[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 6467-6468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3229]



[[Page 6465]]

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Part VII





The President





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Executive Order 13073--Year 2000 Conversion
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 1998 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 6467]]

                Executive Order 13073 of February 4, 1998

                
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'').

                    (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.

[[Page 6468]]

                    (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 procedural, enforceable at law 
                or equity by a party against the United States, its 
                agencies, or instrumentalities, its officers or 
                employees, or any other person.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    February 4, 1998.

[FR Doc. 98-3229
Filed 2-5-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P