    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [April 6, 2000]
    [Pages 652-653]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Memorandum on Leadership of the Emergency Response Assistance Program
    April 6, 2000

    Memorandum for the Vice President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary
    of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the
    Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
    the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary
    of Veterans Affairs, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency,
    Director, Office of Management and Budget, Director of Central
    Intelligence, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Assistant
    to the President for National Security Affairs, Assistant to the
    President for Science and Technology, Under Secretary of State for
    Public Diplomacy, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Director, Federal
    Bureau of Investigation, Director, United States Secret Service

    Subject: Designation of the Attorney General as the Lead Official for
    the Emergency Response Assistance Program Under Sections 1412 and 1415
    of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public
    Law 104-201) (the ``Act'')

        Under sections 1412(a) and 1415(a) of the Act, the Secretary of
    Defense is responsible for implementing the Emergency Response
    Assistance Program, commonly known as the ``Domestic Preparedness
    Program,'' to provide civilian personnel of Federal, State, and local
    agencies with training and expert advice regarding emergency responses
    to a use or threatened use of a weapon of mass destruction or related
    materials, and for testing and improving the responses of such agencies
    to emergencies involving chemical or biological weapons and related
    materials.

        Under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of
    the United States, including sections 1412(a)(2) and 1415(d)(1) of the
    Act, I designate the Attorney General to replace the Secretary of
    Defense as the lead Federal official with responsibility for carrying
    out these programs.

        These designations are effective October 1, 2000, and constitute
    designations pursuant to sections 1412(a)(2) and 1415(d)(1) of the Act.

        The Attorney General is authorized and directed to publish this
    memorandum in the Federal Register.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    [[Page 653]]

    Note: The memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on April 7. It was not received for publication in the Federal Register.