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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. Extension.  The Presidential Advisory Committee on
Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (the "Committee"), established
pursuant to Executive Order 12961 of May 26, 1995, is hereby
extended for the purposes set forth herein.  All provisions of
that order relating to membership and administration shall remain
in effect.  All Committee appointments, as well as the
President's designation of a Chairperson, shall remain in effect. 
The limitations set forth in section 2(c)-(e) and section 4(a) of
Executive Order 12961 shall also remain in effect.  The Committee
shall remain subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as
amended, 5 U.S.C. App. 2.

Sec. 2.  Functions.  (a) The Committee shall report to the
President through the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs, and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
     (b) The Committee shall have two principal roles:
     (1) Oversight of the ongoing investigation being conducted
by the Department of Defense with the assistance, as appropriate,
of other executive departments and agencies into possible
chemical or biological warfare agent exposures during the Gulf
War; and

        (2) Evaluation of the Federal Government's plan for and
progress towards the implementation of the Committee's
recommendations contained in its Final Report submitted on
December 31, 1996.

     (c) The Committee shall provide advice and recommendations
related to its oversight and evaluation responsibilities.

     (d) The Committee may also provide additional advice and
recommendations prompted by any new developments related to its
original functions as set forth in section 2(b) of Executive
Order 12961.

     (e) The Committee shall submit by letter a status report by
April 30, 1997, and a final supplemental report by October 31,
1997, unless otherwise directed by the President.

Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a) The Committee shall terminate
30 days after submitting its final supplemental report.
     (b) This order is intended only to improve the internal
management of the executive branch and it is not intended to
create any right, benefit or trust responsibility, substantive or
procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the
United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.

                         /s/William J. Clinton


THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 30, 1997