    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [October 3, 2002]
    [Page 1727]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 1727]]

    Memorandum on Designation of Officers of the Department of Commerce To
    Act as Secretary of Commerce
    October 3, 2002

    Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce

    Subject: Designation of Officers of the Department of Commerce to Act as
    Secretary of Commerce

        By the authority vested in me as President under the Constitution
    and laws of the United States of America and pursuant to the Federal
    Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345 et seq., I hereby order
    that:
        Section 1. Order of Succession.
        During any period when the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary), the
    Deputy Secretary of Commerce (Deputy Secretary), and the officers
    designated by Executive Order 13242 of December 18, 2001, to perform the
    functions and duties of the office of Secretary have died, resigned, or
    otherwise become unable to perform the functions and duties of the
    office of Secretary, the Director, Tropical Storm Prediction Center, an
    officer of the Department of Commerce, shall perform the functions and
    duties of the office of Secretary, if he is eligible to act as Secretary
    under the provisions of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, until
    such time as at least one of the officers mentioned above is able to
    perform the functions and duties of the office of Secretary.
        Sec. 2. Exceptions.
           (a)  No individual who is serving as Director, Tropical Storm
                Prediction Center in an acting capacity shall, by virtue of
                so serving, act as Secretary pursuant to this memorandum.
           (b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this memorandum, the
                President retains discretion, to the extent permitted by the
                Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998, 5 U.S.C. 3345-3349d,
                to depart from this order in designating an acting
                Secretary.
        Sec. 3. Publication.
        The Secretary of Commerce is authorized and directed to publish this
    memorandum in the Federal Register.

                                                              George W. Bush

    Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary
    on October 4. It was not received for publication in the Federal
    Register. An original was not available for verification of the content
    of this memorandum.