[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 22 (Monday, June 7, 1999)]
[Pages 1046-1047]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Executive Order 13124--Amending the Civil Service Rules Relating to 
Federal Employees With Psychiatric Disabilities

June 4, 1999

    By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301 and 
3302 of title 5, United States Code, and in order to give individuals 
with psychiatric disabilities the same hiring opportunities as persons 
with severe physical disabilities or mental retardation under the Civil 
Service Rules, and to permit individuals with psychiatric disabilities 
to obtain Civil Service competitive status, it is hereby ordered as 
follows:
    Section 1. Policy.
    (a) It is the policy of the United States to assure equality of 
opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-
sufficiency for persons with disabilities. The Federal Government as an 
employer should serve as a model for the employment of persons with 
disabilities and utilize the full potential of these talented citizens.

[[Page 1047]]

    (b) The Civil Service Rules governing appointment of persons with 
psychiatric disabilities were adopted years ago when attitudes about 
mental illness were different than they are today, which led to stricter 
standards for hiring persons with psychiatric disabilities than for 
persons with mental retardation or severe physical disabilities. The 
Civil Service Rules provide that persons with mental retardation, severe 
physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities may be hired under 
excepted appointing authorities. While persons with mental retardation 
or severe physical disabilities may be appointed for more than 2 years 
and may convert to competitive status after completion of 2 years of 
satisfactory service in their excepted position, people with psychiatric 
disabilities may not.
    (c) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the President's 
Task Force on Employment of Adults with Disabilities believe that the 
Federal Government could better benefit from the contributions of 
persons with psychiatric disabilities if they were given the same 
opportunities available to people with mental retardation or severe 
physical disabilities.
    Sec. 2. Implementation.
    (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall, 
consistent with OPM authority, provide that persons with psychiatric 
disabilities are subject to the same hiring rules as persons with mental 
retardation or severe physical disabilities.
    (b) Civil Service Rule III (5 CFR Part 3) is amended by adding the 
following new paragraph to subsection (b) of section 3.1:
      ``(3) An employee with psychiatric disabilities who completes at 
least 2 years of satisfactory service in a position excepted from the 
competitive service.''
    Sec. 3. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall 
prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to implement this order.
                                            William J. Clinton
The White House,
June 4, 1999.

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., June 8, 1999]

Note: This Executive order will be published in the Federal Register on 
June 9.