Message Creation Date was at  4-FEB-1998 12:50:00

      

THE WHITE HOUSE



Office of the Press Secretary



________________________________________________________________



For Immediate Release                           February 4, 1998









EXECUTIVE ORDER



- - - - - - -



YEAR 2000 CONVERSION





 The American people expect reliable service from their Government and deserve 

the confidence that critical government functions dependent on electronic 

systems will be performed accurately and in a timely manner.  Because of a 

design feature in many electronic systems, a large number of activities in the 

public and private sectors could be at risk beginning in the year 2000.  Some 

computer systems and other electronic devices will misinterpret the year "00" 

as 1900, rather than 2000.  Unless appropriate action is taken, this flaw, 

known as the "Y2K problem," can cause systems that support those functions to 

compute erroneously or simply not run.  Minimizing the Y2K problem will require 

a major technological and managerial effort, and it is critical that the United 

States Government do its part in addressing this challenge.



     Accordingly, by the authority vested in me as President by the 

Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered 

as follows:



 Section 1. Policy.  (a)  It shall be the policy of the executive branch that 

agencies shall:



 (1) assure that no critical Federal program experiences disruption because of 

the Y2K problem;



 (2) assist and cooperate with State, local, and tribal governments to address 

the Y2K problem where those governments depend on Federal information or 

information technology or the Federal Government is dependent on those 

governments to perform critical missions;



 (3) cooperate with the private sector operators of critical national and local 

systems, including the banking and financial system, the telecommunications 

system, the public health system, the transportation system, and the electric 

power generation system, in addressing the Y2K problem; and



 (4) communicate with their foreign counterparts to raise awareness of and 

generate cooperative international arrangements to address the Y2K problem.



 (b) As used in this order, "agency" and "agencies" refer to Federal agencies 

that are not in the judicial or legislative branches.



 Sec. 2.  Year 2000 Conversion Council.  There is hereby established the 

President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion (the "Council").



more



           (OVER)





2



 (a)  The Council shall be led by a Chair who shall be an Assistant to the 

President, and it shall be composed of one representative from each of the 

executive departments and from such other Federal agencies as may be determined 

by the Chair of the Council (the "Chair").



 (b)  The Chair shall appoint a Vice Chair and assign other responsibilities 

for operations of the council as he or she deems necessary.



 (c)  The Chair shall oversee the activities of agencies to assure that their 

systems operate smoothly through the year 2000, act as chief spokesperson on 

this issue for the executive branch in national and international fora, provide 

policy coordination of executive branch activities with State, local, and 

tribal governments on the Y2K problem, and promote appropriate Federal roles 

with respect to private sector activities in this area.



 (d)  The Chair and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 

report jointly at least quarterly to me on the progress of agencies in 

addressing the Y2K problem.



 (e)  The Chair shall identify such resources from agencies as the Chair deems 

necessary for the implementation of the policies set out in this order, 

consistent with applicable law.



 Sec. 3.  Responsibilities of Agency Heads.  (a)  The head of each agency shall:



 (1)  assure that efforts to address the Y2K problem receive the highest 

priority attention in the agency and that the policies established in this 

order are carried out; and



 (2)  cooperate to the fullest extent with the Chair by making available such 

information, support, and assistance, including personnel, as the Chair may 

request to support the accomplishment of the tasks assigned herein, consistent 

with applicable law.



 (b)  The heads of executive departments and the agencies designated by the 

Chair under section 2(a) of this order shall identify a responsible official to 

represent the head of the executive department or agency on the Council with 

sufficient authority and experience to commit agency resources to address the 

Y2K problem.



 Sec. 4.  Responsibilities of Interagency and Executive Office Councils.  

Interagency councils and councils within the Executive Office of the President, 

including the President's Management Council, the Chief Information Officers 

Council, the Chief Financial Officers Council, the President's Council on 

Integrity and Efficiency, the Executive Council on Integrity and Efficiency, 

the National Science and Technology Council, the National Performance Review, 

the National Economic Council, the Domestic Policy Council, and the National 

Security Council shall provide assistance and support to the Chair upon the 

Chair's request.



 Sec. 5. Judicial Review.  This Executive order is intended only to improve the 

internal management of the executive branch and does not create any right or 

benefit, substantive or pro-cedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party 

against the United States, its agencies, or instrumentalities, its officers or 

employees, or any other person.





       WILLIAM J. CLINTON





THE WHITE HOUSE,

    February 4, 1998.



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