Government operations and workforce

Executive Order 13068: Closing of Government Departments and Agencies on Friday, December 26, 1997

President: Bill Clinton

Closed executive departments and agencies on December 26, 1997, subject to agency-head exceptions for public reasons.

Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13068 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13068 is completed or expired. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13068 do?

EO 13068 closed executive departments and agencies and excused their employees on Friday, December 26, 1997. Agency heads could keep offices or employees working for national security, defense or other public reasons. The order specified how the day counted under existing federal pay and leave provisions. It applied to that single date and did not create a recurring holiday.

Administration position: The order was a one-day administrative closure, not a permanent federal holiday or entitlement to future leave.
SignedNovember 25, 1997
Closure dateDecember 26, 1997
ScopeMost executive departments and agencies

Before and after

Before the order

December 26, 1997 was an ordinary scheduled federal workday following Christmas.

After the order

Most covered employees were excused, subject to agency decisions for essential functions.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Agency headsClose offices or designate necessary exceptionsCompleted
EmployeesReport where directed for national security, defense or other public reasonsCompleted
AgenciesApply the cited pay and leave provisions to the dateCompleted

What happened next

EO 13068 was signed.

The one-day closure occurred.

The operative direction was spent.