[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 19 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Pages 777-778]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Designation of Officers of the Department of 
Transportation

March 19, 2002

Memorandum for the Secretary of Transportation

Subject: Designation of Officers of the Department of Transportation

    By the authority vested in me as President under the Constitution 
and the 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 Transportation (Secretary), 
the Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and the officers designated by 
the Secretary pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 102(e) 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 following officers of the Department of Transportation, 
in the order listed, shall perform the functions and duties of the 
office of Secretary, if they are 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:
    Associate Deputy Secretary of Transportation;
    Under Secretary of Transportation for Security;
    Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration;
    Federal Aviation Administration Regional Administrator, Southwest 
      Region; and
    Federal Aviation Administration Regional Administrator, Great Lakes 
      Region.
    Sec. 2. Exceptions.
    (a) No individual who is serving in an office listed in section 1 in 
an acting capacity, by virtue of so serving, shall act as Secretary 
pursuant to this memorandum.

[[Page 778]]

    (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 et seq., to depart from this 
memorandum in designating an acting Secretary.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: This memorandum was released by the Office of the Press Secretary 
on May 9. An original was not available for verification of the content 
of this memorandum.