Executive Order 11023—Providing for the Performance by the Secretary of Commerce of Certain Functions Relating to the Coast and Geodetic Survey

By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 301 of title 3 of the United States Code, and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1. The Secretary of Commerce is hereby designated and empowered to perform the following-described functions without the approval, ratification, or other action of the President: (a) The authority contained in section 6(b) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948 (62 Stat. 298; 33 U.S.C. 853e(b) ) to revoke the commissions of ensigns of the Coast and Geodetic Survey who are found not fully qualified and to separate such ensigns from the commissioned service. (b) The authority vested in the President by section 12(a) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948, as amended (75 Stat. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853j-1(a)), to make temporary appointments in the grade of ensign in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. (c) The authority vested in the President by section 12(b) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948, as amended (75 Star. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853j-1(b)), to temporarily promote officers in the permanent grade of ensign in the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and to appoint such officers to the grade of lieutenant junior grade whenever vacancies exist in higher grades. (d) The authority vested in the President by section 12(c) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948, as amended (75 Stat. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853j-1 (c)), to temporarily promote any officer one grade. (e) The authority vested in the President by section 13(b) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioners Officers Act of 1948 as amended{ (75 Stat. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853k(b)), to defer the retirement of an officer of the Coast and Geodetic Survey serving in a rank above that of captain who has attained the age of sixty-two years. (f) The authority vested in the President by section 14 of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948, as amended (75 Stat. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853l), to retire from the active service any commissioned officer of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, upon his own application, who has completed twenty years of active service in the Coast and Geodetic Survey. (g) The authority vested in the President by section 23(a) of the Coast and Geodetic Survey Commissioned Officers Act of 1948, as amended (75 Stat. 506; 33 U.S.C. 853t(a) ), (1) to find that any officer appointed under section 23 is not qualified for service, (2) to revoke the commissions of officers in respect of whom such findings are made, and (3) to prescribe the regulations referred to in that section. (h) The authority contained in section 1(1) of the Act of December 3, 1942 (56 Stat. 1038; 33 U.S.C. 854a-1(1)) to temporarily promote to higher ranks or grades, upon recommendation of the Secretary of the military department concerned, commissioned officers of the Coast and Geodetic Survey transferred to the military departments. (i) The authority contained in section 1 (2) of the Act of December 3, 1942 (56 Stat. 1038; 33 U.S.C. 854a-1(2)) to temporarily promote commissioned officers of the Coast and Geodetic Survey to fill vacancies in ranks and grades caused by transfer of commissioned officers to the service and jurisdiction of the military departments. (j) The authority contained in section 1(3) of the Act of December 3, 1942 (56 Stat. 1038; 33 U.S.C. 854a-1(3) ) to temporarily appoint deck officers and Junior engineers to the grade of ensign to fill vacancies caused by transfer of officers to the military departments. (k) The authority vested in the President by section 16 of the Act of May 22, 1917 (40 Stat. 87; 33 U.S.C. 855), to transfer to service and jurisdiction of the Department of Defense, as he may deem to be to the best interest of the country, vessels, equipment, stations, and personnel of the Coast and Geodetic Survey; but the Secretary of Commerce may effect such transfers only during. the existence of a state of national emergency proclaimed by the President. Commissioned officers so transferred shall serve under their commissions in the Coast and Geodetic Survey and while so serving. shall constitute a part of the active armed forces of the United States and shall be under the direct orders of, and shall be subject to the applicable laws, regulations, and orders for the government of, the armed forces to which they are transferred, respectively. The Secretary of Commerce may return such vessels, equipment, stations, and personnel to the jurisdiction of the Department of Commerce, but in time of national emergency such return shall be effected only with the concurrence of the Secretary of Defense. (1) The authority vested in the President by section 8 of the Act of August 6, 1947 (61 Stat. 788; 33 U.S.C. 883h) to employ public vessels, and to give instructions for regulating their conduct, to carry out the provisions of the Act of August 6, 1947 but the employment by the Secretary of Commerce of vessels, except those of the Department of Commerce or of any subordinate entity thereof, shall require the concurrence of the head of the department or other executive agency having custody or control of the vessel. SEC. 2. Upon receipt by the Secretary of Commerce from the President or from the President's representative of information showing that the Senate has confirmed nominees of the President for appointment as commissioned officers of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, and without any further action on the part of the President, (1) the Secretary of Commerce or an Officer of the Department of Commerce designated by the Secretary may, upon completion of statutory requirements for such appointments, tender offers of appointment to the nominees and upon acceptance such persons shall be deemed to be appointed accordingly, (2) the Secretary of Commerce, in the name of the President, shall issue to each such person a commission evidencing the appointment of such person accordingly, and (3) the commissions of such persons shall be deemed to have been signed by the President. The effective date specified in any commission so issued shall be deemed, for all purposes, to be the date of the appointment evidenced by such commission. SEC. 3. In connection with making appointments or promotions under authority delegated to him by subsections (b), (c), (d), (h), (i), and (j) of section 1 of this order, the Secretary of Commerce shall issue to each person appointed or promoted by him thereunder a certificate evidencing the appointment promotion of such person. Such certificate may be issued in the name of the President. SEC. 4. Any requirement of any provision of law that commissions of officers under the direction and control of the Secretary of Commerce be signed by the president before the seal of the Department of Commerce may be affixed thereto shall in the case of officers appointed under the procedure set forth in section 2 of this order and in the case of officers appointed or promoted under authority delegated by subsections (b)), (c), (d), (h), (i), and (j) of section 1 of this order, be deemed to be satisfied by signature of the commission or certificate by the Secretary of Commerce before the departmental seal is affixed thereto. SEC. 5. The Secretary of Commerce is hereby authorized to accept, in the name of the President, the resignation of a commissioned officer, either permanent or temporary, of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. SEC. 6. The authority delegated by the provisions of subsections (b), (c), (d), (h), (i), and (j) of section 1 of this order shall be deemed to include the authority to terminate any appointment or promotion made under the provisions of law referred to in those subsections. SEC. 7. All actions herertofore taken by the President with respect to the matters affected by this order and in force at the time of issuance of this order, including any regulations prescribed or approved by the president with respect to such matters shall except as they may be inconsistent with the provisions of this order, remain in effect until amended, modified or revoked pursuant to the authority conferred by this order. The following are hereby superseded: (1) Letter of the President to the Secretary of Commerce, dated April 23, 1929, and relating to the general subject of section 2 of this order, and (2) letter of the Secretary to the President dated July 1, 1919, and directed to the Secretary of Commerce, relating to the general subject of section 5 of this order. SEC. 8. As used in this order the term "functions" embraces duties, powers, responsibilities, authority or discretion, and the term "perform" may be construed to mean "exercise". JOHN F. KENNEDY THE WHITE HOUSE, May 28, 1962