March 5, 1999

The Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Sir:

In accordance with provisions of P.L. 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, I hereby request the following:
District of Columbia

These funds will support the District of Columbia's Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance efforts, and would be transferred from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses account.
Department of the Interior

These funds will help repair damage caused by natural disasters, including Hurricane Georges, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

I hereby designate all of the above requests as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

In addition, Estimate Number 3 for the 106th Congress, 1st Session, transmitted on February 3, 1999, regarding Y2K compliance, is amended as follows:
United States Holocaust Memorial Council

The details of these actions are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. I concur with his comments and observations.

Enclosure

Estimate No.                    10                   
106th Congress, 1st Session                   

March 5, 1999

The President

The White House

Submitted for your consideration is a request to transfer $61.8 million from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses Account for Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance to the District of Columbia, and requests to make available $36.0 million in previously appropriated emergency funding for the Department of the Interior to repair damage caused by natural disasters, including Hurricane Georges.

D.C. Y2K Compliance

This is the fourth allocation of contingent emergency funding for Y2K from funds appropriated in P.L. 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999. On November 6, 1998, you allocated $891 million; on December 8, 1998, you allocated $338 million; and, on February 3, 1999, you allocated $240 million. In addition, $30 million in emergency funding was released to the Legislative and Judicial Branches when you signed P.L. 105-277 on October 21, 1998.

The contingent emergency funding provided in P.L. 105-277 -- $1.1 billion for defense-related activities and $2.25 billion for non-defense activities -- has enabled Federal agencies to respond effectively to unanticipated Y2K-related issues. With this release of funds, a total of $670 million remains in the contingent emergency reserve for non-defense activities.

The requested transfer will support a range of activities to ensure that the District of Columbia's important computer systems will operate smoothly through the Year 2000 and beyond. The Administration has been working with the District's Y2K team and District officials since November 1998 to determine the appropriate level of Federal funding to assist the District in addressing its Y2K problem. The $61.8 million included in this transmittal will help the District to repair, test, and validate its mission critical systems to avoid disruption in vital services such as public safety, transportation, and social services on January 1, 2000, and shortly thereafter. The District is subject to the same reporting requirements as Federal agencies that receive funding from the Y2K contingency fund and will continue to report to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on its progress toward achieving Y2K compliance.

In addition, this transmittal contains a technical correction to the Y2K materials transmitted on February 3, 1999.

Natural Disasters Repair

P.L. 105-277 provided $36 million in emergency funding to the Department of the Interior (DOI), contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the entire amount requested as an emergency requirement. None of these funds have yet been designated as an emergency requirement and made available.

The requests in this transmittal would make the entire $36 million available to DOI to repair damage to roads, trails, and other facilities caused by natural disasters, including Hurricane Georges, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

I recommend that you designate the amounts listed on the enclosure as emergency requirements in accordance with section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended. No further congressional action will be required. Pursuant to P.L. 105-277, the funds to be transferred to the District of Columbia will be made available 15 days after this designation is forwarded to Congress. The DOI funds will be available immediately upon transmittal.

I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I recommend that you make the requested funds available by signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Enclosure

EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS: AMOUNTS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED MADE AVAILABLE BY THE PRESIDENT

YEAR 2000 (Y2K) CONVERSION

District of Columbia

Federal support for economic development and
   management reforms in the District....................................................            $61,800,000

The funds made available will enable the District of Columbia to address the Y2K problem by supporting remediation for information technology systems, testing to ensure that those systems are Y2K compliant, and creation and verification of continuity of operations and contingency plans for city agencies. These funds will be transferred from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses account, the contingent emergency reserve for Y2K compliance.

HURRICANE GEORGES REPAIR

Department of the Interior

United States Geological Survey
   Survey, investigations, and research....................................................             $1,000,000

United States Fish and Wildlife Service
   Construction.......................................................................................          $25,000,000

National Park Service
   Construction.......................................................................................          $10,000,000

Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, FY 1999, provided $36 million in emergency funding to the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service to repair damage due to hurricanes, floods, and other acts of nature. The availability of these funds was made contingent upon the President submitting a budget request to the Congress and designating the entire amount as an emergency requirement. None of these funds have yet been designated as an emergency requirement and made available.

At this time, the entire amount is required to repair damage to roads, trails, and other facilities caused by natural disasters, including Hurricane Georges, in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

March 5, 1999

The Honorable C.W. Bill Young
Chairman
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

In accordance with provisions of Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, I am transmitting a proposed allocation and plan for Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance activities of the District of Columbia.

Since November 1998, OMB has been working with the District of Columbia's Y2K team to determine whether requirements associated with Y2K could be accommodated within existing resource levels, or whether contingent emergency funding should be allocated. The $61.8 million included in this transmittal will help the District to repair, test, and validate its mission critical systems, and develop contingency plans to provide reasonable service levels in case of Y2K-related problems. OMB will continue to monitor closely the District's funding requirements and overall progress, and will address any additional needs as they emerge.

The allocation of contingent emergency funds required at this time is displayed on the enclosed table. District Y2K officials have been directed to provide detailed justification materials for these requirements to the committees specified in Public Law 105-277, as well as to the relevant appropriations subcommittee, concurrent with the transmittal of this allocation and plan. These justification materials, along with this letter, constitute the agency plan as required by Public Law 105-277.

Thank you again for your cooperation on this important issue.

Enclosure (Allocation of FY 1999 Y2K Funding) in zipped Lotus or Excel

Identical Letter Sent To:

The Honorable C.W. Bill Young
The Honorable David R. Obey
The Honorable Ted Stevens
The Honorable Robert C. Byrd
The Honorable Robert F. Bennett
The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd
The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.
The Honorable George E. Brown, Jr.
The Honorable Dan Burton
The Honorable Henry A. Waxman
The Honorable Stephen Horn
The Honorable James Turner

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