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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution
and the laws of the United States of America, including the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-194) ("Act"),
and in order to establish an advisory committee on high-
performance computing and communications, Information Technology,
and the Next Generation Internet, it is hereby ordered as
follows:

Section 1.  Establishment.  There is established the "Advisory
Committee on High-Performance Computing and Communications,
Information Technology, and the Next Generation Internet"
("Committee").  The Committee shall consist of not more than 25
nonfederal members appointed by the President, including
representatives of the research, education, and library
communities, network providers, and representatives from critical
industries.  The President shall designate co-chairs from among
the members of the Committee.

Sec. 2.  Functions.  The Committee shall provide the National
Science and Technology Council (NSTC), through the Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy ("Director"), with
advice and information on high-performance computing and
communications, information technology, and the Next Generation
Internet.  The Committee shall provide an independent assessment
of:

     (1) progress made in implementing the High-Performance
Computing and Communications (HPCC) Program;

     (2) progress in designing and implementing the Next
Generation Internet initiative;

     (3) the need to revise the HPCC Program;

     (4) balance among components of the HPCC Program;

     (5) whether the research and development undertaken pursuant
to the HPCC Program is helping to maintain United States
leadership in advanced computing and communications technologies
and their applications; and 

     (6) other issues as specified by the Director.

Sec. 3. Administration.  To the extent permitted by law and
subject to the availability of appropriations, the Department of
Defense shall provide the financial and administrative support
for the Committee.  Further, the Director of the National
Coordination Office for Computing Information, and Communications
("Director of the NCO") shall provide such coordination and
technical assistance to the Committee as the co-chairs of the
Committee may request.

     (a) The heads of executive agencies shall, to the extent
permitted by law, provide to the Committee such information as it
may require for the purpose of carrying out its functions.

     (b) The co-chairs may, from time to time, invite experts to
submit information to the Committee and may form subcommittees or
working groups within the Committee to review specific issues.

     (c) Members of the Committee shall serve without
compensation but shall be allowed travel expenses, including per
diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law or persons
serving intermittently in the Government service (5 U.S.C. 5701-
5707).
     
Sec. 4. General (a) Notwithstanding any other Executive order,
the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory
Committee Act, as amended, except that of reporting to the
Congress, that are applicable to the Committee except that of
reporting to the Congress, that are applicable to the Committee
shall be performed by the Director of the NCO in accordance with
guidelines that have been issued by the Administrator of General
Services.

     (b) The Committee shall terminate 2 years from the date of
this order unless extended by the President prior to such date.

                         /s/William J. Clinton


THE WHITE HOUSE,
February 11, 1997.