[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 19 (Monday, May 13, 2002)]
[Pages 778-779]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Memorandum on Designation of Officers of the Department of Veterans 
Affairs

March 19, 2002

Memorandum for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Subject: Designation of Officers of the Department of Veterans Affairs

    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 Veterans Affairs 
(Secretary), the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the officers 
designated by Executive Order 13247 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 following officers of the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, in the order listed, shall perform the functions and

[[Page 779]]

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:
    Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 Director, Veterans 
      Health Administration;
    VISN 7 Director, Veterans Health Administration;
    VISN 19 Director, Veterans Health Administration; and
    VISN 21 Director, Veterans Health Administration.
    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.
    (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.