But his top expert cautioned that many schools and 911 emergency centers are falling behind on repairs, and "it is inevitable there are going to be some glitches in some systems."
Clinton, whose advisory council issued its final report on the nation's readiness, expressed confidence that the federal government will be ready for the New Year's date rollover.
"If we work together and use this time well, we can ensure that this Y2K computer problem will be remembered as the last headache of the 20th century, not the first crisis of the 21st," Clinton said on the White House lawn minutes before flying to Pennsyl vania.
The president and his top expert, John Koskinen, said some of the nation's local governments, schools, hospitals and small businesses are lagging on repairs.
Only half America's 911 call centers - usually run by local governments - confirmed last month they were ready. The White House previously warned that 911 failures probably wouldn't prevent police or fire departments from taking calls. But it could force employees to use manual dispatch systems, meaning it will take longer for rescue workers to respond.
"There aren't a lot of days left," said Koskinen, chair of the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion. He said families should know in advance telephone numbers to directly dial police, hospitals and firefighters.
The study also said more than one-third of the country's elementary and secondary schools told the Education Department they aren't yet prepared. Failures could affect heating, lighting, fire alarms, elevators, student records and teacher payrolls. "Time is getting short," Koskinen said.
The final report said some health-care providers and medical organizations "exhibit troubling levels of readiness," and it chided small businesses for taking a wait-and-see approach to possible failures.
"They're basically asking for trouble," Koskinen said. "They're going to be in a logjam with all the other thousands of organizations that didn't do their work in the first weeks of January."
Koskinen acknowledged that a new liability law gives computer companies 90 days to respond to reports of problems - meaning failures could go unresolved until spring - and he warned of long waits for software fixes and technical advice in the early months of 2000.
Otherwise, the final White House report broke little new ground. It noted that the best-prepared sectors continue to be the federal government, power and water utilities, airlines and rail companies and telephone services. Koskinen expressed a "high degre e of confidence" in those areas.
Experts recommend that, while national failures are unlikely, Americans should assess the risk for any local problems and take precautions now - such as buying drinking water if the community treatment plant can't guarantee it will be ready.
But experts have repeatedly warned against stockpiling supplies, saying a run on food, gasoline, prescriptions and even cash might cause more problems than the threat of Y2K failures.
The president's study said failures overseas remain possible. It cited Russia, Ukraine, China and Indonesia as "more likely to experience significant failures."
But the largest U.S. trading partners, Canada and Mexico, will be ready, and so will most developed countries with which the United States conducts the bulk of its trade, the report said.
The new study also debunked worries about a misfired nuclear missile.
"Y2K problems will not cause nuclear weapons to launch themselves," it promised. "Nuclear weapons launch requires human intervention."
The so-called Y2K problem exists because many older computers and software programs recognize only the last two digits of the year and could mistakenly interpret "00" as 1900.
Reacting to an ordinance taking effect today, Bank of America and Wells Fargo officials said beginning midnight their 33 Santa Monica automated teller machines will be reprogrammed to reject cards from people who do not have accounts at the bank. B of A s aid it plans a similar move next month in San Francisco, where voters approved a ballot measure Nov. 2 to ban ATMs surcharges. Wells Fargo declined to comment on its plans for San Francisco, where the bank has its headquarters.
The banks' new policies - the first of their kind in the nation - escalate a battle brewing over ATM fees charged to non customers and mark a step away from an industry wide trend toward making ATMs universally available.
The local ordinances were promoted by consumer groups that say ATM surcharges are excessive. The groups have been unsuccessful at getting regulations changed at the national level and banks insist they should be free to price their services like any other company.
Santa Monica and San Francisco made national headlines when they became the first cities in the nation to ban the surcharges, often $1.50, that banks typically levy on non customers who use their ATMs.
The ordinances do not apply to independently owned ATMs, such as those often found in liquor stores and airports, and do not affect the fees that banks levy on their own customers for using another bank's ATM.
Bank of America, Wells Fargo and the California Bankers Association filed suit last week in federal court to overturn the two city laws, claiming municipalities do not have authority over national banks. Federal banking regulators at the Comptroller of th e Currency are supporting their effort.
At a hearing scheduled for Monday, the banks will try to win a preliminary injunction to block the ordinances; if successful, they vowed to resume serving non customers at their ATMs.
Officials at other banks, including Washington Mutual, Union Bank and California Federal Bank, said they planned to comply with the city ordinances unless a court intervenes.
City officials in Santa Monica and San Francisco reacted angrily yesterday. This action "is just the latest bullying tactic by banks and shows their utter disregard for consumers," said Adam Radinsky, deputy city attorney in Santa Monica.
The Senate voted 96-2 in support of the Illinois Democrat's nomination. Supporters said the lopsided bipartisan vote should dispel any remaining questions over her ethical conduct.
"The Senate's overwhelming bipartisan vote is a strong endorsement of her outstanding experience and credentials for this position," President Clinton said in a statement.
11-11-99
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