[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 34, Number 6 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Pages 198-199]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13073--Year 2000 Conversion

February 4, 1998

    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.
    (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,

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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 
instrumentalties, its officers or employees, or any other person.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
February 4, 1998

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., February 5, 
1998]

Note: This Executive order was published in the Federal Register on 
February 6.