With just over 50 days left, the President’s Council on the Year 2000 Conversion cited surveys showing more than one-fourth small businesses don’t intend to do anything to get ready for the New Year’s rollover.

The worst among them are adopting a "wait and see" stance toward expected failures, said the report.

John Koskinen, the president’s top Y2K adviser, previously warned that 911 computer failures probably wouldn’t prevent police or fire departments from taking calls. But they could force employees to use manual dispatch systems, meaning it will take longer for rescue workers to respond.

"It is clear that a significant amount of work remains for all centers to be ready," the White House study said.

The council said some health care providers and medical organizations "exhibit troubling levels of readiness," which could cause headaches with billing systems and patient records.

The report chided organizations "that are not paying appropriate attention to the problem or are adopting a ‘wait-and-see’ strategy, opting to make repairs after non-compliant systems break down."

The council also criticized organizations with late deadlines for repairs for failing to develop contingency plans for dealing with problems.

But the report broke little new ground. It said the nation’s best-prepared sectors continue to include the federal government, power and water utilities, airlines, railroads and telephone companies.

The Clinton administration expressed its "high degree of confidence" in those areas.