Year 2000 Conversion Documents
Year 2000 Conversion



Federal Register, Volume 63 Issue 25 (Friday, February 6, 1998)

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 25 (Friday, February 6, 1998)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 6467-6468]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-3229]
[[Page 6465]]
_______________________________________________________________________
Part VII
The President
_______________________________________________________________________
Executive Order 13073--Year 2000 Conversion
                        Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 25 / Friday, February 6, 1998 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 6467]]
                Executive Order 13073 of February 4, 1998
Year 2000 Conversion
                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.
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                    (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, 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 instrumentalities, its officers or
                employees, or any other person.
                    (Presidential Sig.)
                THE WHITE HOUSE,
                    February 4, 1998.
[FR Doc. 98-3229
Filed 2-5-98; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P