Computer Bug turns Out to be Teddy Bear for State Governments

Washington, DC – January 3, 1999: The long anticipated change from the year 1999 to the year 2000 came and went with virtually no sign of problems for state governments. States have been working feverishly over the last several years to correct computer problems in older systems that typically use two-digits to represent the year, making the Year 2000 indistinguishable from 1900.

According to a survey conducted by the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers (NASACT), state computer systems remained glitch free after the initial September 9th test when some anticipated problems because of the four successive 9s in the September 9th date. Continuous preparation assured that the states would experience no problems on January 1, 2000 and other than a few administrative glitches, all went well when the states ushered in the Year 2000.

In fact, of the thirty-two responding states only two states reported experiencing minor administrative glitches which were noted as non-critical and resolved within an hour. Payment and data systems were fully operational and most respondents continued business as usual. Massachusetts Comptroller, Martin J. Benison posted this congratulatory notice to his staff on January 1st, 2000. " More that two years of hard work by the staff of this office and the Information technology Division has paid off. The Commonwealth’s enterprise-wide financial systems have successfully rolled in to the new millennium. My personal thanks go out to these dedicated individuals."

While critics of Y2K preparations argue that the states focused too much time and effort on Y2K, states such as Oregon maintain that all efforts were well founded. John J. Radford, President of the National Association of State Comptrollers (NASC), and Administrator, State Controller’s Division, Oregon stated that "the amount of time and effort appears reasonable in light of our objective to assure that the citizens of Oregon receive uninterrupted government services. Our investment will pay off in collateral benefits such as improved system code, better trained employees, and more efficient operations."

Richard D. Johnson, President of NASACT and Auditor of State, Iowa proclaimed "Now that we have passed the ultimate test of Y2K readiness, it is important to assure that our systems remain compliant. The next several weeks will be critical in determining whether certain computer applications continue to process information smoothly. States should be congratulated on their successful efforts thus far, but remain watchful over the next several weeks."

Contact:
Cornelia Schneider
202-624-5451

Additional Contacts:
Richard D. Johnson
President NASACT
Auditor of State, Iowa
515-281-5835

John J. Radford
President NASC
Administrator State Controller’s
Division, Oregon
503-378-3156