[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 18 (Monday, May 10, 1999)]
[Pages 822-823]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Assistance for Federal Employees Affected by the Tornadoes 
in Oklahoma and Kansas

May 6, 1999

Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Subject: Assistance for Federal Employees Affected by the Tornadoes in 
Oklahoma and Kansas

    I am deeply concerned about the devastating losses suffered by many 
as a result of the tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas. Multiple parts of 
the Federal Government have been mobilized to respond to this disaster.
    As part of this effort, I ask the heads of executive departments and 
agencies who have Federal civilian employees in designated disaster 
areas resulting from the tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kansas and their 
aftermath to use discretion to excuse from duty, without charge to leave 
or loss of pay, any such employee who is prevented from reporting for 
work or faced with a personal emergency because of this disaster and who 
can be spared from his or her usual responsibilities. This policy also 
should be applied to any employee who is needed for emergency law 
enforcement, relief, or clean-up efforts authorized by Federal, State, 
or other officials having jurisdiction.
    I am also directing the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to 
establish an emergency leave transfer program, which would permit 
employees in an executive agency to donate their unused annual leave for 
transfer to employees of the same or other agencies who were adversely 
affected by the tornadoes and who need additional time off for recovery. 
In addition, I am directing OPM to provide additional information and 
assistance to agencies on the program's administration.
                                            William J. Clinton

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