THE WHITE HOUSE

                    Office of the Press Secretary
               (Hong Kong, People's Republic of China)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                       July 2, 1998

EXECUTIVE ORDER

               PRESIDENT'S COMMISSION ON THE CELEBRATION
                     OF WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), and in order to celebrate the role of women in American history, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. Establishment. There is established the President's Commission on the Celebration of Women in American History ("Commission"). The Commission shall be composed of not more than 11 members appointed by the President from the public and private sectors. The public sector members shall include such persons as the President deems appropriate, including (a) the Assistant to the President and Director of Communications and (b) a person recommended by and who shall be the representative of the Administrator of General Services. The President may designate two members as Co-Chairs of the Commission. The private sector members shall represent entities interested in the Commission's work on American history, particularly the history of women in America. These entities may include, but need not be limited to, academic institutions, business entities, labor organizations, public interest organizations, arts and humanities institutions, State and local governments, athletic groups, and organizations devoted to civil rights and opportunities for minorities and women. The private sector members shall not be considered special Government employees.

Sec. 2. Functions. (a) The Commission shall make recommendations to the President, through the Co-Chairs of the Commission, on ways to best acknowledge and celebrate the roles and accomplishments of women in American history. Recommendations may include, among other things, the feasibility of a focal point for women's history located in Washington, D.C., and the use of the latest technology to connect existing and planned women's history sites, museums, and libraries.

(b) The Commission shall meet to carry out its work concerning the celebration of women in American history.

(c) The Commission shall report its recommendations, through the Co-Chairs of the Commission, in a final report to the President by March 1, 1999.

Sec. 3. Administration. (a) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall, to the extent permitted by law and where practicable, provide the Co-Chairs of the Commission with such information with respect to women's history in America as the Co-Chairs may request.

(b) Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation for their work on the Commission. While engaged in the work of the Commission, members appointed from the private sector may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-5707).

(c) To the extent permitted by law and subject to the availability of appropriations, the General Services Administration shall provide the Commission with funding, administrative services, facilities, staff, and other support services necessary for the performance of the functions of the Commission. With respect to the Commission, the Administrator of General Services shall perform the administrative functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, except that of reporting to the Congress.

(d) The Commission shall terminate 60 days after the submission of its final report.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

                                 THE WHITE HOUSE,
                                 June 29, 1998.

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