which Federal financial aid, including loan aid, has been used to offset such increases. 7. The extent to which Federal, state and local laws, regulations or other mandates contribute to increasing tuition, and recommendations on reducing those mandates. 8. The establishment of a mechanism for a more timely and widespread distribution of data on tuition trends and other costs of operating colleges and universities. 9. The extent to which student financial aid programs have contributed to changes in tuition. 10. Trends in state fiscal policies that have affected college costs. 11. The adequacy of existing Federal and state financial aid programs in meeting the costs of attending colleges and universities. Following the publication of its final report, the Commission was terminated in September 1999. Source: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/jepsen/costreport.html

The National Commission on the Future of the Navy was established by Congress pursuant to Section 1092 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 (Public Law 117-263), as extended by the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2025 and the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2026. The Commission is an independent legislative branch commission tasked with conducting a comprehensive study on the structure of the Navy.

The National Communications System (NCS) was originally established by Presidential Memorandum on August 21, 1963. After being transferred under the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the focus of NCS, as described by it's mission statement is as follows: "Assist the President, the National Security Staff, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget in:(1) the exercise of the telecommunications functions and responsibilities, and (2) the coordination of the planning for and provision of national security and emergency preparedness communications for the Federal government under all circumstances, including crisis or emergency, attack & recovery and reconstitution.

The National Consumer Cooperative Bank (NCCB) was created and chartered by the National Consumer Cooperative Bank Act (92 Stat. 499, 12 U.S.C.A. 3001), enacted on August 20, 1978. The bank is directed by the act to encourage the development of new and existing cooperatives. The bank provides specialized credit and technical assistance to eligible cooperatives that provide goods, services, housing, and other facilities to their members as ultimate consumers. The bank is itself structured as a cooperative financial institution. Under its congressional charter, the bank is directed to make loans and offer its services throughout the United States, its territories and possessions, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

The National Council on Disability (NCD) was originally established as the National Council on the Handicapped under the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Rehabilitation by Comprehensive Services and Disability Amendments Act of 1978. The Council later transferred to the Department of Education by the Department of Education Organization Act of 1979, then became an independent agency in 1984 by PL 98-22, the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1984 and finally, had its name changed by PL 100-630, the Handicapped Programs technical Amendment Act of 1988 of November 7, 1988. The Council is an independent federal agency and is composed of nine members -- four appointed by leadership in Congress and five appointed by the President. NCD provides advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to advance policy that promotes the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act -- equality of opportunity, economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and full participation in all aspects of society -- regardless of type or severity of disability.

The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) was established by Presidential Executive Order 13354 in August 2004, and codified by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA). NCTC implements a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission: “Breaking the older mold of national government organizations, this NCTC should be a center for joint operational planning and joint intelligence, staffed by personnel from the various agencies.”

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) was established by act of March 10, 1970 (12 U.S.C. 1752), and reorganized by act of November 10, 1978 (12 U.S.C. 226), as an independent agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government. It regulates and insures all Federal credit unions and insures State-chartered credit unions that apply and qualify for share insurance. The National Credit Union Administration is responsible for chartering, insuring, supervising, and examining Federal credit unions and administering the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund. The Administration also administers the Community Development Revolving Loan Fund and manages the Central Liquidity Facility, a mixed-ownership Government corporation whose purpose is to supply emergency loans to member credit unions.

The National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council was established under the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact (Compact) Act of 1998. The Compact provides an infrastructure by which States can exchange criminal records for noncriminal justice purposes according to the laws of the requesting State, and provide reciprocity among the States to share records without charging each other for the information. The Compact Council acts as a national independent authority that works in partnership with criminal history record custodians, end users, and policy makers to regulate and facilitate the sharing the complete, accurate, and timely criminal history record information to noncriminal justice users in order to enhance public safety, welfare and security of Society while recognizing the importance of individual privacy rights. The goal of the Council and the compact is to make available the most complete and up-to date records possible for noncriminal justice purposes.

The National Economic Council was established as a Presidential advisory council under the Executive Office of the President by Executive Order 12835 of January 25, 1993. The National Economic Council (NEC) was established in 1993 to advise the President on U.S. and global economic policy. It resides within the Office of Policy Development and is part of the Executive Office of the President. By Executive Order, the NEC has four principal functions: to coordinate policy-making for domestic and international economic issues, to coordinate economic policy advice for the President, to ensure that policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's economic goals, and to monitor implementation of the President's economic policy agenda. The NEC is comprised of numerous department and agency heads within the administration, whose policy jurisdictions impact the nation's economy. The NEC Director works in conjunction with these officials to coordinate and implement the President's economic policy objectives. The Director is supported by a staff of policy specialists in various fields including: agriculture, commerce, energy, financial markets, fiscal policy, healthcare, labor, and Social Security. Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nec/

The National Education Goals Panel was established as an independent Presidential advisory panel by a Joint Statement between President Bush and the nation’s governors on July 31, 1990 and became a fully independent federal agency in 1994. The Panel was created to set education goals for the nation by the year 2000. They supported system-wide reform by reporting on national and state progress toward the goals over a 10-year period, working to establish a system of high academic standards and assessments, identifying promising practices for improving education, and building a nationwide, bipartisan consensus to achieve the goals. The Panel responsibilities supported system-wide reform including: the reporting on national The Panel was terminated in April 2002. Source: The Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations (EGAO 2228, p.320)

Established by Congress in 1965, the NEA is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the NEA supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.

The purpose of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities is to develop and promote a broadly conceived national policy of support for the humanities and the arts in the United States, and for institutions which preserve the cultural heritage of the United States. The National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities was created as an independent agency by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 951). The Foundation consists of the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The National Gambling Impact Study Commission was established as an independent public advisory commission under authority of PL 104-169 on August 3, 1996. The Commission studied the social and economic impacts of gambling in the United States. The Commission was terminated after submitting its final report in June 1999 Source: The Encyclopedia of Governmental Advisory Organizations (EGAO 2344, p.336)

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is the nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community. NGA delivers world-class geospatial intelligence that provides a decisive advantage to policymakers, military service members, intelligence professionals and first responders. It is a unique combination of intelligence agency and combat support agency, and is the world leader in timely, relevant, accurate and actionable GEOINT. NGA manages a global consortium of more than 400 commercial and government relationships, and the agency director serves as the functional manager for GEOINT, the head of the National System for Geospatial Intelligence and the coordinator of the global Allied System for Geospatial Intelligence. In this capacity, the director is charged with synchronizing operations to realize a professional, interoperable, agile and integrated GEOINT enterprise. NGA is headquartered in Springfield, Virginia, and has two major locations in St. Louis and Arnold, Missouri. Approximately 14,500 civilian, military and contractor employees work across more than 100 locations in the U.S. and 20 international locations.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970 (23 U.S.C. 401 note) to help reduce the number of deaths, injuries, and economic losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes on the Nation's highways. The Administration carries out programs relating to the safety performance of motor vehicles and related equipment; administers the State and community highway safety program with the FHWA; regulates the Corporate Average Fuel Economy program; investigates and prosecutes odometer fraud; carries out the National Driver Register Program to facilitate the exchange of State records on problem drivers; conducts studies and operates programs aimed at reducing economic losses in motor vehicle crashes and repairs; performs studies, conducts demonstration projects, and promotes programs to reduce impaired driving, increase seat belt use, and reduce risky driver behaviors; and issues theft prevention standards for passenger and nonpassenger motor vehicles.

The National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) is the grant-making affiliate of the National Archives and Records Administration. Its mission is to promote the preservation and use of America's documentary heritage essential to understanding our democracy, history, and culture. NHPRC grants help State and local archives, universities, historical societies, and other nonprofit organizations solve preservation problems dealing with electronic records, improve training and techniques, strengthen archival programs, preserve and process records collections, and provide access to them through the publication of finding aids and documentary editions of the papers of the Founding Era and other themes and historical figures in American history. The NHPRC works in partnership with a national network of State historical records advisory boards. It also provides Federal leadership in public policy for the preservation of, and access to, America's documentary heritage.

As an independent federal regulatory agency of the United States, the National Indian Gaming Commission (Commission) was established pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (Act). The Commission comprises a Chairman and two Commissioners, each of whom serves on a full-time basis for a three-year term. The Chairman is appointed by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Secretary of the Interior appoints the other two Commissioners. Under the Act, at least two of the three Commissioners must be enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe, and no more than two members may be of the same political party. [http://www.nigc.gov/About_Us.aspx]

Since its creation in 1991, the National Institute for Literacy has served as a catalyst for improving opportunities for adults, youth, and children to thrive in a progressively literate world. At the Institute, literacy is broadly viewed as more than just an individual's ability to read. Literacy is an individual's ability to read, write, speak in English, compute, and solve problems at levels of proficiency necessary to function on the job, in the family, and in society. The Institute, a federal agency, was established by the National Literacy Act and reauthorized in 1998 by the Workforce Investment Act. The mission of the National Institute for Literacy is to develop literacy as a national asset, using knowledge, research, and practice, and working in collaboration with the Secretaries of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services, and with other partners. The Institute is also authorized under the No Child Left Behind law to help children, youth, and adults learn to read by supporting and disseminating evidence-based reading research. An Advisory Board appointed by the president guides the operations of the Institute. As a national literacy resource, the Institute's program officers contribute to improving literacy across the lifespan. [http://www.nifl.gov/about/aboutus.html]

The National Institute of Corrections (NIC) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons. NIC was established by Public Law 93-415. NIC provides training, technical assistance, information services, and policy/program development assistance to Federal, State, and local corrections agencies. The National Institute of Corrections also awards funds through cooperative agreements to support various program initiatives. It aslo provides leadership to influence correctional policies, practices, and operations nationwide in areas of emerging interest and concern to correctional executives and practitioners as well as public policymakers.

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), part of the executive branch of the Federal Government. Congress created NIFA through the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. NIFA replaced the former Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), which had been in existence since 1994.

NIJ was created in 1969 by the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act as the National Institute of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice with the purpose of monitoring and supporting federally funded criminal justice research to assist State and local governments to improve police, courts and corrections issues. Renamed National Institute of Justice in 1978, NIJ currently functions as the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) operates under the authority of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271), which amends the Organic Act of March 3, 1901 (ch. 872), that created the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in 1901. In 1988, Congress renamed NBS as NIST and expanded its activities and responsibilities. NIST is a nonregulatory Federal agency within the Commerce Department. Its mission is to promote measurement science, standards, and technology to enhance productivity, facilitate trade, and improve the quality of life. NIST carries out its mission through the NIST laboratories, which conduct research to advance the U.S. technological infrastructure; the Baldrige National Quality Program, which helps U.S. businesses and other organizations improve the performance and quality of their operations; the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which helps smaller firms adopt new manufacturing and management technologies; and the Technology Innovative Program, which provides cost-shared awards to industry and other institutions for high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports biomedical and behavioral research domestically and abroad, conducts research in its own laboratories and clinics, trains research scientists, and develops and disseminates credible, science-based health information to the public.

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) serves as the head of the Intelligence Community (IC), overseeing and directing the implementation of the National Intelligence Program and acting as the principal advisor to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council for intelligence matters related to the national security. Working together with the Principal Deputy DNI (PDDNI) and with the assistance of Mission Managers and four Deputy Directors, the Office of the DNI's goal is to effectively integrate foreign, military and domestic intelligence in defense of the homeland and of United States interests abroad.

The National Library of Medicine (NLM), on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, has been a center of information innovation since its founding in 1836. The world’s largest biomedical library, NLM maintains and makes available a vast print collection and produces electronic information resources on a wide range of topics that are searched billions of times each year by millions of people around the globe. It also supports and conducts research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology. In addition, the Library coordinates a 6,000-member National Network of Libraries of Medicine that promotes and provides access to health information in communities across the United States.

The National Mediation Board facilitates harmonious labor-management relations within two of the Nation's key transportation sectors: the railroads and the airlines. The Board handles mediation and employee representation disputes and provides administrative and financial support in adjusting grievances in the railroad industry. The National Mediation Board (NMB) is an independent agency established by the 1934 amendments to the Railway Labor Act of 1926 (45 U.S.C. 151-158, 160-162, 1181-1188). The Board is composed of three members, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The board designates a Chairman on a yearly basis. The Agency's dispute-resolution processes are designed to resolve disputes over the negotiation of new or revised collective bargaining agreements and the interpretation or application of existing agreements. It also effectuates employee rights of self-organization where a representation dispute exists.

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NACO) was established in 2001 by a memorandum of understanding among the eight agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) at that time. The NNCO coordinates the preparation and publication of NNI interagency planning, budget, and assessment documents. The NNCO organizes meetings of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering & Technology Subcommittee and its working groups. It also organizes NNI-sponsored workshops and, as appropriate, prepares and publishes reports of those workshops.The NNCO also maintains www.nano.gov and coordinates development of information on the NNI and its activities for Congress when requested.

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) was created by Congress through the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 (113 Stat. 512) to bring focus to the management of the Nation's defense nuclear security programs. Three existing organizations within the Department of Energy--Defense Programs, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and Naval Reactors--were combined into a new, separately organized and managed agency within DOE, headed by an Administrator who reports to the Secretary. NNSA is responsible for strengthening United States security through military application of nuclear energy and by reducing the global threat from terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. NNSA's service center and eight site offices provide operations oversight and contract administration for NNSA site activities, acting as the agency's risk acceptance for the site. The site offices are responsible for the following functions: the safe and secure operation of facilities under the purview of NNSA; supporting NNSA programs to ensure their success in accordance with their expectations; and ensuring the long-term viability of the site to support NNSA programs and projects.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was formed on October 3, 1970, by Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. app.). NOAA's mission entails environmental assessment, prediction, and stewardship. It is dedicated to monitoring and assessing the state of the environment in order to make accurate and timely forecasts to protect life, property, and natural resources, as well as to promote the economic well-being of the United States and to enhance its environmental security. NOAA is committed to protecting America's ocean, coastal, and living marine resources while promoting sustainable economic development.

The National Park Service was established in the Department of the Interior on August 25, 1916 (16 U.S.C. 1). There are close to 400 units in the National Park System, including national parks, monuments and memorials, scenic parkways, preserves, reserves, trails, riverways, wild and scenic rivers, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas, battlefields and battlefield parks and sites, national military parks, international historic sites, and historic sites associated with important movements, events, and personalities of the American past. The National Park Service is dedicated to conserving unimpaired the Natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

The National Partnership for Reinventing Government was originally designated the National Performance Review (NPR) as an interagency task force on March 3, 1993. Originally intended as a six-month review of the federal government under the leadership of the Vice President Al Gore, NPR continued over several years and was eventually renamed the National Partnership on Reinventing Government in early 1998. Under Vice President Gore, the NPR gathered experienced federal workers and organized them into teams to examine federal agencies and issues that cut across agencies, such as personnel, procurement or budget policies. The goal: identify problems and offer solutions and ideas for savings. In addition, the President asked each cabinet secretary to organize a 'Reinvention Team' to work from within each agency and to create 'Reinvention Laboratories' where experiments in new ways of doing business could begin immediately. The Vice President and the National Performance Review teams sought input from people all across America. Vice President Gore spoke with workers at every major agency and at federal centers around the country. He visited programs that work and companies that have implemented new practices, dramatically changing their operations and decreasing costs while increasing profits in the process. The Vice President and the National Performance Review teams learned from the state and local leaders who have put many of these ideas into practice and they listened to the very best experts in the country -- from business, government, and the academic academy -- at special conferences in Philadelphia and Nashville. And, they listened to the American people whose letters and phone calls were invaluable. The National Performance Review focused on how government should work, not on what it should do. The National Performance Review teams examined every cabinet department and 10 agencies. A 'bottom-up' review of the Department of Defense and the work of the Health Care and Welfare Reform Task Forces at the Department of Health and Human Services both covered areas that the National Health Review did not. Source: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/npr/library/status/ex.sum.html

The National Prison Rape Elimination Commission (NPREC) was established in 2003 as a bipartisan commission under the authority of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. The Commission was created to study Federal, State and local government policies and practices related to the prevention, detection, response and monitoring of sexual abuse in correction and detention facilities in the United States. Consistent with the Act, the Commission made recommendations designed to make the prevention of rape a top priority in America’s jails, prisons, lockups, juvenile facilities, and other detention facilities. The Commission was terminated on August 22, 2009 after submitting its final report in June 2009.

The National Science Foundation promotes the progress of science and engineering through the support of research and education programs. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency created by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950, as amended (42 U.S.C. 1861-1875). The purposes of the Foundation are to increase the Nation's base of scientific and engineering knowledge and strengthen its ability to conduct research in all areas of science and engineering; to develop and help implement science and engineering education programs that can better prepare the Nation for meeting the challenges of the future; and to promote international cooperation through science and engineering. In its role as a leading Federal supporter of science and engineering, the agency also has an important role in national policy planning. The Board also has a broad national policy responsibility to monitor and make recommendations to promote the health of U.S. science and engineering research and education.

The National Security Agency (NSA) was established in 1952, and the Central Security Service (CSS) was established in 1972. NSA/CSS is under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. As the Nation's cryptologic organization, NSA/CSS employs the Nation's premier codemakers and codebreakers. It ensures an informed, alert, and secure environment for U.S. warfighters and policymakers. The cryptologic resources of NSA/CSS unite to provide U.S. policymakers with intelligence information derived from America's adversaries while protecting U.S. Government signals and information systems from exploitation by those same adversaries.

The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, a temporary, independent Federal entity created by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232). The Commission was created to conduct a review and provide recommendations to the President and Congress related to the use of Artificial Intelligence for national security.

A federal independent agencie.

The National Skill Standards Board was created by The National Skill Standards Act of 1994 (108 Stat 192, 20 U.S.C. 5933)), signed into law by President Clinton on March 31, 1994. The Board's purpose as stated in the Act is ``to serve as a catalyst in stimulating the development and adoption of a voluntary national system of skill standards and of assessment and certification of attainment of skill standards: (1) That will serve as a cornerstone of the national strategy to enhance workforce skills; (2) that will result in increased productivity, economic growth, and American economic competitiveness; and (3) that can be used consistent with civil rights laws'' by the stakeholders enumerated in the Act: the nation, industries, employers, labor organizations, workers, students, entry-level workers, training providers, educators and government. The Act also states that this voluntary national system of skill standards will serve: (1) to facilitate the transition to high performance work organizations; (2) to increase opportunities for minorities and women; and (3) to facilitate linkages between other components of the national strategy to enhance workforce skills. __________ Source: Federal Register, (March 25, 1996, [61 FR 12109]).

The National Space Council (NSpC) is the White House policy council responsible for ensuring the United States capitalizes on the rich opportunities presented by our nation’s space activities. The NSpC was established by law as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 100-685). The Council was not operational from 1993-2017. The NSpC is aided by a staff from the Executive Office of the President, led by a civilian Executive Secretary. It is also supported by the Users Advisory Group, a Federal Advisory Committee consisting of outside experts from industry, academia, and other non-Federal organizations.

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) operates a central clearinghouse of scientific and technical information that is useful to U.S. business and industry. NTIS collects scientific and technical information; catalogs, abstracts, indexes, and permanently archives the information; disseminates products in the forms and formats most useful to its customers; develops electronic and other media to disseminate information; and provides information processing services to other Federal agencies. NTIS receives no appropriations. Its revenue comes from two sources: the sale of technical reports to business and industry, schools and universities, State and local government offices, and the public at large and from services to Federal agencies that help them communicate more effectively with their employees and constituents. The NTIS collection of approximately 2.5 million works covers a broad array of subjects and includes reports on the results of research and development and scientific studies on manufacturing processes, current events, and foreign and domestic trade; business and management studies; social, economic, and trade statistics; computer software and databases; health care reports, manuals, and data; environmental handbooks, regulations, economic studies, and applied technologies; directories to Federal laboratory and technical resources; and global competitive intelligence. The collection also includes audiovisual training materials in such areas as foreign languages, workplace safety and health, law enforcement, and fire services.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) was established in 1978 by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1977 (5 U.S.C. app.) and Executive Order 12046 of March 27, 1978 (3 CFR, 1978 Comp., p. 158), by combining the Office of Telecommunications Policy of the Executive Office of the President and the Office of Telecommunications of the Department of Commerce to form a new agency reporting to the Secretary of Commerce. NTIA operates under the authority of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act (47 U.S.C. 901). NTIA's principal responsibilities and functions include: --serving as the principal executive branch adviser to the President on telecommunications and information policy; --developing and presenting U.S. plans and policies at international communications conferences and related meetings; --prescribing policies for and managing Federal use of the radio frequency spectrum; --serving as the principal Federal telecommunications research and engineering laboratory, through NTIA's Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, headquartered in Boulder, CO; --administering Federal programs to assist telecommunication facilities, public safety organizations, and the general public with the transition to digital broadcasting; --providing grants through the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program to increase broadband accessibility in underserved areas of the United States; and --providing grants through the Public Telecommunications Facilities Program to extend delivery or public telecommunications services to U.S. citizens, to increase ownership and management by women and minorities, and to strengthen the capabilities of existing public broadcasting stations to provide telecommunications services.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was established in 1967 and became totally independent on April 1, 1975, by the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 (49 U.S.C. 1111). The National Transportation Safety Board seeks to ensure that all types of transportation in the United States are conducted safely. The Board investigates accidents, conducts studies, and makes recommendations to Government agencies, the transportation industry, and others on safety measures and practices.

The National Women’s Business Council (NWBC) was established as an independent advisory council by the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988 (Pub. L. 100-533). NWBC was created to review the status of women–owned business nationwide; the role of Federal, State and local governments in assisting and promoting aid to, and the promotion of, women-owned business; data collection procedures and the availability of data related to women-owned business; and government initiatives relating to women owned business, including those related to Federal procurement.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) was originally established by Congress in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), NRCS has expanded to become a conservation leader for all natural resources, ensuring private lands are conserved, restored, and more resilient to environmental challenges, like climate change. NRCS works with landowners through conservation planning and assistance designed to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals that result in productive lands and healthy ecosystems. [http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/about/]

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) ) is entrusted with a fiduciary role, managing an average of $11 billion in annual revenues from energy and mineral leases and other monies owed for the use of public natural resources on the Outer Continental Shelf and onshore Federal and American Indian lands. Revenue sources include royalties, rents, and bonuses generated throughout the life of the lease.

The Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation (ONHIR) is an independent agency responsible for assisting Hopi and Navajo Indians impacted by the relocation that Congress mandated in 1974 for members of the tribes who were living on each other's land. Imposed by the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act of 1974, the relocation was intended to be a temporary process to resolve land disputes among the tribes that had been ongoing for decades. But discord between varying involved parties continued to arise, preventing the desired final resolution, and resulting in the cost of the program ballooning, Congress amending the Act, and various politicians attempting to put an end to ONHIR.

The primary mission of the Department of the Navy is to protect the United States, as directed by the President or the Secretary of Defense, by the effective prosecution of war at sea including, with its Marine Corps component, the seizure or defense of advanced naval bases; to support, as required, the forces of all military departments of the United States; and to maintain freedom of the seas. The United States Navy was founded on October 13, 1775, when Congress enacted the first legislation creating the Continental Navy of the American Revolution. The Department of the Navy and the Office of Secretary of the Navy were established by act of April 30, 1798 (10 U.S.C. 5011, 5031). For 9 years prior to that date, by act of August 7, 1789 (1 Stat. 49), the conduct of naval affairs was under the Secretary of War. The National Security Act Amendments of 1949 provided that the Department of the Navy be a military department within the Department of Defense (63 Stat. 578).

The Northeast Dairy Compact was an interstate compact between six New England States, which passed uniform legislation joining the Compact and the governors of each state signed the legislation into law. Under the Compact Clause (Article 1, section 10, clause 3) of the United States Constitution, Congress must approve interstate compacts. The Compact language was included in the 1996 Farm Bill (Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform Act) and was passed by Congress on March 28, 1996. This required support from Congressional members outside of New England. The President signed the legislation into law on April 4, 1996. The Northeast Dairy Compact was established in an effort to restore the authority of the six New England states to set prices for Class 1 fluid milk sold in the region. Recognizing the regional character of the northeast dairy industry, the Compact serves several major functions. These functions include assuring the region of an adequate supply of milk, recognizing the cultural and economic benefits of a viable dairy industry in the region and facilitating the Constitutional rights of individual states to act collectively in order to regulate milk prices.. For further information on the Northeast Dairy Compact and its activities, please visit their website at http://www.dairycompact.org/. ___________ Source: http://www.dairycompact.org/comfacts.htm.

The Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Commission was established under authority of the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact (Section 227 of Title II of Public L. 99-240), the Omnibus Low-level Radioactive Waste Interstate Compact Consent Act of January 15, 1986. The Commission was established to develop, adopt and maintain a regional management plan to ensure safe and effective management of low-level radioactive waste within the northeast region of the United States, pursuant to the Northeast Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Compact.

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is a Federal-State partnership for economic and community development in northern Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. Each year, the NBRC provides Federal funds for critical economic and community development projects throughout the northeast. These investments lead to new job creation and leverage substantial private sector investments.

The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is a subagency of the Department of Energy. The NE promotes nuclear power as a resource capable of meeting the Nation's energy, environmental and national security needs by resolving technical and regulatory barriers through research, development and demonstration. For further information regarding Office of Nuclear Energy organization and functions, please visit NE’s webpage at http://www.ne.doe.gov/. ____________ Source: http://www.ne.doe.gov/

The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board was established under the 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Act amendments. The Board is completely independent; advises both Congress and the Secretary of Energy on technical issues related to nuclear waste management; and it evaluates the technical validity of all activities undertaken by the Secretary of Energy related to the Department of Energy's continuing obligation to manage and develop an approach for the disposition of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. [http://www.nwtrb.gov/mission/nwtrbmission.pdf]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651 et seq.). By concentrating on four areas: (1) firm enforcement of workplace safety and health rules; (2) swift promulgation of strong, protective health and safety standards; (3) increased outreach and help for workers and their employers in their efforts to eliminate and control workplace hazards; and (4) partnership with the States that are running their own OSHA-approved programs. OSHA sets and enforces workplace safety and health standards and assists employers in complying with those standards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission ensures the timely and fair resolution of cases involving the alleged exposure of American workers to unsafe or unhealthy working conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission is an independent, quasi-judicial agency established by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (29 U.S.C. 651-678). The Commission rules on cases when disagreements arise over the results of safety and health inspections performed by the Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers have the right to dispute any alleged job safety or health violation found during the inspection by OSHA, the penalties it proposes, and the time given to correct any hazardous situation. The Occupational Safety and Health Act covers virtually every employer in the country. Its purpose is to reduce the incidence of personal injuries, illness, and deaths among working men and women in the United States that result from their employment. It requires employers to provide a working environment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees and to comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under the act.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) was established by Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299 of May 19, 2010, which restructured the former Mineral Management Service, dividing its responsibilities into three new bureaus--The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). BOEM is responsible for managing development of U.S. Outer Continental Shelf energy, mineral, and geological resources in an environmentally and economically responsible way.

On May 19, 2010 the Minerals Management Service was renamed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). On Oct. 1, 2010 the Office of Natural Resource Revenues (ONRR) split from BOEMRE and on Oct. 1, 2011 BOEMRE was divided into the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE).

The U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy was established by the Oceans Act of 2000 (P.L 106-256) and mandated to establish findings and develop recommendations for a new and comprehensive national ocean policy. On September 20, 2004, the Commission submitted its Final Report to the President and Congress. On December 19, 2004, the Commission officially expired, as called for under the, Oceans Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-256).

The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) is a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) resource for the public and the government. Its duties include reviewing FOIA policies, procedures and compliance of Federal agencies and recommending changes to FOIA based on information gathered. Duties also include resolving FOIA disputes between Federal agencies and requesters.

A federal independent agencie.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a component of the Executive Office of the President, was established by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The principal purpose of ONDCP is to establish policies, priorities, and objectives for the Nation's drug control program. The goals of the program are to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking, drug-related crime and violence, and drug-related health consequences. To achieve these goals, the Director of ONDCP is charged with producing the National Drug Control Strategy. The Strategy directs the Nation's anti-drug efforts and establishes a program, a budget, and guidelines for cooperation among Federal, State, and local entities. By law, the Director of ONDCP also evaluates, coordinates, and oversees both the international and domestic anti-drug efforts of executive branch agencies and ensures that such efforts sustain and complement State and local anti-drug activities. The Director advises the President regarding changes in the organization, management, budgeting, and personnel of Federal Agencies that could affect the Nation's anti-drug efforts; and regarding Federal agency compliance with their obligations under the Strategy. Source: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/about/index.html

In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon issued an executive order that created the Office of Policy Development, with jurisdiction over economic and domestic policy. The Office of Policy Development is comprised of the Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council, which are responsible for advising and assisting the President in the formulation, coordination, and implementation of domestic and economic policy. The Office of Policy Development also provides support for other policy development and implementation activities as directed by the President. In 1993, President William J. Clinton split the Office of Policy Development, forming the present Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council. Source: http://system.uslegal.com/executive-branch/office-of-policy-development

The Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) advises the President of the United States on cybersecurity policy and strategy. Established by Congress in 2021, ONCD is a component of the Executive Office of the President at the White House. ONCD’s mission is to advance national security, economic prosperity, and technological innovation through cybersecurity policy leadership. In carrying out its directive, ONCD works closely with White House and interagency partners, as well as with all levels of government, America’s international allies and partners, non-profits, academia, and the private sector, to shape and coordinate federal cybersecurity policy.

Oklahoma City National Memorial honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were changed forever on April 19, 1995. Legislation establishing the Oklahoma City National Memorial (P.L. 105-58) was signed into law by President Clinton in October, 1997. The Oklahoma City National Memorial Trust was organized to create a permanent memorial on the site of the bombing in Oklahoma City to honor those who died, those who survived and those changed forever on April 19, 1995. The Memorial is comprised of three distinct components. [http://www.nps.gov/archive/okci/home.htm]

The Office of Operations (OO) is part of the Departmental Management organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The OO provides facilities management services for the agencies and staff offices occupying USDA's Headquarters Complex, the George Washington Carver Center, and USDA leased facilities in the Washington Metropolitan Area. In addition to operating and maintaining the headquarters' infrastructure, the office provides facilities safety programs. Its diverse array of support activities include; facilities safety programs; accessible technology resources and information for all disabled USDA employees; sign language interpreters; ergonomic assessments; environmental quality assessments; occupational health services; architectural design, engineering, construction and hazardous materials abatement; space planning, design and leasing; building alterations and repairs; mail delivery, courier, copier and duplicating services; centralized logistics support for bulk and specialized supply items, personal property, forms and publications. Some of these services are also provided to external Federal agency customers. __________ Source: http://www.dm.usda.gov/oo/aboutoo.htm

The Ounce of Prevention Council was established by Pub. L. 103-322 (the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994). The purpose of the Council was to be responsible for such functions as coordinated planning, development of a comprehensive crime prevention program catalogue, provision of assistance to communities and community-based organizations seeking information regarding crime prevention programs and integrated program service delivery, and development of strategies for program integration and grant simplification. The Council was provided the authority to audit the expenditure of funds received by grantees under programs administered by or coordinated through the Council.

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council was established by the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act. The Council was mandated to prepare and adopt a regional conservation and electric power plan and a program to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife. The Council was to establish a voluntary scientific and statistical advisory committee to assist in the development, collection and evaluation of relevant statistical, biological, economic, social, environmental and other scientific information.

The Panama Canal Commission was established by Pub. Law 96-70 (the Panama Canal Act of 1979) and began operations on October 1, 1979. The Commission functioned as an independent agency with the primary purposed of operating and maintaining the Panama Canal and associated facilities in cooperation with the Republic of Panama. On December 31, 1999, the Commission’s duties and sovereignty over the canal were transferred to the Republic of Panama, upon the termination of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977.

The United States Parole Commission (USPC) makes parole release decisions for eligible Federal and District of Columbia prisoners; authorizes methods of release and conditions under which release occurs; prescribes, modifies, and monitors compliance with the terms and conditions governing offenders' behavior while on parole or mandatory or supervised release; issues warrants for violation of supervision; determines probable cause for the revocation process; revokes parole, mandatory, or supervised release; releases from supervision those offenders who are no longer a risk to public safety; and promulgates the rules, regulations, and guidelines for the exercise of USPC's authority and the implementation of a national parole policy. USPC has sole jurisdiction over the following: Federal offenders who committed offenses before November 1, 1987; D.C. Code offenders who committed offenses before August 5, 2000; D.C. Code offenders sentenced to a term of supervised release; Uniform Code of Military Justice offenders who are in Bureau of Prison's custody; transfer treaty cases; and State probationers and parolees in the Federal Witness Protection Program.

The Secretary established the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE) to rapidly expand outreach to America’s agricultural community and facilitate greater access to USDA programs. Additionally, OPPE serves as the lead agent for USDA partnership and outreach activities with tasking and reporting authority to direct, coordinate and control all target programs. Programs include all components of the Office of Advocacy and Outreach including Small Farms and Beginning Farmer/Rancher and youth outreach and integration into workforce diversity 2030, Office of Tribal Relations, Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison and supporting Veterans Program Initiative, The Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and any other such programs the Secretary deems essential to serve the interest of USDA.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was established by the act of July 19, 1952 (35 U.S.C. 1) "to promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries for a certain period of time'' (Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution). The registration of trademarks is based on the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. USPTO examines and issues patents. There are three major patent categories: utility patents, design patents, and plant patents. USPTO also issues statutory invention registrations and processes international patent applications. Through the registration of trademarks, USPTO assists businesses in protecting their investments, promoting goods and services, and safeguarding consumers against confusion and deception in the marketplace. A trademark includes any distinctive word, name, symbol, device, or any combination thereof adopted and used or intended to be used by a manufacturer or merchant to identify his goods or services and distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. Trademarks are examined by the Office for compliance with various statutory requirements to prevent unfair competition and consumer deception. In addition to the examination of patent and trademark applications, issuance of patents, and registration of trademarks, USPTO advises and assists government agencies and officials in matters involving all domestic and global aspects of intellectual property. USPTO also promotes an understanding of intellectual property protection.

The mission of the Peace Corps is to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women, and to help promote better mutual understanding between Americans and citizens of other countries. The Peace Corps was established by the Peace Corps Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2501), and was made an independent agency by title VI of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1981 (22 U.S.C. 2501-1). The Peace Corps consists of a Washington, DC, headquarters; 9 area offices; and overseas operations in 76 countries, utilizing nearly 8,000 volunteers.

The Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration (PWBA) is responsible for the administration and enforcement of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA). The primary mission of PWBA is to protect the pension, health and other benefits of participants in private sector employee benefit plans. PWBA directly affects the livelihood of over 150 million people who participate in ERISA-covered plans, and protects the U.S. economy's single largest source of capital for investment--pension funds. Currently, there are over 91 million participants, including workers and retirees, in private pension plans which hold more than $4.3 trillion in assets.

The Office of Personnel Management administers a merit system to ensure compliance with personnel laws and regulations and assists agencies in recruiting, examining, and promoting people on the basis of their knowledge and skills, regardless of their race, religion, sex, political influence, or other nonmerit factors. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) was created as an independent establishment by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.), pursuant to Executive Order 12107 of December 28, 1978. Many of the functions of the former United States Civil Service Commission were transferred to OPM.

The Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC) was established in 1986 as an independent legislative advisory commission under the authority of Sec. 9305 of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. The Commission was formed to advise the U.S. Congress on methods used to pay physicians for services to Medicare beneficiaries. In addition, the Commission provides opportunities for beneficiaries, physicians, and other interested parties to have their views considered in policy deliberations and physical payment issues; conducts analyses to provide a basis for policy to alter Medicare’s method of paying physicians; and performs design work necessary to implement major changes in physician payment.

The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was established on November 20, 2004 under the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-426). PHMSA was created to protect the American public and the environment by ensuring the safe and secure movement of hazardous materials to industry and consumers by all transportation modes, including the nation's pipelines. Through PHMSA, the Department develops and enforces regulations for the safe, reliable, and environmentally sound operation of the nation's 2.3 million mile pipeline transportation system and the nearly 1 million daily shipments of hazardous materials by land, sea, and air.

The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) is an independent agency that has exercised regulatory oversight over the Postal Service since its creation by the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. While that oversight, initially, consisted primarily of conducting public, on-the-record hearings concerning proposed rate, mail classification or major service changes, and recommending decisions for action by the postal Governors, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) enacted on December 20, 2006, significantly strengthened the Commission's authority to serve as a counterbalance to new flexibility granted to the Postal Service in setting postal rates. Under PAEA, the Commission is required to develop and maintain regulations for a modern system of rate regulation, consult with the Postal Service on delivery service standards and performance measures, consult with the Department of State on international postal policies, prevent cross-subsidization or other anticompetitive postal practices, promote transparency and accountability, and adjudicate complaints. The law also assigns new and continuing oversight responsibilities to the PRC, including annual determinations of Postal Service compliance with applicable laws, development of accounting practices and procedures for the Postal Service, review of the Universal Service requirement, and assurance of transparency through periodic reports. New enforcement tools include subpoena power, authority to direct the Postal Service to adjust rates and to take other remedial actions, and levying fines in cases of deliberate noncompliance with applicable postal laws.

The Postal Regulatory Commission develops and implements a modern system of postal rate regulation. The Postal Regulatory Commission is the successor agency to the Postal Rate Commission, which was created by the Postal Reorganization Act, as amended (39 U.S.C. 3601-3604). The Commission was established as an independent agency in the executive branch of Government by the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (39 U.S.C. 101 note). It is composed of five Commissioners, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, one of whom is designated as Chairman. The Commission promulgates rules and regulations, establishes procedures, and takes other actions necessary to carry out its obligations. It considers complaints received from interested persons relating to United States Postal Service rates, regulations, and services. The Commission also has certain reporting obligations, including a report on universal postal service and the postal monopoly.

The United States Postal Service provides mail processing and delivery services to individuals and businesses within the United States. The Postal Service was created as an independent establishment of the executive branch by the Postal Reorganization Act (39 U.S.C. 101 et seq.), approved August 12, 1970. The present United States Postal Service commenced operations on July 1, 1971. The Postal Service has approximately 705,000 career employees and handles about 212 billion pieces of mail annually. The chief executive officer of the Postal Service, the Postmaster General, is appointed by the nine Governors of the Postal Service, who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Governors and the Postmaster General appoint the Deputy Postmaster General, and these 11 people constitute the Board of Governors. In addition to the national headquarters, there are area and district offices supervising more than 37,000 post offices, branches, stations, and community post offices throughout the United States.

The Presidents Council on Integrity and Efficiency (PCIE) was established by EO 12625 of January 27, 1988 (53 FR 2812). The PCIE was primarily composed of the Presidentially appointed Inspector Generals. The Council was chaired by the Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The PCIE conducted interagency audit, inspection, evaluation, and investigative projects to address integrity, economy, and effectiveness issues that transcend individual government agencies. The Council also had the additional role of increasing the professionalism and effectiveness of Inspector General personnel throughout the government. The PCIE was abolished and reestablished by EO 12805 of May 11, 1992 (57 FR 20627). __________ Source: http://www.oig.doc.gov/oig/reports/other_publications/TravelCardGuide.pdf U.S. Government Manual (2009/2010 ed.), p. 611.

The President's Council on Sustainable Development was established by Executive Order 12852 of June 29, 1993. The Council was made up of not more than 25 members from the public and private sectors who represented industrial, environmental, governmental and not-for-profit organizations with experience relating to matters of sustainable development. The Council's functions were to advise the President on matters involving sustainable development and to develop and recommend to the President a national sustainable development action strategy that will foster economic vitality. The Council was terminated by Executive Order 23238 of September 30, 1999.

The President's Critical Infrastructure Protection Board was established by Executive Order 13231 of October 16, 2001. The purpose of the Board was to assist and support the Director of OMB in this function and shall be reasonably cognizant of programs related to security of department and agency information systems. The Board was also authorized to recommend policies and coordinate programs for protecting information systems for critical infrastructure, including emergency preparedness communications, and the physical assets that support such systems.

The President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board (PERAB) was established by President Obama to ensure the availability of independent, nonpartisan information, analysis, and advice as he formulates and implements his plans for economic recovery and enhancing the strength and competitiveness of the Nation's economy. The members of the PERAB were appointed by the President from among distinguished citizens outside the Government who are qualified on the basis of achievement, experience, and independence. The overall membership of the PERAB reflects a diverse set of perspectives from across the country and various sectors of the economy. The PERAB meets periodically and solicits information and ideas from all sectors to promote the growth of the economy, establish a stable and sound financial and banking system, and create jobs. The PERAB provides analysis and information directly to the President on the design, implementation, and evaluation of policies. With respect to matters deemed appropriate by the President, the PERAB may provide information and recommendations to the National Economic Council or any other agency with responsibilities related to the economy or financial markets. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/perab/about]

The Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses was established by EO 12961 of May 26, 1995. The purpose of the Advisory Committee was the oversight of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Department of Defense and ther executive departments and agencies into possible chemical or biological warfare agent exposures during the Gulf War. The Advisory Committee was also charged with the evaluation of the Federal Government's plan for and progress toward the implementation of those recommendations made in its report submitted on December 31, 1996. The Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses was terminated upon the issuance of its special report of October 31, 1997.

The Presidential Commission on Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces was established in 1992 by the Defense Authorization Bill for 1992 [Pub. L. 102-190). The Commission was created to assess the laws and policies restricting the assignment of female service members. The Commission was terminated following the submission of its final report to Congress on December 15, 1992.

The Presidio Trust's mission is to preserve and enhance the Presidio as an enduring resource for the American public. The Trust's work encompasses the natural areas, wildlife, and native habitats of the park, as well as the historic structures, and designed landscapes that make the park a National Historic Landmark District. The Presidio Trust is dedicated to ensuring that visitors to this spectacular place have the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the Presidio, its place in American history, and the plants and wildlife which once thrived throughout the region. The Trust receives federal appropriations that diminish each year, and cease at the end of fiscal year 2012. The Trust uses these funds and lease revenues to rehabilitate the park's buildings, restore its open spaces and historic resources, provide programs for visitors, maintain utilities and infrastructure, and fund the Presidio's long-term care. The Presidio Trust is governed by a seven-member board of directors. Six members are appointed by the President of the United States. The seventh is the U.S. Secretary of the Interior or his/her designee. [http://www.presidio.gov/]

The mission of the Bureau of Prisons is to protect society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens. The Bureau has its headquarters also known as Central Office, in Washington, DC. The Central Office is divided into nine divisions, including the National Institute of Corrections.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board is an advisory body to assist the President and other senior Executive branch officials in ensuring that concerns with respect to privacy and civil liberties are appropriately considered in the implementation of all laws, regulations, and executive branch policies related to war against terrorism. Recommended by the July 22, 2004, report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board was established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. It consists of five members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the President. The Board is part of the White House Office within the Executive Office of the President and supported by an Executive Director and staff. The Board advises the President and other senior executive branch officials to ensure that concerns with respect to privacy and civil liberties are appropriately considered in the implementation of all laws, regulations, and executive branch policies related to efforts to protect the Nation against terrorism. This includes advising on whether adequate guidelines, supervision, and oversight exist to protect these important legal rights of all Americans. In addition, the Board is specifically charged with responsibility for reviewing the terrorism information sharing practices of executive branch departments and agencies to determine whether guidelines designed to appropriately protect privacy and civil liberties are being followed, including those issued by the President on December 16, 2005. In the course of performing these functions within the executive branch, the Board seeks the views of private sector, non-profit and academic institutions, Members of Congress, and all other interested parties and individuals on these issues.

The Office of Procurement and Property Management (OPPM) is part of the Departmental Management organization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). OPPM serves the Secretary and USDA agencies with policy, advice and coordination in acquisitions, procurement and management of real and personal property. In addition it provides oversight and policy in transportation, supply, motor vehicles, aircraft, recycling, and energy conservation. The Office also coordinates USDA’s disaster management and emergency planning response activities. __________ Source: http://www.dm.usda.gov/oppm.htm

The Program Support Center provides information concerning fee-for-service activities in the areas of acquisitions, occupational health, information technology support, human resources, financial management, and administrative operations.

The Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC) was created by Congress in 1986 to participate in setting and updating the DRG rates. ProPAC was comprised of 17 experts in health care delivery, finance, and research who were appointed by the Director of the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. ProPAC was given the responsibility to evaluate the performance of the executive and legislative branch on the management of the Physicians Fee Schedule. ProPAC’s two statutory responsibilities were to recommend: mechanisms for updating hospital payment rates to the Secretary of HHS, and necessary changes in DRGs including the advisability of establishing new DRGs, modifying existing ones, or changing the relative weights. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 required the Comptroller General to terminate ProPAC and merge its statutory duties along with those of the Physician Payment Review Commission into the newly-establishment Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). __________ Source: http://oig.hhs.gov/oei/reports/oei-09-00-00200.pdf

The Public Buildings Reform Board was established by statute on December 16, 2016 (Pub. L. 114-287, 130 Stat. 1465) as an independent Board. It's mandated to identify opportunities for the Government to reduce significantly its inventory of civilian real property and reduce costs to the Government. The Board is directed, within 6 months of its formation, to recommend to the Office of Management and Budget the sale of not fewer than five properties not on the list of surplus or excess with a fair market value of not less than $500 million and not more than $750 million. In two subsequent rounds over a five-year period, the Board is responsible for making recommendations for other sales, consolidations, property disposals or redevelopment of up to $7.25 billion.

The Bureau of the Public Debt was established on June 30, 1940, pursuant to the Reorganization Act of 1939 (31 U.S.C. 306). The Bureau's mission is to borrow the money needed to operate the Federal Government, account for the resulting public debt, and provide reimbursable support to Federal agencies. The Bureau fulfills its mission through five programs: wholesale securities, Government agency investment, retail securities services, summary debt accounting, and franchise services. The Bureau auctions and issues Treasury bills, notes, and bonds and manages the U.S. Savings Bond Program. It issues, services, and redeems bonds through a nationwide network of issuing and paying agents. It provides daily and other periodic reports to account for the composition and size of the debt. In addition, the Bureau implements the regulations for the Government securities market. These regulations provide for investor protection while maintaining a fair and liquid market for Government securities.

The U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) was structured under the Public Health Service Act of 1944as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) which was later renamed the United States Department of health and Human Services (HHS). The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and Human Services including: -Administration for Children and Families (ACF); -Administration on Aging (AoA); -Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); -Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR); -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); -Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS); -Federal Occupational Health (FOH); -Food and Drug Administration (FDA); -Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA); -Indian health Service (HIS); -National Institutes of Health (NIH); -Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); and -Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The central mission of the PHS is to protect the health of the country's population.

The Railroad Retirement Board administers comprehensive retirement-survivor and unemployment-sickness benefit programs for the Nation's railroad workers and their families. The Railroad Retirement Board was originally established by the Railroad Retirement Act of 1934, as amended (45 U.S.C. 201--228z-1). The Board derives statutory authority from the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231-231u) and the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 351-369). It administers these acts and participates in the administration of the Social Security Act and the Health Insurance for the Aged Act insofar as they affect railroad retirement beneficiaries.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation was established by the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA), enacted on September 27, 2007. (Public Law 110-85). The law requires that the foundation board of directors be established within 30 days and that it not include any federal employee. The Foundation, a private and independent nonprofit corporation, was created to modernize medical, veterinary, food, food ingredient, and cosmetic product development; accelerate innovation; and enhance product safety. __________ Sources: http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/ComplianceManuals/RegulatoryProceduresManual/ucm176580.htm http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2007/ucm109029.htm

The Bureau of Reclamation was established pursuant to the Reclamation Act of 1902 (43 U.S.C. 371 et seq.). The Bureau is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 Western States. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits.

The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board was created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Board had two goals: (1) To provide transparency in relation to the use of Recovery-related funds (2) To prevent and detect fraud, waste, and mismanagement The mission of the Board is to promote accountability by coordinating and conducting oversight of Recovery funds to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse and to foster transparency on Recovery spending by providing the public with accurate, user-friendly information. The Board issues quarterly and annual reports to the President and Congress and, if necessary, "flash reports" on matters that require immediate attention. In addition, the Board maintains the Recovery.gov website so the American people can see how Recovery money is being distributed by federal agencies and how the funds are being used by the recipients. [http://www.recovery.gov/About/board/Pages/TheBoard.aspx]

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) was established by Congress under The Refugee Act of 1980. This Act incorporates the definition of "refugee" used in the U.N. Protocol, and makes provision for regular flow as well as emergency admission of refugees, and authorizes federal assistance for the resettlement of refugees. Individuals granted refugee status overseas by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are brought to the United States for resettlement by the U.S. Department of State. Voluntary agencies and ORR through their programs assist with their resettlement and integration into the U.S. Refugees are eligible to receive ORR benefits and services from the first day they arrive in the U.S. Founded on the belief that newly arriving populations have inherent capabilities when given opportunities, the goal of the ORR is to provide people in need with critical resources to assist them in becoming integrated members of American society.

The Regulatory Information Service Center (the Center) compiles the Unified Agenda for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), part of the Office of Management and Budget. OIRA is responsible for overseeing the Federal Government's regulatory, paperwork, and information resource management activities, including implementation of Executive Order 12866, as amended. The Center also provides information about Federal regulatory activity to the President and his Executive Office, the Congress, agency managers, and the public.

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) was created under the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act (49 U.S.C. 101 note). RITA coordinates, facilitates, and reviews the Department's research and development programs and activities; performs comprehensive transportation statistics research, analysis, and reporting; and promotes the use of innovative technologies to improve our Nation's transportation system. RITA brings together important DOT data, research, and technology transfer assets and provides strategic direction and oversight of DOT's Intelligent Transportation Systems Program. RITA is composed of the staff from the Office of Research, Development, and Technology, the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, the Transportation Safety Institute, and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

The Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) was established by act of Oct. 24, 1992 (106 Stat. 3310). This subagency of the Department of Transportation focused on improving hazardous materials and pipeline safety; coordinates and advances transportation research, technology and education activities to promote innovative transportation solutions; and manages the Department's transportation-related emergency response and recovery responsibilities. RSPA also provides planning and training grants to States and Indian tribes to increase hazardous materials emergency preparedness. RSPA was abolished by act of Nov. 30, 2004 (118 Stat. 2424-2426) and certain duties and powers were transferred to both the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Administrator of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, Department of Transportation.

The role of USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) is to help producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions. RMA's mission is to promote, support, and regulate sound risk management solutions to preserve and strengthen the economic stability of America's agricultural producers. As part of this mission, RMA operates and manages the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC). RMA was created in 1996; the FCIC was founded in 1938.

The mission of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is to enhance the quality of life for all rural Americans by providing leadership in building competitive businesses and sustainable cooperatives that can prosper in the global marketplace. To meet business credit needs in under-served areas, RBS business programs are usually leveraged with commercial, cooperative, or other private sector lenders.

The Rural Housing and Community Development Service (RHCDS) was established by an act of October 13, 1994 (108 Stat. 3219). The Service operated under the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1921) and title V of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471). RHCDS provided loans to rural residents who were unable to get credit from commercial sources at reasonable rates and terms and who had a reasonable chance for success. In addition, The Service guaranteed loans made by commercial lenders for modest rural housing. RHCDS also made direct loans to low-income rural residents. RHCDS was renamed Rural Housing Service as of January 30, 1996.

The Rural Housing Service (RHS) provides affordable rental housing, homeownership opportunities, and essential community facilities to rural Americans through a broad array of direct loan, guarantee, and grant programs. Rural residents and communities may inquire about any of these programs through local and State rural development offices.

On May 7, 1971, the Rural Telephone Bank (Bank) was established by amendment to the RE Act as a source of supplemental financing for telecommunications companies and cooperatives eligible to borrow under the RE Act's telephone loan program. After years of discussion regarding the possible privatization of the Bank, in February 2005, the Board of Directors unanimously approved resolutions to liquidate and dissolve the Bank on August 4, 2005. The liquidation and dissolution process is now largely complete. Stock redemption agreements were sent to over 92 percent of shareholders on January 10, 2006. The Government's Class A stock was redeemed on April 10, 2006; redemption payments to Class B and C shareholders began on April 11, 2006 and were completed by September 30, 2006. The final liquidation payments were made to Class A and B shareholders at the time of liquidation on November 13, 2007. The only action still to be taken is the completion of a final audit. [http://www.usda.gov/rus/telecom/rtb/index_rtb.htm]

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) is a credit agency that assists rural electric and telecommunications utilities in obtaining financing and administers a nationwide water and waste loan and grant program to improve the quality of life and promote economic development in rural America. A total of 890 rural electric and 800 rural telecommunications utilities in 47 States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia have received financial assistance. Approximately 7,200 rural communities are currently served through financial assistance received from water and waste loans and grants.

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) was established by Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299 of May 19, 2010 which restructured the former Mineral Management Service, dividing its responsibilities into three new bureaus—The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR). On June 18, 2010, the Secretary issued Secretarial Order No. 3302, which announced the name change of the former MMS to Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE). This name, BOEMRE, will be in effect until the new organizations are in place October 1, 2011. On October 1, 2010, the functions of the former Minerals Revenue Management (MRM) officially transferred to ONRR, reporting to the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. On October 4, 2010, ONRR published a final rule in the Federal Register moving the regulations related to its royalty and revenue functions from 30 CFR chapter II to chapter XII. On October 1, 2011 the remaining components of BOEMRE were transferred into BOEM and BSEE. Under the terms of Department of the Interior Secretarial Order 3299, BSEE will be responsible for safety and environmental enforcement functions including, but not limited to, the authority to permit activities, inspect, investigate, summon witnesses and produce evidence: levy penalties; cancel or suspend activities; and oversee safety, response and removal preparedness.

Congress established the Office of Science and Technology Policy in 1976 with a broad mandate to advise the President and others within the Executive Office of the President on the effects of science and technology on domestic and international affairs. The 1976 Act also authorizes OSTP to lead interagency efforts to develop and implement sound science and technology policies and budgets, and to work with the private sector, state and local governments, the science and higher education communities, and other nations toward this end. The mission of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is threefold; first, to provide the President and his senior staff with accurate, relevant, and timely scientific and technical advice on all matters of consequence; second, to ensure that the policies of the Executive Branch are informed by sound science; and third, to ensure that the scientific and technical work of the Executive Branch is properly coordinated so as to provide the greatest benefit to society.

The Secret Service protects the President and other high-level officials and investigates counterfeiting and other financial crimes, including financial institution fraud, identity theft, and computer fraud and computer-based attacks on our Nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure.

The Selective Service System provides manpower to the Armed Forces in an emergency and operates an Alternative Service Program during a draft for men classified as conscientious objectors. The Selective Service System was established by the Military Selective Service Act (50 U.S.C. app. 451-471a). The act requires the registration of male citizens of the United States and all other male persons who are in the United States and who are ages 18 to 25. The act exempts members of the active Armed Forces and nonimmigrant aliens. Proclamation 4771 of July 20, 1980, requires male persons born on or after January 1, 1960, and who have attained age 18 but have not attained age 26 to register. The act imposes liability for training and service in the Armed Forces upon registrants who are ages 18 to 26, except those who are exempt or deferred. Persons who have been deferred remain liable for training and service until age 35. Aliens are not liable for training and service until they have remained in the United States for more than 1 year. Conscientious objectors who are found to be opposed to all service in the Armed Forces are required to perform civilian work in lieu of induction into the Armed Forces. The authority to induct registrants, including doctors and allied medical specialists, expired July 1, 1973.

The Small Business Administration aids, counsels, assists, and protects the interests of small business; ensures that small business concerns receive a fair portion of Government purchases, contracts, and subcontracts, as well as of the sales of Government property; makes loans to small business concerns, State and local development companies, and the victims of floods or other catastrophes, or of certain types of economic injury; and licenses, regulates, and makes loans to small business investment companies. The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created by the Small Business Act of 1953 and derives its present existence and authority from the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 661).

The Smithsonian Institution is an independent trust instrumentality of the United States which comprises the world's largest museum and research complex; includes 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and research facilities in several States and the Republic of Panama; and is dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, history, and culture. The Smithsonian Institution was created by an act of Congress on August 10, 1846 (20 U.S.C. 41 et seq.), to carry out the terms of the will of British scientist James Smithson (1765-1829), who in 1826 had bequeathed his entire estate to the United States ``to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.'' On July 1, 1836, Congress accepted the legacy and pledged the faith of the United States to the charitable trust.

The Social Security Administration manages the Nation's social insurance program--consisting of retirement, survivors, and disability insurance programs--commonly known as Social Security; administers the Supplemental Security Income program for the aged, blind, and disabled; assigns Social Security numbers to U.S. citizens; and maintains earnings records for workers under their Social Security numbers. The Social Security Administration (SSA) was established by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1946 (5 U.S.C. app.), effective July 16, 1946. It became an independent agency in the executive branch by the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 901), effective March 31, 1995.

The Southeastern Power Administration is responsible for the transmission and disposition of surplus electric power and energy generated at reservoir projects in the States of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Kentucky. The Administration sets the lowest possible rates to consumers, consistent with sound business principles, and gives preference in the sale of such power and energy to public bodies and cooperatives.

The Southwestern Power Administration is responsible for the sale and disposition of electric power and energy in the States of Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Southwestern Power Administration transmits and disposes of the electric power and energy generated at Federal reservoir projects, supplemented by power purchased from public and private utilities, in such a manner as to encourage the most widespread and economical use. The Administration sets the lowest possible rates to consumers, consistent with sound business principles, and gives preference in the sale of power and energy to public bodies and cooperatives. The Administration also conducts and participates in the comprehensive planning of water resource development in the Southwest.

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) is an independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency. Our basic authorities come from four federal statutes: the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act, the Hatch Act, and the Uniformed Services Employment & Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). OSC’s primary mission is to safeguard the merit system by protecting federal employees and applicants from prohibited personnel practices, especially reprisal for whistleblowing. The Office receives, investigates, and prosecutes allegations of PPPs, with an emphasis on protecting federal government whistleblowers. OSC seeks corrective action remedies (such as back pay and reinstatement), by negotiation or from the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), for injuries suffered by whistleblowers and other complainants. OSC is also authorized to file complaints at the MSPB to seek disciplinary action against individuals who commit PPPs. In addition, OSC also provides a secure channel for federal workers to disclose information about various workplace improprieties, including a violation of law, rule or regulation, gross mismanagement and waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial danger to public health or safety; the Office further promotes compliance by government employees with legal restrictions on political activity by providing advisory opinions on, and enforcing, the Hatch Act; and finally, OSC protects the civilian employment and reemployment rights of military veterans and members of the Guard and Reserve by enforcing the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) was created by The United States Congress by way of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2008. SIGAR was created to provide for: -- the independent and ojective conduct and supervision of audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations funded with amounts appropriated or otherwise made available for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. --the independent and objective leadership and coordination of, and recommendations on, policies designed to promote economy efficiency, and effectiveness in the administration of the programs and operations; and prevent and detect waste, fraud, and abuse in such programs and operations. --a means of keeping the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense fully and currently informed about problems and deficiencies relating to the administration of such programs and operations and the necessity for and progress on corrective action.

The Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) is the successor to the Coalition Provisional Authority Office of Inspector General (CPA-IG). SIGIR was created in October 2004 by a congressional amendment to Public Law 108-106, triggered by the June 28, 2004, dissolution of the CPA. SIGIR continues the oversight that CPA-IG had established for Iraq reconstruction programs and operations. Specifically, SIGIR is mandated with the oversight responsibility of the use, and potential misuse, of the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund (IRRF) and all obligations, expenditures, and revenues associated with reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in Iraq. . SIGIR reports administratively to the Secretaries of State and Defense. In addition, SIGIR provides quarterly and semi-annual reports directly to the U.S. Congress.

The Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) oversees Indian trust reform efforts departmentwide to ensure the establishment of policies, procedures, systems, and practices to allow the Secretary to discharge the Government's fiduciary trust responsibilities to American Indians and tribes. OST also has programmatic responsibility for the management of financial trust assets, asset appraisals, and fiduciary trust beneficiary services.

The Department of State advises the President in the formulation and execution of foreign policy and promotes the long-range security and well-being of the United States. The Department determines and analyzes the facts relating to American overseas interests, makes recommendations on policy and future action, and takes the necessary steps to carry out established policy. In so doing, the Department engages in continuous consultations with the American public, the Congress, other U.S. departments and agencies, and foreign governments; negotiates treaties and agreements with foreign nations; speaks for the United States in the United Nations and other international organizations in which the United States participates; and represents the United States at international conferences. The Department of State was established by act of July 27, 1789, as the Department of Foreign Affairs and was renamed Department of State by Act of September 15, 1789 (22 U.S.C. 2651 note).

The State Justice Institute awards grants to improve judicial administration in the State courts of the United States. The State Justice Institute was created by the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10701) as a private, nonprofit corporation to further the development and improvement of judicial administration in the State courts.

The mission of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) is to assist the country in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies and disasters. ASPR accomplishes its mission in several ways, including: developing, stockpiling, and distributing response tools against multiple threats; sending clinical response teams to places in times of crisis; and ensuring its healthcare and public health partners have the knowledge and tools they need to navigate today's challenges and confront whatever challenges lay ahead.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) funds and administers grant programs and contracts that support, expand, enhance, and improve the quality, availability, and range of substance abuse treatment and mental health services. SAMHSA has a matrix management system that outlines and guides its activities to improve the accountability, capacity, and effectiveness of the Nation's substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and mental health service delivery systems. The system includes 11 program priority areas: co-occurring disorders, substance abuse treatment capacity, seclusion and restraint, children and families, mental health system transformation, suicide prevention, homelessness, older adults, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis, criminal and juvenile, and workforce development.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) was established in the Department of the Interior by the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1211). The Office's primary goal is to assist States in operating a nationwide program that protects society and the environment from the adverse effects of coal mining, while ensuring that surface coal mining can be done without permanent damage to land and water resources. With most coal mining States responsible for regulating coal mining and reclamation activities within their borders, OSM's main objectives are to oversee State mining regulatory and abandoned-mine reclamation programs, assist States in meeting the objectives of the surface mining law, and regulate mining and reclamation activities on Federal and Indian lands, and in those States choosing not to assume primary responsibility.

The Surface Transportation Board was established in 1996 as the successor to the Interstate Commerce Commission. The Board was administratively aligned with the Department of Transportation until enactment of the Surface Transportation Board Reauthorization Act of 2015 established the Board as a fully independent agency. The Board consists of five members, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate for 5-year terms. The Board is charged with the economic regulation of various modes of surface transportation, primarily freight rail. The Board has regulatory jurisdiction over railroad rate reasonableness, mergers, line acquisitions, new rail line construction, and abandonments of existing rail lines. While most of the Board’s work involves freight railroads, the Board also has certain responsibilities with respect to passenger rail matters; the intercity bus industry; pipelines other than water, gas, or oil; household goods carriers’ tariffs; and rate regulation of non-contiguous domestic water transportation (i.e., freight shipping between mainland United States and Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories and possessions).

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) was established by the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, signed into law on December 24, 1970. Its mission, as defined in the Compact, is to enhance public welfare through comprehensive planning, water supply allocation, and management of the water resources of the Susquehanna River Basin. To accomplish this mission, the SRBC works to: reduce damages caused by floods; provide for the reasonable and sustained development and use of surface and ground water for municipal, agricultural, recreational, commercial and industrial purposes; protect and restore fisheries, wetlands and aquatic habitat; protect water quality and instream uses; and ensure future availability of flows to the Chesapeake Bay.

The Technology Administration was established by act of October 24, 1988 (102 Stat. 2593). The role of the Technology Administration was to assist businesses to develop technology that would increase their competitiveness in the marketplace. It identified and attempted to remove governmental barriers to the commercialization of U.S. science and technology; helped to identify priority technologies; monitored foreign competitors' progress in technology; advised the president on issues concerning commercial technology and related policy; and promoted joint efforts among business, government, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The office also managed the National Medal of Technology Program, the president's highest technology award. The Technology Administration operated the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), which collected and distributed scientific and technical information generated by the U.S. government and foreign sources. In 2007 the Technology Administration was abolished by act of August 9, 2007 (121 Stat. 587) Functions of the TA were absorbed into the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The Tennessee Valley Authority conducts a unified program of resource development for the advancement of economic growth in the Tennessee Valley region. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is a wholly owned Government corporation created by act of May 18, 1933 (16 U.S.C. 831-831dd). All functions of the Authority are vested in its nine-member Board of Directors, the members of which are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Board designates one member as Chairman.

The White House Office serves the President in the performance of the many detailed activities incident to his immediate office. The President's staff facilitates and maintains communication with the Congress, the heads of executive agencies, the press and other information media, and the general public. The various Assistants to the President aid the President in such matters as he may direct.

Thrift Depositor Protection Oversight Board was originally established by Act of August 9, 1989 as the Oversight Board for the Resolution Trust Corporation. Under the general supervision of the Oversight Board, the Resolution Trust Corporation managed and resolved failed savings associations that were insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation before the enactment of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. The name was changed to the Thrift Depositor Protection Oversight Board by act of Dec. 12, 1991. The Board was abolished by act of July 29, 1998 and its authority and duties were transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury Department.

The Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) regulates Federal- and State-chartered savings institutions. Created by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, its mission is to effectively and efficiently supervise Thrift institutions in a manner that encourages a competitive industry to meet housing and other credit and financial services needs and ensure access to financial services for all Americans.

The Trade and Development Agency advances economic development and U.S. commercial interest in developing and middle-income countries in the following regions of the world: East Asia, Europe and Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. The Trade and Development Program was established on July 1, 1980, as a component organization of the International Development Cooperation Agency. Section 2204 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (22 U.S.C. 2421) made it a separate component agency. The organization was renamed the Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and made an independent agency within the executive branch of the Federal Government on October 28, 1992, by the Jobs Through Exports Act of 1992 (22 U.S.C. 2421).

The Office of the United States Trade Representative was created as the Office of the Special Representative for Trade Negotiations by Executive Order 11075 of January 15, 1963. The Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2171) established the Office as an agency of the Executive Office of the President charged with administering the trade agreements program. The Office of the United States Trade Representative is responsible for setting and administering overall trade policy. The Office is headed by the United States Trade Representative, a Cabinet-level official with the rank of Ambassador, who is directly responsible to the President. There are three Deputy United States Trade Representatives, who also hold the rank of Ambassador--two located in Washington and one in Geneva. The Chief Agricultural Negotiator also holds the rank of Ambassador. The United States Trade Representative serves as an ex officio member of the Boards of Directors of the Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, and serves on the National Advisory Council for International Monetary and Financial Policy.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966. The Department’s first official day of operation was April 1, 1967. [http://www.dot.gov/about.html] The mission of the Department of Transportation is to ensure a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people. Organizations within the DOT include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration and the Maritime Administration. For further information about the functions, organization, and activities, of the U.S. Department of Transportation, please visit http://www.dot.gov/. __________ Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch

The Office of Transportation is responsible for formulating agricultural transportation policy in USDA and promoting an efficient transportation system that improves farm income, expands exports, and meets the needs of rural America. The Office carries out its programs under Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 (52 Stat. 31; 7 U.S.C. 1281), the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 1087; 7 U.S.C. 1621), the Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act of 1954 (68 Stat. 454; 7 U.S.C. 1691), the Rural Development Act of 1972 (86 Stat. 657; 7 U.S.C. 1921 note), the international Carriage of Perishable Food Stuffs Act (96 Stat. 1603; 7 U.S.C. 4401), and the Cooperative Marketing Act of 1926 (44 Stat. 802, 803; 7 U.S.C. 451--457).

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was created in the wake of 9/11 to strengthen the security of the nation’s transportation systems while ensuring the freedom of movement for people and commerce. Originally established as a subagency of the Department of Transportation, TSA was transferred to the Department of Homeland Security in March of 2003. In March 2003, TSA transferred from the Department of Transportation to the Department of Homeland Security. TSA employs a risk-based strategy to secure U.S. transportation systems, working closely with stakeholders in aviation, rail, transit, highway, and pipeline sectors, as well as the partners in the law enforcement and intelligence community. The agency will continuously set the standard for excellence in transportation security through its people, processes, technologies and use of intelligence to drive operations.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) was established as a statistical agency in 1992. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) of 1991 created BTS to administer data collection, analysis, and reporting and to ensure the most cost-effective use of transportation-monitoring resources. BTS brings a greater degree of coordination, comparability, and quality standards to transportation data, and facilitates in the closing of important data gaps. On February 20, 2005, BTS became a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). RITA is composed of BTS, the former Research Office of the Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (formerly with RSPA), Transportation Safety Institute (formerly with RSPA), and Office of Intermodalism (formerly with the Office of the Secretary). BTS is headed by a Director, appointed by the Secretary of Transportation, and the Director reports to the RITA Administrator. BTS' basic authorizing legislation is the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which authorizes $27 million each year for a five year period (2005-2009). This funding comes from the Highway Trust Fund, and is administered within the Research and Development account under the Federal Highway Administration. BTS' data collection program for aviation is authorized under separate legislation enacted when the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) was terminated. This program is a mandatory data collection. The Wendell Ford Aviation Investment Reform Act (AIR-21) authorized funding for the airline information program from the Airport and Airways Trust Fund (AATF), but to date no funding has been appropriated.

The goal of the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) is to enhance the international competitiveness of the U.S. travel and tourism industry and increase its exports, thereby creating U.S. employment and economic growth. The primary functions of OTTI are to manage the travel and tourism statistical system for assessing the economic contribution of the industry and provide the sole source for characteristic statistics on international travel to and from the United States; design and administer export expansion activities, develop and manage tourism policy, strategy and advocacy; and provide technical assistance for expanding international tourism and assist in domestic economic development. __________ Source: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/about/index.html

The U.S. Department of the Treasury was established by act of 1789. The Treasury Department is responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the soundness and security of the U.S. and international financial systems. The Department operates and maintains systems that are critical to the nation's financial infrastructure, such as the production of coin and currency, the disbursement of payments to the American public, the collection of taxes, and the borrowing of funds necessary to run the federal government. The Department works with other federal agencies, foreign governments, and international financial institutions to encourage global economic growth, raise standards of living, and, to the extent possible, predict and prevent economic and financial crises. The Treasury Department also performs a critical and far-reaching role in enhancing national security by improving the safeguards of our financial systems, implementing economic sanctions against foreign threats to the U.S., and identifying and targeting the financial support networks of national security threats.

Establishment of the Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission was mandated by Subtitle C of Title III of the Workforce Investment Act, Sec. 331 of Pub. L. 105-220, 112 Stat. 1087-1091 (29 U.S.C. 2701 note), signed into law on August 7, 1998. The 15 voting member Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission is charged with carrying out a study of the information technology workforce in the U.S., including the examination of the following issues: What skills are currently required to enter the information technology workforce? What technical skills will be demanded in the near future? How can the United States expand its number of skilled information technology workers? How do information technology education programs in the United States compare with other countries in effectively training information technology workers? The Workforce Investment Act directed the Commission to issue recommendations to the President and Congress within six months. The Commission first met on November 16, 1999, and issued its final report with recommendations by May 16, 2000. __________ Source: Federal Register of June 14, 2000 (65 FR 37467)

On March 1, 2003, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officially assumed responsibility for the immigration service functions of the federal government. The USCIS was formed to enhance the security and improve the efficiency of national immigration services by exclusively focusing on the administration of benefit applications. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), components within DHS, handle immigration enforcement and border security functions.[http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/]

The U.S. Codex Office is an interagency partnership that engages stakeholders in the development and advancement of science-based food standards for the benefit of the United States and the worldwide community.

The U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) is a Federal maritime policy coordinating committee consisting of fourteen Cabinet Secretaries. By charter, the CMTS is chaired by the Secretary of Transportation. The CMTS was stood-up in response to a directive in the U.S. Ocean Action Plan of 2004, and established by Congress in the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2012, codified at 46 U.S.C. § 50401. The purpose of the CMTS is to (1) continually assess the adequacy of the marine transportation system (including ports, waterways, channels, and their intermodal connections); (2) promote the integration of the marine transportation system with other modes of transportation and other uses of the marine environment; and (3) coordinate, improve the coordination of, and make recommendations with regard to Federal policies that impact the marine transportation system. As set forth in the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-281 § 307(c), the CMTS is also responsible for coordinating the establishment of domestic transportation policies in the Arctic in order to ensure safe and secure maritime shipping in the Arctic.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection was established on March 1, 2003 in the Directorate for Border and Transportation Security, Department of Homeland Security. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for guarding nearly 7,000 miles of land border the United States shares with Canada and Mexico and 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida peninsula and off the coast of Southern California. The agency also protects 95,000 miles of maritime border in partnership with the United States Coast Guard. CBP’s priority mission is to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States and ensuring the security of our nation at America's borders and ports of entry. We must maintain this line of defense while allowing legitimate travel and trade that is vital to our economy and way of life. CBP is responsible for apprehending individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally; stemming the flow of illegal drugs and other contraband; protecting our agricultural and economic interests from harmful pests and diseases; protecting American businesses from theft of their intellectual property; and regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. trade laws. __________ Source: https://www.cbp.gov/about.

The House of Representatives is made up of 435 elected members, divided among the 50 states in proportion to their total population. In addition, there are 6 non-voting members, representing the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and four other territories of the United States. The presiding officer of the chamber is the Speaker of the House, elected by the Representatives. He or she is third in the line of succession to the Presidency. Members of the House are elected every two years and must be 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least seven years, and a resident of the state (but not necessarily the district) they represent. The House has several powers assigned exclusively to it, including the power to initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officials, and elect the President in the case of an electoral college tie. For further information about the functions, organization, and activities, of the U.S. House of Representatives, please visit http://www.house.gov/. __________ Sources: http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/legislative-branch.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was created in 2003 pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Formed by the merger of the U.S. Customs Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, ICE is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the second largest investigative agency in the federal government. Its primary responsibility is the identification and elimination of border, economic, transportation, and infrastructure security vulnerabilities.

The U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission (TDRC) was created in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill signed into law on October 21, 1998 (19 U.S.C. 2213). The TDRC was officially constituted and organized in August 1999. The Commission was composed of 12 members appointed by the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Through a series of hearings and briefing sessions the TDRC took testimony from business, government, labor, NGOs and academics and commissioned a number of studies to respond to its Congressional mandate. The Commission’s purpose was to study the nature, causes, and consequences of the United States merchandise trade and current account deficits. On November 14, 2000, a report on findings and recommendations of the Commission was issued. __________ Source: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/tdrc/index.html.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) was created on October 30, 2000 by Public Law 106-398 (the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for 2001) as amended. The purpose of the USCC is to monitor, investigate, and report to Congress on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic of China and require. The Commission is required to issue an annual report of its evaluation and findings. The Commission adopted a broad interpretation of “national security” in evaluating how the U.S.-China relationship affects the economic health and industrial base of the United States and the state of U.S. economic and security interests and influence in Asia.

The Office of the Under Secretary provides timely economic analysis, disseminates national economic indicators and serves as the administrator of the department’s premier statistical programs. OUS/EA manages the U.S. Census Bureau (Census), the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the Office of the Chief Economist (OCE). Census collects, BEA compiles and OCE analyzes the most comprehensive, consistent, confidential, credible and publicly-available socioeconomic data on our nation’s economy, businesses and individuals.

Created by the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 (UCR Act - 49 United States Code (USC) section 14504a), the Unified Carrier Registration Plan replaces the former system for registering and collecting fees from the operators of vehicles engaged in interstate travel – the Single State Registration System (SSRS).

Authorized by act of September 21, 1972 (10 U.S.C. 2112), the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences was established to educate career-oriented medical officers for the Military Departments and the Public Health Service. The University currently incorporates the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine (including graduate and continuing education programs) and the Graduate School of Nursing. Students are selected by procedures recommended by the Board of Regents and prescribed by the Secretary of Defense. The actual selection is carried out by a faculty committee on admissions and is based upon motivation and dedication to a career in the uniformed services and an overall appraisal of the personal and intellectual characteristics of the candidates without regard to sex, race, religion, or national origin. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Medical school matriculants will be commissioned officers in one of the uniformed services. They must meet the physical and personal qualifications for such a commission and must give evidence of a strong commitment to serving as a uniformed medical officer. The graduating medical student is required to serve a period of obligation of not less than 7 years, excluding graduate medical education. Students of the Graduate School of Nursing must be commissioned officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Public Health Service prior to application. Graduate nursing students must serve a commitment determined by their respective service.

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) was established under the African Development Foundation Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 290h) as an Independent Federal agency created to support African-designed and African-driven solutions addressing grass-roots economic and social problems. USADF provides grants to community groups and small enterprises that benefit under served and marginalized groups in Africa. Marginalized groups are people that have significant needs that are not being currently addressed by existing governments programs, NGOs, or other international development efforts. USADF measures grant success in terms of jobs, increased incomes levels, and improved social conditions. The United States African Development Foundation was formerly the African Development Foundation (See Pub. L. 113-76).

The mission of United States Agency for Global Media (USAGM) is to inform, engage, and connect people around the world in support of freedom and democracy. USAGM networks are news leaders, uncovering stories left untold in environments that lack press freedom. They serve 354 million in 100 countries and 62 languages every week.

The United States Information Agency (USIA) was established August 1953. In April 1978, the agency name was temporarily changed to the International Communication Agency (USICA), when its functions were consolidated with those of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State. The name was restored to USIA however in August of 1982. USIA’s basic legislative mandates are the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948 and the Fulbright-Hays Act of 1961. The International Broadcasting Act of 1994 reorganized and consolidated all non-military U.S. government international broadcasting into USIA, supervised by the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Until 1999, the USIA functioned as an independent foreign affairs agency within the executive branch of the U.S. government. USIA explained and supported American foreign policy and promoted U.S. national interests through a wide range of overseas information programs. The agency also promoted mutual understanding between the United States and other nations by conducting educational and cultural activities. Pursuant to the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998, USIA was integrated into the Department of State on October 1, 1999.

The United States Institute of Peace promotes research, policy analysis, education, and training on international peace and conflict resolution. The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an independent institution, established by Congress pursuant to title XVII of the Defense Authorization Act of 1985, as amended (22 U.S.C. 4601-4611). USIP's mission is to help prevent and resolve violent conflicts, promote post-conflict stability and development, and increase peacebuilding capacity, tools, and intellectual capital worldwide. The Institute achieves this by empowering others with knowledge, skills, and resources, as well as by directly engaging in peacebuilding throughout the world.

The United States Marshals Service is the Nation's oldest Federal law enforcement agency, having served as a vital link between the executive and judicial branches of the Government since 1789. The Marshals Service performs tasks that are essential to the operation of virtually every aspect of the Federal justice system.

The establishment of a mint was authorized by act of April 2, 1792 (1 Stat. 246). The Bureau of the Mint was established by act of February 12, 1873 (17 Stat. 424), and recodified on September 13, 1982 (31 U.S.C. 304, 5131). The name was changed to United States Mint by Secretarial order dated January 9, 1984. The primary mission of the Mint is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the Nation to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint also produces and sells numismatic coins, American Eagle gold and silver bullion coins, and national medals. In addition, the Fort Knox Bullion Depository is the primary storage facility for the Nation's gold bullion. The U.S. Mint maintains sales centers at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints and at Union Station in Washington, DC. Public tours are conducted, with free admission, at the Philadelphia and Denver Mints.

The mission of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is to empower Team USA athletes to achieve sustained competitive excellence and well-being.

The United States Sentencing Commission develops sentencing guidelines and policies for the Federal court system. The United States Sentencing Commission was established as an independent agency in the judicial branch of the Federal Government by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 (28 U.S.C. 991 et seq. and 18 U.S.C. 3551 et seq.). The Commission establishes sentencing guidelines and policies for the Federal courts, advising them of the appropriate form and severity of punishment for offenders convicted of Federal crimes.

The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission is an Executive branch agency of the federal government. The Commission was established in late 1994 and early 1995. The Commission was authorized under the Central Utah Project Completion Act of 1992. The Act set terms and conditions for completing the Central Utah Project, which diverts stores and delivers large quantities of water from numerous Utah rivers to meet the needs of central Utah's citizens. CUPCA requires the Commission to adopt an annual Mitigation and Conservation Plan that sets out the Commission's priorities for implementing mitigation measures and programs required by the Act.

The Valles Caldera Trust was created by the Valles Caldera Preservation Act of 2000 to preserve and protect the historic Baca Ranch of New Mexico's Jemez Mountains. A nine-member board of trustees is responsible for the protection and development of the Valles Caldera National Preserve.The groundbreaking legislation that provided for the federal purchase of this 89,000-acre ranch nestled inside a volcanic caldera also created a unique experiment in public land management.

The establishment of the Veterans Administration (VA) came in 1930 when Congress authorized the President to "consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans." The three component agencies (the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers) became bureaus within the Veterans Administration. The VA is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits. Of the 25 million veterans currently alive, nearly three of every four served during a war or an official period of hostility. About a quarter of the nation's population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for V.A. benefits and services because they are veterans, family members, or survivors of veterans. For further information about the functions, organization, and activities, of the Veterans Administration, please visit http://www.va.gov/. __________ Sources: http://www4.va.gov/about_va/vahistory.asp http://www.whitehouse.gov/our-government/executive-branch

The Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) was established in 1974 as an office under the Employment and Training Administration to focus specifically on the education and training of veterans. In 1984 VETS was reestablished as an independent agency and is one of several government units (including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Small Business Bureau) addressing and executing improvement of employment, training and other work-force issues and scenarios for veterans. VETS works to secure the greatest number of employment opportunities possible for veterans, which it realizes through a variety of avenues and financial plans and policies, for veterans and those who hire them,

The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) was established in 1988 through the Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) of 1984 as one of the seven components within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. OVC is charged by Congress with the administering of the Crime Victims Fund. The Fund supports a broad array of programs and services that focus on helping victims in the immediate aftermath of crime and continuing to support them as they rebuild their lives.

The Wage and Hour Division is responsible for planning, directing, and administering programs dealing with a variety of Federal labor legislation. These programs are designed to protect low-wage incomes; safeguard the health and welfare of workers by discouraging excessively long work hours; safeguard the health and well-being of minors; prevent curtailment of employment and earnings for students, trainees, and handicapped workers; minimize losses of income and job rights caused by indebtedness; and direct a program of farm labor contractor registration designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of migrant and seasonal agricultural workers.

The Western Area Power Administration is responsible for the Federal electric power marketing and transmission functions in 15 Central and Western States, encompassing a geographic area of 1.3 million square miles. The Administration sells power to cooperatives, municipalities, public utility districts, private utilities, Federal and State agencies, and irrigation districts. The wholesale power customers, in turn, provide service to millions of retail consumers in the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. The Administration is responsible for the operation and maintenance of transmission lines, substations, and various auxiliary power facilities in the aforementioned geographic area and also for planning, construction, and operation and maintenance of additional Federal transmission facilities that may be authorized in the future.

The Interagency Committee on Women’s Business Enterprise was established by Executive Order 12138 of May 18, 1979. The Committee was created to help insure that each department and agency of the Executive Branch should take appropriate action to facilitate, preserve and strengthen women’s business enterprise and to ensure full participation by women in the free enterprise system; that each department and agency should take affirmative action in support of women’s business enterprise in appropriate programs and activities including but not limited to management, technical, financial and procurement assistance, as well as business-related education, training, counseling, information dissemination, and procurement.

The Women's Progress Commemoration Commission was established under the Act of October 31, 1998 (112 Stat. 3196). The Commission consists of 15 members whose duties were to submit no later than 1 year after their initial meeting a report to the Secretary of the Interior that (1) identified sites of historical significance to the women's movement; and (2) recommended actions, under the National Preservation Act and other law, to rehabilitate and preserve the sites and provide to the public interpretive and educational materials and activities at the sites.

Congress passed legislation to create the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission Act (Pub. L. 115-31) "to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States providing for women's suffrage." The duties of the Commission, as written in the law, include: (1) To encourage, plan, develop, and execute programs, projects, and activities to commemorate the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment; (2) To encourage private organizations and State and local Governments to organize and participate in activities commemorating the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment; (3) To facilitate and coordinate activities throughout the United States relating to the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment; (4) To serve as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about events and plans for the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment; and (5) To develop recommendations for Congress and the President for commemorating the centennial of the passage and ratification of the 19th Amendment.

The Office of Workers' Compensation Programs administers four major disability compensation programs which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation and other benefits to certain workers or their dependents who experience work-related injury or occupational disease. The program areas are: Division of Federal Employees' Compensation. The Federal Employees' Compensation Act provides workers' compensation coverage to federal and postal workers around the world for employment-related injuries and occupational diseases. Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation. The Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA) provides compensation and medical benefits to employees of the Department of Energy (DOE), its predecessor agencies, and its contractors and subcontractors, and employees of DOE designated Atomic Weapons Employers (AWE) and Beryllium Vendors who became ill as a result of work performed in the production and testing of nuclear weapons. Uranium miners, millers and ore transporters (or their eligible survivors) under Section 5 of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) administered by the Department of Justice may also be eligible for benefits under the EEOICPA under both Part B and Part E. Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation. Under the provisions of the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act and its extensions (including the Defense Base Act) the Office provide information, technical and compliance assistance, support, and informal dispute resolution services to workers, employers, and insurers, and ensures that benefits are promptly and properly paid to minimize the impact of employment injuries and deaths on employees and their families. Division of Coal Mine Workers' Compensation. The Black Lung Benefits Act provides benefits to coal miners who are totally disabled by black lung disease, and to their eligible survivors. Benefits include monthly compensation for disabled miners and survivors of miners whose deaths are attributable to black lung, and medical coverage for disabled miners' lung disease.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal regulatory agency for futures trading, was established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act of 1974 (7 U.S.C. 4a). The Commission began operation in April 1975, and its authority to regulate futures trading was renewed by Congress in 1978, 1982, 1986, 1992, 1995, and 2000. The mission of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission is to protect market users and the public from fraud, manipulation, and abusive practices related to the sale of commodity futures and options, and to foster open, competitive, and financially sound commodity futures and option markets. The Commission consists of five Commissioners who are appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate. One Commissioner is designated by the President to serve as Chairman. The Commissioners serve staggered 5-year terms, and by law no more than three Commissioners can belong to the same political party. The Commission has six major operating components: the Divisions of Market Oversight, Clearing and Intermediary Oversight, and Enforcement and the Offices of the Executive Director, General Counsel, and Chief Economist.

The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (CFPB) is an independent bureau within the Federal Reserve System that empowers consumers with the information they need to make financial decisions in the best interests of them and their families. The CFPB was created under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). The purpose of the CFPB is to promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer financial products and services. The CFPB will set and enforce clear, consistent rules that allow banks and other consumer financial services providers to compete on a level playing field and that let consumers see clearly the costs and features of products and services. The functions of the CFPB to assist people in borrowing money or using other financial services include: implementing and enforcing Federal consumer financial laws; reviewing business practices to ensure that financial services providers are following the law; monitoring the marketplace and taking appropriate action to make sure markets work as transparently as they can for consumers; and establishing a toll-free consumer hotline and website for complaints and questions about consumer financial products and services.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission was established as an independent regulatory agency by the Consumer Product Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 2051 et seq.) in 1973 and reauthorized by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The Commission consists of up to five members, who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, for 7-year terms. The Commission implements provisions of the Flammable Fabrics Act (15 U.S.C. 1191); Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 (15 U.S.C. 1471); Federal Hazardous Substances Act (15 U.S.C. 1261); act of August 2, 1956 (15 U.S.C. 1211), prohibiting the transportation of refrigerators without door safety devices; Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act (15 U.S.C. 2056 note); and Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (15 U.S.C. 8001 et seq.).

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, and disability in the Federal and private sectors. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was created by title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e-4), and became operational July 2, 1965. Laws under the EEOC's enforcement mission include title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq.), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (29 U.S.C. 621 et seq.), sections of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 791 et seq.), the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (29 U.S.C. 206), title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991 (105 Stat. 1071). The EEOC is a bipartisan commission composed of five members appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for staggered 5-year terms. The President designates a Chairman and Vice Chairman. In addition to the members of the Commission, the President appoints a General Counsel, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to support the Commission and provide direction, coordination, and supervision of the EEOC's litigation program. The General Counsel serves for a term of 4 years.

The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and foreign communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable. It is responsible for the orderly development and operation of broadcast services and the provision of rapid, efficient nationwide and worldwide telephone and telegraph services at reasonable rates. Its responsibilities also include the use of communications for promoting safety of life and property and for strengthening the national defense. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was created by the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) to regulate interstate and foreign communications by wire and radio in the public interest. The scope of FCC regulation includes radio and television broadcasting; telephone, telegraph, and cable television operation; two-way radio and radio operators; and satellite communication. The Commission is composed of five members, who are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. One of the members is designated by the President as Chairman.

The Federal Election Commission has exclusive jurisdiction in the administration and civil enforcement of laws regulating the acquisition and expenditure of campaign funds to ensure compliance by participants in the Federal election campaign process. Its chief mission is to provide public disclosure of campaign finance activities and effect voluntary compliance by providing the public with information on the laws and regulations concerning campaign finance. The Federal Election Commission is an independent agency established by section 309 of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971, as amended (52 U.S.C. 30106). It is composed of six Commissioners appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The act also provides for three statutory officers--the Staff Director, the General Counsel, and the Inspector General--who are appointed by the Commission.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is an independent agency within the Department of Energy which regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. FERC has retained many of the functions of the Federal Power Commission, such as setting rates and charges for the transportation and sale of natural gas and the transportation of oil by pipelines, as well the valuation of such pipelines. FERC also reviews proposals to build liquefied natural gas terminals and interstate natural gas pipelines as well as licensing hydropower projects. FERC is composed of five members appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate. FERC Commissioners serve 5-year terms and have an equal vote on regulatory matters. One member is designated by the President to serve as both Chairman and FERC's administrative head.

The Federal Reserve System, the central bank of the United States, is charged with administering and formulating the Nation's credit and monetary policy. Through its supervisory and regulatory banking functions, the Federal Reserve maintains the safety and soundness of the Nation's economy, responding to the Nation's domestic and international financial needs and objectives. The Federal Reserve System was established by the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 221), approved December 23, 1913. Its major responsibility is in the execution of monetary policy. It also performs other functions, such as the transfer of funds, handling Government deposits and debt issues, supervising and regulating banks, and acting as lender of last resort. It is the responsibility of the Federal Reserve System to contribute to the strength and vitality of the U.S. economy. By influencing the lending and investing activities of depository institutions and the cost and availability of money and credit, the Federal Reserve System helps promote the full use of human and capital resources, the growth of productivity, relatively stable prices, and equilibrium in the Nation's international balance of payments. Through its supervisory and regulatory banking functions, the Federal Reserve System helps maintain a commercial banking system that is responsive to the Nation's financial needs and objectives.

The Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction to enhance consumer welfare and protect competition in broad sectors of the economy. The Commission enforces the laws that prohibit business practices that are anticompetitive, deceptive, or unfair to consumers; promotes informed consumer choice and public understanding of the competitive process; and seeks to accomplish its mission without impeding legitimate business activity. The Federal Trade Commission was established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41-58). The Commission is composed of five members appointed by the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, for a term of 7 years. Not more than three of the Commissioners may be members of the same political party. One Commissioner is designated by the President as Chairman of the Commission and is responsible for its administrative management.

The National Labor Relations Board is vested with the power to prevent and remedy unfair labor practices committed by private sector employers and unions and to safeguard employees' rights to organize and determine whether to have unions as their bargaining representative.The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency created by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act; 29 U.S.C. 167). The Board is authorized to designate appropriate units for collective bargaining and to conduct secret ballot elections to determine whether employees desire representation by a labor organization.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses and regulates civilian use of nuclear energy to protect public health and safety and the environment. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was established as an independent regulatory agency under the provisions of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5801 et seq.) and Executive Order 11834 of January 15, 1975. All licensing and related regulatory functions formerly assigned to the Atomic Energy Commission were transferred to the Commission. The Commission's major program components are the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. Headquarters offices are located in suburban Maryland, and there are four regional offices. The Commission ensures that the civilian uses of nuclear materials and facilities are conducted in a manner consistent with the public health and safety, environmental quality, national security, and the antitrust laws. Most of the Commission's effort is focused on regulating the use of nuclear energy to generate electric power.

The Securities and Exchange Commission administers Federal securities laws that seek to provide protection for investors; to ensure that securities markets are fair and honest; and, when necessary, to provide the means to enforce securities laws through sanctions. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was created under authority of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a-78jj) and was organized on July 2, 1934. The Commission serves as adviser to United States district courts in connection with reorganization proceedings for debtor corporations in which there is a substantial public interest. The Commission also has certain responsibilities under section 15 of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act of 1945 (22 U.S.C. 286k-1) and section 851(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (26 U.S.C. 851(e)). The Commission is vested with quasi-judicial functions. Persons aggrieved by its decisions in the exercise of those functions have a right of review by the United States courts of appeals.

The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) is a Government-owned and operated entity that was created to stabilize, support, and protect farm income and prices. CCC also helps maintain balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and aids in their orderly distribution. The Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) was originally incorporated October 17, 1933, under a Delaware charter with a capitalization of $3 million. It was initially managed and operated in close affiliation with the Reconstruction Finance Corporation, which funded its operations. On July 1, 1939, CCC was transferred to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and later reincorporated under the Commodity Credit Corporation Charter Act (62 Stat.1070; 15 U.S.C. 714) on July 1, 1948 as a Federal corporation within the USDA. The CCC stabilizes, supports, and protects farm income and prices, assists in maintaining balanced and adequate supplies of agricultural commodities and their products, and facilitates the orderly distribution of commodities. CCC also carries out assigned foreign assistance activities, such as guaranteeing the credit sale of U.S. agricultural commodities abroad. Major emphasis is also being directed toward meeting the needs of developing nations. Agricultural commodities are supplied and exported to combat hunger and malnutrition and to encourage economic development in developing countries. In addition, under the Food for Progress Program, CCC supplies commodities to provide assistance to developing democracies.

The Corporation for National and Community Service engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds in community-based service that addresses the Nation's educational, public safety, environmental, and other human needs to achieve direct and demonstrable results. In so doing, the Corporation fosters civic responsibility, strengthens the ties that bind us together as a people, and provides educational opportunity for those who make a substantial commitment to service. The Corporation was established on October 1, 1993, by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 (42 U.S.C. 12651 et seq.). In addition to creating several new service programs, the Act consolidated the functions and activities of the former Commission on National and Community Service and the Federal agency ACTION.

The Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (Corporation) is a Federal government-controlled corporation established by the Agricultural Credit Act of 1987 (1987 Act). Congress created the Insurance Corporation to enhance the financial integrity of the Farm Credit System (System). The Corporation insures the timely payment of principal and interest on certain System notes, bonds, and other obligations issued to investors and is administered by a board of directors who serve concurrently as the Farm Credit Administration (FCA) Board. The Corporation also administers the Farm Credit Insurance Fund (the Fund) and collects annual insurance premiums from System banks.

The Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) promotes the economic stability of agriculture through a sound system of crop insurance and providing the means for the research and experience helpful in devising and establishing such insurance. Management is vested in a Board of Directors, subject to the general supervision of the Secretary of Agriculture. The corporation takes actions necessary to improve the actuarial soundness of Federal multiperil crop insurance coverage, and apply the system to all insured producers in a fair and consistent manner.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is an independent agency created by the Congress to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system by: insuring deposits; examining and supervising financial institutions for safety and soundness and consumer protection; making large and complex financial institutions resolvable; and managing the resolution of failed banks. The FDIC was established under the Banking Act of 1933 in response to numerous bank failures during the Great Depression. The FDIC began insuring banks on January 1, 1934. Today, the basic insurance coverage amount for deposit accounts is $250,000. The FDIC does not operate on funds appropriated by Congress. Its income is derived from insurance premiums on deposits held by insured banks and savings associations and from interest on the required investment of the premiums in U.S. Government securities. It also has authority to borrow from the Treasury up to $100 billion for insurance purposes. Management of the FDIC consists of a five-member Board of Directors. The members include a Chairman, Vice Chairman, Appointive Director, the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Director of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. No more than three members of the Board can be from the same political party.

The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) is a wholly owned government corporation created by statute May 13, 1954, to construct, operate and maintain that part of the St. Lawrence Seaway between the Port of Montreal and Lake Erie, within the territorial limits of the United States. The mission of the Corporation is to serve the U.S. intermodal and international transportation system by improving the operation and maintenance of a safe, reliable, efficient, and environmentally responsible deep-draft waterway, in cooperation with its Canadian counterpart. The GLS also encourages the development of trade through the Great Lakes Seaway System, which contributes to the comprehensive economic and environmental development of the entire Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation was formerly the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (See Pub. L. 116-260).

The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) is a private, nonprofit corporation established by the Legal Services Act of 1974, as amended (42 U.S.C. 2996), to seek to ensure equal access to justice under the law for all Americans. LSC is headed by an 11-member Board of Directors, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. By law, the Board is bipartisan; no more than six members may be of the same political party. LSC is funded through congressional appropriations and provides legal services through grants to independent local programs selected through a system of competition.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation was created under the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-199, Div. D, Title IV). MCC is managed by a chief executive officer, who is part of the nine-member Board of Directors. The Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the USAID Administrator serve on the board along with four private sector representatives. MCC forms partnerships with poor countries committed to good governance, economic freedom and investments in their citizens and provides these well-performing countries with large-scale grants to fund country-led solutions for reducing poverty through sustainable economic growth. MCC grants complement other U.S. and international development programs. The aggressive implementation of compacts and threshold programs by the Millennium Challenge Corporation promotes growth opportunities, opens markets, raises the standard of living, and creates a more prosperous future for some of the world's poorest people.

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation was established by Congress to meet the Nation's intercity passenger transportation needs. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) was created by the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970, as amended (49 U.S.C. 241), and was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia to provide a balanced national transportation system by developing, operating, and improving U.S. intercity rail passenger service. Amtrak operates approximately 300 trains per day, serving over 500 stations in 46 States, over a system of 21,800 route miles. Of this route system, Amtrak owns about 530 route miles in the Northeast and several other small track segments elsewhere in the country. Amtrak owns or leases its stations and owns its own repair and maintenance facilities. The Corporation employs a total workforce of approximately 19,000 and provides all reservation, station, and on-board service staffs, as well as train and engine operating crews. Outside the Northeast Corridor, Amtrak contracts with privately or publicly owned railroads for the right to operate over their track. Under contract, these railroads are responsible for the condition of the roadbed and for coordinating the flow of traffic. In fiscal year 2008, Amtrak transported over 28 million people with 78,000 passengers traveling on Amtrak per day. Also, Amtrak runs commuter trains under contract with several commuter agencies. Although Amtrak's basic route system was originally designated by the Secretary of Transportation in 1971, modifications have been made to the Amtrak system and to individual routes that have resulted in more efficient and cost-effective operations. Although capital funding has increased in recent years, operating budget constraints mean that new service will only be added if a State agrees to cover any operating losses.

In 1978, Congress institutionalized the NHS network by establishing the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation to carry on the work of the Urban Reinvestment Task Force. [In April 2005, the Corporation began doing business as NeighborWorks America.] The Congressional act (Public Law 95-557) charged Neighborhood Reinvestment with promoting reinvestment in older neighborhoods by local financial institutions in cooperation with the community, residents and local governments. Bill Whiteside was named executive director. The act defined Neighborhood Reinvestment's mission as "revitalizing older urban neighborhoods by mobilizing public, private and community resources at the neighborhood level." [http://nw.org/network/aboutUs/history/default.asp]

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation is a self-sustaining Federal agency whose purpose is to promote economic growth in developing countries and emerging markets by encouraging U.S. private investment in those nations. The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) was established in 1971 as an independent agency by the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act (112 Stat. 2681-790). OPIC helps U.S. businesses invest overseas, fosters economic development in new and emerging markets, complements the private sector in managing risks associated with foreign direct investment, and supports U.S. foreign policy. OPIC charges market-based fees for its products, and it operates on a self-sustaining basis at no net cost to taxpayers. OPIC helps U.S. businesses compete in emerging markets when private sector support is not available. OPIC offers up to $250 million in long-term financing and/or political risk insurance to U.S. companies investing in over 150 emerging markets and developing countries. Backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, OPIC advocates for U.S. investment, offers experience in risk management, and draws on an outstanding record of success. OPIC mobilizes America's private sector to advance U.S. foreign policy and development initiatives. Projects supported by OPIC expand economic development, which encourages political stability and free market reforms. Over the agency's 35 year history, OPIC has supported $177 billion worth of investments that have helped developing countries to generate over $13 billion in host government revenues and create over 800,000 host country jobs. OPIC projects have also generated $71 billion in U.S. exports and supported more than 271,000 American jobs. OPIC promotes U.S. best practices by requiring projects to adhere to international standards on the environment, worker rights, and human rights.

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation protects the pension benefits of nearly 44 million Americans who participate in defined-benefit pension plans sponsored by private-sector employees. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) is a self-financing, wholly owned Government corporation subject to the Government Corporation Control Act (31 U.S.C. 9101-9109). The Corporation, established by title IV of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1301-1461), operates in accordance with policies established by its Board of Directors, which consists of the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and the Treasury. The Secretary of Labor is Chairman of the Board. A seven-member Advisory Committee, composed of two labor, two business, and three public members appointed by the President, advises the agency on investment issues.

The Resolution Trust Corporation was established on August 9, 1989, by the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of1989 (12 U.S.C. 1441a). The duties of the Corporation were: (1) the managing and resolving all cases involving depository institutions, the accounts of which were insured by the former Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation prior to August 9, 1989; (2) conducting the operations of the Corporation in such a way as to maximize the return of value from the sale or other disposition of depository institutions or their assets, while minimizing the impact on real estate and financial markets and minimize losses to the Government; and (3) maximizing the availability and affordability of residential real property for low- and moderate-income individuals. The Resolution Trust Corporation was abolished by act of Dec. 12, 1991 (105 Stat. 1769). Corporation functions terminated pursuant to act of Dec. 17, 1993. (107 Stat. 2369).

The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation was established by the Saint Lawrence Seaway Act of May 13, 1954 (33 U.S.C. 981-990), and became an operating administration of the Department of Transportation in 1966. The Corporation, working cooperatively with the Saint Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) of Canada, is dedicated to operating and maintaining a safe, reliable, and efficient deep draft waterway between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. It ensures the safe transit of commercial and noncommercial vessels through the two U.S. locks and the navigation channels of the Saint Lawrence Seaway System. The Corporation works jointly with SLSMC on all matters related to rules and regulations, overall operations, vessel inspections, traffic control, navigation aids, safety, operating dates, and trade development programs. The Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation is now the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Corporation (See Pub. L. 116-260).

On October 5, 2018, President Trump signed the Better Utilization of Investments Leading to Development (BUILD) Act into law--landmark legislation that reformed and strengthened U.S. development finance capabilities into a new federal agency to help address development challenges and foreign policy priorities of the United States. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is a modern, consolidated agency that brings together the capabilities of OPIC and USAID’s Development Credit Authority, while introducing new and innovative financial products to better bring private capital to the developing world. The U.S. will have more flexibility to support investments in developing countries to drive economic growth, create stability, and improve livelihoods. DFC makes America a stronger and more competitive leader on the global development stage with greater ability to partner with allies on transformative projects. Further, DFC provides the developing world with financially sound alternatives to unsustainable and irresponsible state-directed initiatives. DFC invests across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights. DFC's work takes a Triple Aim approach as our investments focus on impactful global development, advancing U.S. foreign policy, and generating returns for American taxpayers.

The United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC) was established under the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT) as an initial step in transferring to the private sector the uranium enrichment activities formerly held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). USEC began operating as a business on July 1, 1993. It manages the operation of gaseous diffusion plants for uranium enrichment in Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth, Ohio. USEC also demonstrated the commercial application of the Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (AVLIS) technology for uranium enrichment. USEC’s privatization was completed on July 28, 1998 through an initial public offering of USEC stock. The U.S. government received about three billion dollars for USEC. Source: http://www.usec.com/quickfacts.htm