[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 51 (Monday, December 23, 2002)]
[Pages 2174-2175]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Signing the E-Government Act of 2002

December 17, 2002

    Today I have signed into law H.R. 2458, the ``E-Government Act of 
2002.'' This legislation builds upon my Administration's expanding E-
Government initiative by ensuring strong leadership of the information 
technology activities of Federal agencies, a comprehensive framework for 
information security standards and programs, and uniform safeguards to 
protect the confidentiality of information provided by the public for 
statistical purposes. The Act will also assist in expanding the use of 
the Internet and computer resources in order to deliver Government 
services, consistent with the reform principles I outlined on July 10, 
2002, for a citizen-centered, results-oriented, and market-based 
Government.
    Title II of this Act authorizes agencies to award ``share-in-
savings'' contracts under which contractors share in the savings 
achieved by agencies through the provision of technologies that improve 
or accelerate their work. The executive branch shall ensure, consistent 
with applicable law, that these contracts are operated according to 
sound fiscal policy and limit authorized waivers for funding of 
potential termination costs to appropriate circumstances, so as to 
minimize the financial risk to the Government.
    Title III of this Act is the Federal Information Security Management 
Act of 2002. It is very similar to title X of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002, which also bears the name Federal Information Security 
Management Act of 2002 and which I signed into law on November 25, 2002. 
I am signing into law the E-Government Act after the enactment of the 
Homeland Security Act, and there is no indication that the Congress 
intended the E-Government Act to provide interim provisions that would 
apply only until the Homeland Security Act took effect. Thus, 
notwithstanding the delayed effective dates applicable to the Homeland 
Security Act, the executive branch will construe the E-Government Act as 
permanently superseding the Homeland Security Act in those instances 
where both Acts prescribe different amendments to the same provisions of 
the United States Code.
    Finally, the executive branch shall construe and implement the Act 
in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authorities 
to supervise the unitary executive branch and to protect sensitive 
national security, law enforcement, and foreign relations

[[Page 2175]]

information. In particular, consistent with my constitutional 
authorities and section 301(c) of this Act, the executive branch shall 
construe the Act in a manner that preserves the authorities of the 
Secretary of Defense, the Director of Central Intelligence, and other 
agency heads with regard to the operation, control, and management of 
national security systems.
                                                George W. Bush
 The White House,
 December 17, 2002.

Note: H.R. 2458, approved December 17, was assigned Public Law No. 107-
347. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language 
version of this statement.