[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 75 (Friday, April 18, 1997)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19217-19218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-10331]



[[Page 19215]]

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Part V





The President





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Executive Order 13043--Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 75 / Friday, April 18, 1997 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 19217]]

                Executive Order 13043 of April 16, 1997

                
Increasing Seat Belt Use in the United States

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, including the Highway Safety Act of 1966, 23 
                U.S.C. 402 and 403, as amended, section 7902(c) of 
                title 5, United States Code, and section 19 of the 
                Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 
                668, as amended, and in order to require that Federal 
                employees use seat belts while on official business; to 
                require that motor vehicle occupants use seat belts in 
                national park areas and on Department of Defense 
                (``Defense'') installations; to encourage Tribal 
                Governments to adopt and enforce seat belt policies and 
                programs for occupants of motor vehicles traveling on 
                highways in Indian Country; and to encourage Federal 
                contractors, subcontractors, and grantees to adopt and 
                enforce on-the-job seat belt use policies and programs, 
                it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policies. (a) Seat Belt Use by Federal 
                Employees. Each Federal employee occupying any seating 
                position of a motor vehicle on official business, whose 
                seat is equipped with a seat belt, shall have the seat 
                belt properly fastened at all times when the vehicle is 
                in motion.

                    (b) Seat Belt Use in National Parks and on Defense 
                Installations. Each operator and passenger occupying 
                any seating position of a motor vehicle in a national 
                park area or on a Defense installation, whose seat is 
                equipped with a seat belt or child restraint system, 
                shall have the seat belt or child restraint system 
                properly fastened, as required by law, at all times 
                when the vehicle is in motion.
                    (c) Seat Belt Use by Government Contractors, 
                Subcontractors and Grantees. Each Federal agency, in 
                contracts, subcontracts, and grants entered into after 
                the date of this order, shall seek to encourage 
                contractors, subcontractors, and grantees to adopt and 
                enforce on-the-job seat belt policies and programs for 
                their employees when operating company-owned, rented, 
                or personally owned vehicles.
                    (d) Tribal Governments. Tribal Governments are 
                encouraged to adopt and enforce seat belt policies and 
                programs for occupants of motor vehicles traveling on 
                highways in Indian Country that are subject to their 
                jurisdiction.

                Sec. 2. Scope of Order. All agencies of the executive 
                branch are directed to promulgate rules and take other 
                appropriate measures within their existing programs to 
                further the policies of this order. This includes, but 
                is not limited to, conducting education, awareness, and 
                other appropriate programs for Federal employees about 
                the importance of wearing seat belts and the 
                consequences of not wearing them. It also includes 
                encouraging Federal contractors, subcontractors, and 
                grantees to conduct such programs. In addition, the 
                National Park Service and the Department of Defense are 
                directed to initiate rulemaking to consider regulatory 
                changes with respect to enhanced seat belt use 
                requirements and standard (primary) enforcement of such 
                requirements in national park areas and on Defense 
                installations, consistent with the policies outlined in 
                this order, and to widely publicize and actively 
                enforce such regulations. The term ``agency'' as used 
                in this order means an Executive department, as defined 
                in 5 U.S.C. 101, or any employing unit or authority of 
                the Federal Government, other than those of the 
                legislative and judicial branches.

                Sec. 3. Coordination. The Secretary of Transportation 
                shall provide leadership and guidance to the heads of 
                executive branch agencies to assist them

[[Page 19218]]

                with the employee seat belt programs established 
                pursuant to this order. The Secretary of Transportation 
                shall also cooperate and consult with the legislative 
                and judicial branches of the Government to encourage 
                and help them to adopt seat belt use programs.

                Sec. 4. Reporting Requirements. The Secretary of 
                Transportation, in cooperation with the heads of 
                executive branch agencies, and after consultation with 
                the judicial and legislative branches of Government, 
                shall submit an annual report to the President. The 
                report shall include seat belt use rates and statistics 
                of crashes, injuries, and related costs involving 
                Federal employees on official business and occupants of 
                motor vehicles driven in national park areas, on 
                Defense installations, and on highways in Indian 
                Country. The report also shall identify specific agency 
                programs that have made significant progress towards 
                achieving the goals of this order or are notable and 
                deserving of recognition. All agencies of the executive 
                branch shall provide information to, and otherwise 
                cooperate with, the Secretary of Transportation to 
                assist with the preparation of the annual report.

                Sec. 5. Other Powers and Duties. Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or alter the powers and 
                duties of the heads of the various Federal agencies 
                pursuant to the Highway Safety Act of 1966, 23 U.S.C. 
                402 and 403, as amended, section 19 of the Occupational 
                Safety and Health Act of 1970, 29 U.S.C. 668, as 
                amended, or sections 7901, 7902, and 7903 of title 5, 
                United States Code, nor shall it be construed to affect 
                any right, duty, or procedure under the National Labor 
                Relations Act, 29 U.S.C. 151 et seq.

                Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Executive Order 12566 
                of September 26, 1986, is revoked. To the extent that 
                this order is inconsistent with any provisions of any 
                prior Executive order, this order shall control.

                    (b) If any provision of this order or application 
                of any such provision is held to be invalid, the 
                remainder of this order and other applications of such 
                provision shall not be affected.
                    (c) Nothing in this order shall be construed to 
                create a new cause of action against the United States, 
                or to alter in any way the United States liability 
                under the Federal Tort Claims Act, 28 U.S.C. 2671-2680.
                    (d) The Secretary of Defense shall implement the 
                provisions of this order insofar as practicable for 
                vehicles of the Department of Defense.
                    (e) The Secretary of the Treasury and the Attorney 
                General, consistent with their protective and law 
                enforcement responsibilities, shall determine the 
                extent to which the requirements of this order apply to 
                the protective and law enforcement activities of their 
                respective agencies.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                     April 16, 1997.

[FR Doc. 97-10331
Filed 4-17-97; 11:04 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P