Executive Order 13281 of December 19, 2002


                Half-Day Closing of Executive Departments and
                Agencies of the Federal Government on Tuesday, December
                24, 2002


                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. All executive branch departments and
                agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and
                their employees excused from duty for the last half of
                the scheduled workday on Tuesday, December 24, 2002,
                the day before Christmas Day, except as provided in
                section 2 below.


                Sec. 2. The heads of executive branch departments and
                agencies may determine that certain offices and
                installations of their organizations, or parts thereof,
                must remain open and that certain employees must report
                for duty for the full scheduled workday on December 24,
                2002, for reasons of national security or defense or
                other public reasons.


                Sec. 3. Tuesday, December 24, 2002, shall be considered
                as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of
                February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and
                other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the
                pay and leave of employees of the United States.


                    (Presidential Sig.)B


                THE WHITE HOUSE,


                    December 19, 2002.