    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [September 9, 1996]
    [Page 1509]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Assistance to Families Affected by Aviation and Other
    Transportation Disasters
    September 9, 1996

    Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the
    Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the
    Secretary of Transportation, the Director of the Federal Emergency
    Management Agency, the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety
    Board

    Subject: Assistance to Families Affected by Aviation and Other
    Transportation Disasters

        When an aviation or other transportation disaster occurs, the
    Federal Government properly bears responsibility for addressing the
    needs of families of the passengers involved. In the event of a disaster
    occurring abroad, the Department of State currently performs such
    functions. In the event of a disaster determined to result from criminal
    activity, the Department of Justice aids the families of victims. No
    unit of the Federal Government, however, now has clear responsibility,
    authority, and capacity to assist families of passengers involved in
    domestic disasters not determined to be criminal.
        To fill the gap, I am asking the National Transportation Safety
    Board (NTSB), as the unit of the Federal Government with the lead role
    in investigating transportation disasters, to coordinate the provision
    of Federal services to the families of victims. Such services might
    include, as appropriate in the circumstances, providing speedy and
    accurate information about the accident and recovery efforts, ensuring
    that families who wish to travel to the accident site receive all
    necessary assistance, and arranging opportunities for counseling and
    other support. I am also asking the NTSB to work cooperatively with
    State and local authorities and with private relief organizations, such
    as the American National Red Cross, to ensure appropriate coordination
    of the services they provide with those of the Federal Government.
        To enable the NTSB to perform these coordinating functions
    effectively, I am directing the heads of the Departments of State,
    Defense, Justice, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, and the
    Federal Emergency Management Agency to recognize the NTSB as the
    coordinator of services to families and to cooperate fully with the NTSB
    regarding the prompt and effective delivery of such services.
        In particular, within 15 days of the date of this directive, the
    head of each listed department or agency is to designate an official who
    has primary responsibility for working with the NTSB to provide services
    to families. Within 30 days of this designation, each listed department
    or agency is to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the NTSB,
    specifying services the department or agency will provide at NTSB's
    request, as well as specifying any other cooperative arrangements to go
    into effect in the event of an aviation or other transportation
    disaster. The heads of the listed departments and agencies shall notify
    me promptly of all such memoranda.
        By ensuring that a single agency has the responsibility to
    coordinate the provision of support services and the authority to call
    on other departments and agencies to provide such services, this
    directive will improve the capacity of the Federal Government to address
    the needs of the families of victims of aviation and other
    transportation disasters. In so doing, it may provide some small measure
    of comfort to families that have suffered grievous loss.

                                                          William J. Clinton