Y2K Emergency Funds Requested -- OMB Memorandum to the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Well, there is a flurry of Y2K spending going on in D.C. just now! Interesting to see where the money flows. -- Diane

Third Transmittal of Y2K Emergency Funds - OMB Memorandum to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Posted February 18, 1999

http://www.cio.gov/y2k3.htm

This emergency funding request will support Year 2000 compliance activities of Federal agencies. ...

February 3, 1999

The President
The White House

Submitted for your consideration are requests to transfer $240 million from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses Account for Year 2000 (Y2K) compliance to 15 Federal agencies. This is the third release 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, and on December 8, 1998, you allocated $338 million. In addition, $30 million in emergency funding was released to the Legislative and Judicial Branches when you signed P.L. 105-277.

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 $752 million remains in the contingent emergency reserve for non-defense activities. I will be forwarding a proposal related to the defense funding shortly. I am encouraged by the strong, steady progress that Federal agencies are making. OMB continues its oversight and is working to ensure that agencies have sufficient FY 1999 resources to address Y2K and that flexible contingent emergency funding remains available to address emerging needs.

The requested transfers will continue to support a range of activities to ensure that important computer systems will operate smoothly through the Year 2000 and beyond. Federal agencies would use this funding for various Y2K compliance activities, including remediation for information technology systems, testing to ensure that systems are Y2K compliant, replacement of embedded computer chips, creation and verification of continuity of operations and contingency plans, and cooperative activities with non-Federal entities in support of the Year 2000 Conversion Council. The enclosed requests for transfers are for non-defense agencies; therefore, the funds would be transferred from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses account established in P.L. 105-277.

Pursuant to the requirements of Public Law 105-277, OMB will prepare and submit reports to Congress on the proposed allocation and plan for each affected agency to achieve Y2K compliance for technology information systems before funds can be released to the agency. The report for agencies represented in this third release of Y2K contingent emergency funds will be transmitted to the congressional committees specified in P.L. 105-277 concurrent with this request for release of the funds. In addition, OMB has directed each affected agency to provide detailed justification materials in support of its plan and allocation to the relevant appropriations subcommittees. OMB will continue to monitor agency requirements and will address additional funding needs as they emerge.

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, funds will be made available to agencies 15 days after this designation is forwarded to Congress.

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

And to ...

The Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Sir:

In accordance with provisions of Public Law 105-277, the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, 1999, I hereby request the following transfers from the Information Technology Systems and Related Expenses account:

* Department of Agriculture *

Executive Operations, Office of the Chief Information Officer: $9,058,000

* Department of Energy *

Atomic Energy Defense Activities, Other Defense Activities: $13,650,000

* Department of Health and Human Services *

Departmental Management, Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund: $93,400,000

* Department of the Interior *

Departmental Management, Working Capital Fund: $1,530,000

* Department of Justice *

General Administration, Office of Inspector General: $625,000

Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals, Salaries and Expenses, General Legal Activities: $1,554,000

Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals, Salaries and Expenses, Antitrust Division: $158,000

Legal Activities and U.S. Marshals, Salaries and Expenses, United States Attorneys: $41,077,000

Drug Enforcement Administration, Salaries and Expenses: $852,000

Immigration and Naturalization Service, Salaries and Expenses: $4,600,000

Office of Justice Programs, Justice Assistance: $2,300,000

* Department of Labor *

Employment and Training Administration, Program Administration: $468,000

Employment Standards Administration, Salaries and Expenses: $844,000

Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Salaries and Expenses: $350,000

Mine Safety and Health Administration, Salaries and Expenses: $402,000

Departmental Management, Salaries and Expenses: $150,000

* Department of Transportation *

Office of the Secretary, Salaries and Expenses: $700,000

Coast Guard, Operating Expenses: $7,210,000

Federal Aviation Administration, Operations: $5,247,000

Federal Aviation Administration, Facilities and Equipment: $20,000,000

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Operations and Research: $752,000

Federal Transit Administration, Administrative Expenses: $250,000

* Department of the Treasury *

Departmental Offices, Salaries and Expenses: $596,000

Departmental Offices, Automation Enhancement: $12,500,000

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Salaries and Expenses: $3,530,000

United States Secret Service, Salaries and Expenses: $695,000

* Executive Office of the President *

Office of Administration, Salaries and Expenses: $7,666,100

* General Services Administration *

General Activities, Policy and Operations: $5,002,000

* Small Business Administration *

Salaries and Expenses: $3,500,000

* Commodity Futures Trading Commission *

Commodity Futures Trading Commission: $356,000

* Federal Labor Relations Authority *

Salaries and Expenses: $243,000

* Smithsonian Institution *

Salaries and Expenses, National Gallery of Art: $101,000

* United States Holocaust Memorial Council *

Holocaust Memorial Council: $680,000

This funding will support Year 2000 compliance activities of Federal agencies.

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.

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

See also Enclosure lower on the web-page (Lists $$$ dollar amounts too) ...

EMERGENCY APPROPRIATIONS: AMOUNTS PREVIOUSLY APPROPRIATED
MADE AVAILABLE BY THE PRESIDENT

YEAR 2000 (Y2K) CONVERSION

See also ...

Emergency Supplemental Y2K Funding
Posted on January 12, 1999

http://www.cio.gov/25y2k.htm

And, an aside note ...

If you ever need phone numbers or e-mail addresses of government CIOs, they are listed off this page.

CIO Council Members

http://www.cio.gov/members.htm

The Council is comprised of CIOs and Deputy CIOs from 28 large Federal departments and agencies, two CIOs from small Federal agencies, representatives from the Office of Management and Budget, and the Chairs of the Government IT Services Board, and IT Resources Board. The Council is chaired by the Deputy Director for Management , OMB and the Vice Chair is an agency CIO elected by the CIO Council on a rotating basis. ...

See also, interesting CIO links ...

http://www.cio.gov/links.htm

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 22, 1999

Answers

(P.S. -- How do you do those little HTML bold tags? Need to know. Thanks.) -- Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 22, 1999.

For italics, bold and underline use the letters: i b and u respectively in the following format:

to turn on use three characters: less than sign, then the letter above for what you want, then a greater than sign

to close use four characters: do the same as to open only precede the letter with a forward slash.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), February 22, 1999.

Per Rep. Horn's latest report card: "...the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, State, and Transportation, and the Agency for International Development  are responsible for more than 50 percent of all mission-critical computer systems in the Federal Government."

And all these departments are in rather deep kimchee re Y2K.

So, let's see how much did these "Red Flag" non-Defense depts got from this $240M allocation?

(All values approximate due to rounding)

* Agriculture * : $9M

* Health and Human Services * : $93M

* Justice * : $51M

* Transportation * : $44M

TOTAL : $197M

Four departments got $197M (ca. 82%) of this Y2K allocation. Can you say "deathmarch projects"? I knew you could.

One other interesting tidbit:

* Executive Office of the President * : $8M

Just thought they'd slide some funding over to POTUS, I guess. Somehow I doubt that the Office of the Prez has as many systems to remediate as, say, Dept. of Agriculture, but I could be wrong...

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.com), February 22, 1999.

Thanks, Rob

Mac, maybe Clinton needs it for Koskinens P.R. campaign?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 22, 1999.

Hummmn...close italics?

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 22, 1999.

See thread ...

Rep. Horn releases new Report Card

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000Wlw

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), February 22, 1999.