Executive Order 13161 Constitutional Fidelity (+0.23)

Executive Order 13161—Establishment of the Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers

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Thursday, June 29, 2000

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2 min read (332 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President William J. Clinton on 2000-06-29, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Establishment of the Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ The Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers (Medal) is established for the purpose of recognizing those public safety officers adjudged to have shown extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty in the exercise of their official duties.

▪ 136–137, the President designates May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week in which it falls as "Police Week." Presentation of the Medal shall occur at an appropriate time during the commemoration of Police Week, as far as is practicable.

▪ Those chosen for recognition shall receive a medal and a certificate, the designs of which shall be submitted by the Attorney General for the President’s approval no later than December 1, 2000.

▪ The medal and certificate shall be prepared by the Department of Justice.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners

Total Words

332

2,056 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

15.4

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.23

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 13161, William J. Clinton (Jun 29, 2000). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-13161-establishment-the-presidential-medal-valor-for-public-safety.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is ordered: Section 1. The Presidential Medal of Valor for Public Safety Officers (Medal) is established for the purpose of recognizing those public safety officers adjudged to have shown extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty in the exercise of their official duties. As used in this section, the term "public safety officer" means a person serving a public agency with or without compensation: (1) as a law enforcement officer, including police, correctional, probation, or parole officers; (2) as a firefighter or emergency responder; and (3) who is employed by the Government of the United States, any State of the United States, any officially recognized elective body within a State of the United States, or any Federally recognized tribal organization. Sec. 2. Eligible recipients generally will be recommended to the President by the Attorney General by April 1 of each year. Pursuant to 36 U.S.C. 136–137, the President designates May 15 of each year as "Peace Officers Memorial Day" and the week in which it falls as "Police Week." Presentation of the Medal shall occur at an appropriate time during the commemoration of Police Week, as far as is practicable. Sec. 3. The President may select for the Medal up to ten persons annually from among those persons recommended to the President by the Attorney General. In submitting recommendations to the President, the Attorney General may consult with experts representing all segments of the public safety sector, including representatives from law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency services. Sec. 4. Those chosen for recognition shall receive a medal and a certificate, the designs of which shall be submitted by the Attorney General for the President’s approval no later than December 1, 2000. The medal and certificate shall be prepared by the Department of Justice. Sec. 5. The Medal may be given posthumously. William J. Clinton The White House, June 29, 2000