Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense: Signing of the National Defense Authorization Act (10/31/00)
                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                           October 31, 2000



                                 October 30, 2000



MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

SUBJECT:            Implementation of Section 1111 of H.R. 4205, the "Floyd
                    D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
                    Year 2001"


Today I have signed into law H.R. 4205, the "Floyd D. Spence National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001."  Section 1111 of this bill
authorizes you to create a pilot program to resolve equal employment
opportunity complaints by civilian employees of the Department of Defense
that is not subject to certain procedural requirements prescribed by the
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  The EEOC is responsible
for equal employment opportunity throughout the Government and it has
longstanding expertise in this area.  My Administration recently completed
a major regulatory initiative to make the Federal equal employment
opportunity process fairer and more effective.  To operate any pilot
program that eliminates the procedural safe-guards incorporated in that
initiative would leave civilian employees without important means to ensure
the protection of their civil rights.

For these reasons, I am directing that the following steps be taken in the
implementation of this provision:

?    First, you must personally approve the creation and implementa-tion
of any pilot program created under section 1111 of H.R. 4205.

?    Second, you must approve the implementation of this pilot program in
no more than one military department and two Defense agencies.

?    Third, in order to ensure that the participation in these pilot
programs by civilian employees is truly voluntary, I direct you to
ensure that the pilot programs provide that complaining parties may    opt
out of participation in the pilot programs at any time.

?    Fourth, I direct you to submit an assessment of the pilot programs,
together with the relevant underlying data, to the EEOC within 180
days of the completion of the 3-year pilot program period.

These steps will ensure that important civil rights of civilian employees
of the Department of Defense are protected while preserving congressional
intent with regard to the creation of the pilot programs.



                              WILLIAM J. CLINTON




                                 # # #


President and First Lady | Vice President and Mrs. Gore
Record of Progress | The Briefing Room
Gateway to Government | Contacting the White House | White House for Kids
White House History | White House Tours | Help
Privacy Statement

Help

Site Map

Graphic Version

T H E   W H I T E   H O U S E