[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