§3.3. Applicability. — Inbound Citations

The following minimum investigative standards, implementing section 3.3 of Executive Order 12968, Access to Classified Information, are established for all United States Government and military personnel, consultants, contractors, subcontractors, employees of contractors, licensees, certificate holders or grantees and their employees and other individuals who require access to classified information before the appropriate investigation can be completed and a final determination made.

Based on a justified need meeting the requirements of section 3.3 of Executive Order 12968, temporary eligibility for access may be granted before investigations are complete and favorably adjudicated, where official functions must be performed prior to completion of the investigation and adjudication process. The temporary eligibility will be valid until completion of the investigation and adjudication; however, the agency granting it may revoke it at any time based on unfavorable information identified in the course of the investigation.

Temporary eligibility for access must satisfy these minimum investigative standards, but agency heads may establish additional requirements based on the sensitivity of the particular, identified categories of classified information necessary to perform the lawful and authorized functions that are the basis for granting temporary eligibility for access. However, no additional requirements shall exceed the common standards for background investigations developed under section 3.2(b) of Executive Order 12968. Temporary eligibility for access is valid only at the agency granting it and at other agencies who expressly agree to accept it and acknowledge understanding of its investigative basis. It is further subject to limitations specified in sections 2.4(d) and 3.3 of Executive Order 12968, Access to Classified Information.

(b) These parties shall respond in writing to the D/IMD with a finding as to the classified status of the information, including the category of protected information as set forth in section 1.4 of the Order, and if older than ten years, the basis for the extension of classification time under sections 1.5 and 3.3 of the Order. These parties shall also indicate whether withholding is otherwise authorized and warranted in accordance with sections 3.5(c) and 6.2(d) of the Order.

(b) These parties shall respond in writing to the Coordinator with a finding as to the classified status of the information, including the category of protected information as set forth in section 1.4 of the Order, and, if older than ten years, the basis for the extension of classification time under sections 1.5 and 3.3 of the Order. These parties shall also indicate whether withholding is otherwise authorized and warranted in accordance with sections 3.5(c) and 6.2(d) of the Order.

(2) If the date or event assigned by the original classification authority has passed, an original classification authority with jurisdiction over the information may reclassify the information in accordance with the Order and this Directive only if it meets the standards for classification under sections 1.1 and 1.5 of the Order as well as section 3.3 of the Order, if appropriate.

(c) Pursuant to the provisions of the National Industrial Security Program, agencies must provide security classification/declassification guidance to such entities or individuals who possess classified information. Agencies must also determine if classified Federal records are held by such entities or individuals, and if so, whether they are permanent records of historical value and thus subject to section 3.3 of the Order. Until such a determination has been made by an appropriate agency official, such records shall not be subject to automatic declassification, or destroyed, and shall be safeguarded in accordance with the most recent security classification/declassification guidance provided by the agency.

(5) To the extent a guide is used in conjunction with the automatic declassification provisions in section 3.3 of the Order, state precisely the elements of information to be exempted from declassification to include:

(i) The appropriate exemption category listed in section 3.3(b), and, if appropriate, section 3.3(h) of the Order; and

(ii) A date or event for declassification that is in accordance with section 3.3(b) or section 3.3(h).

(5) The NDC shall provide formal notification of the availability of a referral to the receiving agency and records will be subject to automatic declassification in accordance with the schedule promulgated by the NDC in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, unless the information has been properly exempted by an equity holding agency under section 3.3 of the Order.

All classified records that are more than 25 years old and have been determined to have permanent historical value under title 44, United States Code, are automatically declassified whether or not the records have been reviewed. However, agency heads may exempt information that would otherwise fall into this category on specific bases set out in section 3.3 of the Order. The ISCAP reviews and approves, denies, or amends agency proposals to exempt such information from automatic declassification.

(b) Approves, denies, or amends agency exemptions from automatic declassification under section 3.3 of the Order;

(1) In accordance with section 3.3(d)(3) of the Order, the identification of records eligible for referral is the responsibility of the primary reviewing agency and shall be completed prior to the date of automatic declassification established by section 3.3(a) of the Order.

(1) When the Panel has approved an agency proposal to exempt permanently valuable information from automatic declassification at 25 years, the “Declassify On” line shall be revised to include the symbol “25X” plus the number(s) that corresponds to the category(ies) in section 3.3(b) of the Order. Except for when the exemption pertains to information that should clearly and demonstrably be expected to reveal the identity of a confidential human source, or a human intelligence source, or key design concepts of weapons of mass destruction, the revised “Declassify On” line shall also include the new date for declassification as approved by the Panel, not to exceed 50 years from the date of origin of the record. Records that contain information, the release of which should clearly and demonstrably be expected to reveal the identity of a confidential human source or a human intelligence source, or key design concepts of weapons of mass destruction, are exempt from automatic declassification at 50 years.

(i) The declassifying agency is the agency that initially received or classified the information. When foreign government information appears to be subject to automatic declassification, the declassifying agency shall determine whether the information is subject to a treaty or international agreement that does not permit automatic or unilateral declassification. The declassifying agency shall also determine if another exemption under section 3.3(b) of the Order, such as the exemption that pertains to United States foreign relations, may apply to the information. If the declassifying agency believes such an exemption may apply, it should consult with any other concerned agencies in making its declassification determination. The declassifying agency or the Department of State, as appropriate, may consult with the foreign government prior to declassification.

(a) Beginning one year after the effective date of this directive, declassification guides must be submitted to the Director of ISOO, serving as the Executive Secretary of the Panel, at least one year prior to the onset of automatic declassification for approval by the Panel. Currently approved guides remain in effect until a new guide is approved, to the extent they are otherwise applied consistent with section 3.3(b) of the Order. The information to be exempted must be narrowly defined, with sufficient specificity to allow the user to identify the information with precision. Exemptions must be based upon specific content and not type of document. Exemptions for general categories of information are not acceptable. Agencies must prepare guides that clearly delineate between the exemptions proposed under sections 3.3(b), 3.3(h)(1) and (2), and 3.3(h)(3).

(h) Agencies shall redact documents that are the subject of an access demand unless the overall meaning or informational value of the document is clearly distorted by redaction. The specific reason for the redaction, as provided for in section 1.4 or 3.3(b) of the Order, as applicable, must be included for each redaction. Information that is redacted due to a statutory authority must be clearly marked with the specific authority that authorizes the redaction. Any such redactions shall be performed in accordance with policies and procedures established in accordance with § 2001.45(d).

(b) The referral process for records subject to automatic declassification entails identification of records containing classified information that originated with other agencies or the disclosure of which would affect the interests or activities of other agencies. Those records that could reasonably be expected to fall under one or more of the exemptions in section 3.3(b) of the Order are eligible for referral. The referral process also entails formal notification to those agencies, making the records available for review by those agencies, and recording final agency determinations.

(1) In accordance with section 3.3(d)(3) of the Order, the identification of records eligible for referral is the responsibility of the primary reviewing agency and shall be completed prior to the date of automatic declassification established by section 3.3(a) of the Order.

(2) Except as otherwise determined by the Director of the NDC, primary reviewing agencies shall utilize the Standard Form 715, Government Declassification Review Tab, to tab and identify any Federal record requiring referral and record the referral in a manner that provides the referral information in an NDC database system.

(3) Notification of referral of records accessioned into NARA or in the custody of the presidential libraries, and making the records available for review, is the responsibility of NARA and shall be accomplished through the NDC.

(4) Within 180 days of the effective date of this provision, the NDC shall develop and provide the affected agencies with a comprehensive and prioritized schedule for the resolution of referrals contained in accessioned Federal records and Presidential records. The schedule shall be developed in consultation with the affected agencies, consider the public interest in the records, and be in accordance with the authorized delays to automatic declassification set forth in section 3.3(d) of the Order. The initial schedule shall cover the balance of the first effective fiscal year and four subsequent fiscal years. Thereafter, the schedule shall cover five fiscal years. The NDC shall consult with the affected agencies and update and provide such schedules annually.

(5) The NDC shall provide formal notification of the availability of a referral to the receiving agency and records will be subject to automatic declassification in accordance with the schedule promulgated by the NDC in paragraph (b)(4) of this section, unless the information has been properly exempted by an equity holding agency under section 3.3 of the Order.

(6) Records in the physical but not legal custody of NARA shall be subject to automatic declassification after accessioning and in accordance with paragraphs (b)(3) and (b)(5) of this section.

(7) Agencies that establish a centralized facility as described in section 3.7(e) may make direct referrals provided such activities fall within the priorities and schedule established by the NDC and the activity is otherwise coordinated with the NDC. In such cases, the centralized facility is responsible for providing formal notification of a referral to receiving agencies and for making the records available for review or direct formal referral to agencies by providing a copy of the records unless another mechanism is identified in coordination with the NDC. As established in section 3.3(d)(3)(B), referrals to agencies from a centralized agency records facility as described in section 3.7(e) of the Order will be automatically declassified up to three years after the formal notification has been made, if the receiving agency fails to provide a final determination.

(8) Records marked as containing Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data or identified as potentially containing unmarked Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data shall be referred to the Department of Energy through the NDC. If the Department of Energy confirms that the document contains Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data, it shall then be excluded from the automatic declassification provisions of the Order until the Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data designation is properly removed.

(i) When the Department of Energy provides notification that a Restricted Data or Formerly Restricted Data designation is not appropriate or when it is properly removed, the record shall be processed for automatic declassification through the NDC.

(ii) In all cases, should the record be the subject of an access demand made pursuant to the Order or provision of law, the information classified pursuant to Executive order (rather than the Atomic Energy Act, as amended) must stand on its own merits.

(9) The NDC, as well as any centralized agency facility established under section 3.7(e) of the Order, shall track and document referral actions and decisions in a manner that facilitates archival processing for public access. Central agency facilities must work with the NDC to ensure documentation meets NDC requirements, and transfer all documentation on pending referral actions and referral decisions to the NDC when transferring the records to NARA.

(10) In all cases, receiving agencies shall acknowledge receipt of formal referral notifications in a timely manner. If a disagreement arises concerning referral notifications, the Director of ISOO will determine the automatic declassification date and notify the senior agency official, as well as the NDC or the primary reviewing agency.

(11) Presidential records or materials scanned in the RAC process shall be prioritized and scheduled for review by the NDC. The initial notification shall be made to the agency with primary equity, which shall have up to one year to act on its information and to identify all other equities eligible for referral. All such additional referrals in an individual record shall be made at the same time, and once notified by the NDC of an eligible referral, such receiving agencies shall have up to one year to review the records before the onset of automatic declassification.

(5) Agencies need not apply a “25X” marking to individual documents contained in a file series exempted from automatic declassification under section 3.3(c) of the Order until the individual document is removed from the file and may only apply such a marking as approved by the Panel under section 3.3(j) of the Order.

(l) No later than December 31 of the year that is 25 years from the date of origin, classified records determined to be permanently valuable shall be automatically declassified unless automatic declassification has been delayed for any reason as provided in § 2001.30(n) and sections 3.3(b) and (c) of the Order. If the date of origin of an individual record cannot be readily determined, the date of original classification shall be used instead.

(4) Identify any related files series that have been exempted from automatic declassification pursuant to section 3.3(c) of the Order; and

(v) Records containing information exempted from automatic declassification in accordance with section 3.3(c) of the Order or with § 2001.30(n)(1) are still subject to the mandatory declassification review provisions of section 3.5 of the Order.

(f) When an agency uncovers classified records originated by another agency that appear to meet the criteria for referral according to section 3.3(d) of the Order, the finding agency shall identify those records for referral to the originating agency as described in § 2001.34.

(4) Within 180 days of the effective date of this provision, the NDC shall develop and provide the affected agencies with a comprehensive and prioritized schedule for the resolution of referrals contained in accessioned Federal records and Presidential records. The schedule shall be developed in consultation with the affected agencies, consider the public interest in the records, and be in accordance with the authorized delays to automatic declassification set forth in section 3.3(d) of the Order. The initial schedule shall cover the balance of the first effective fiscal year and four subsequent fiscal years. Thereafter, the schedule shall cover five fiscal years. The NDC shall consult with the affected agencies and update and provide such schedules annually.

(a) Referrals are required under sections 3.3(d)(3) and 3.6(b) of the Order in order to ensure the timely, efficient, and effective processing of reviews and requests and in order to protect classified information from inadvertent disclosure.

(7) Agencies that establish a centralized facility as described in section 3.7(e) may make direct referrals provided such activities fall within the priorities and schedule established by the NDC and the activity is otherwise coordinated with the NDC. In such cases, the centralized facility is responsible for providing formal notification of a referral to receiving agencies and for making the records available for review or direct formal referral to agencies by providing a copy of the records unless another mechanism is identified in coordination with the NDC. As established in section 3.3(d)(3)(B), referrals to agencies from a centralized agency records facility as described in section 3.7(e) of the Order will be automatically declassified up to three years after the formal notification has been made, if the receiving agency fails to provide a final determination.

(3) In extraordinary cases in which the Panel has approved an exemption from declassification at 50 years under section 3.3(h) of the Order, the same procedures as those under § 2001.26(a) will be followed with the exception that the number “50” will be used in place of the “25.”

(k) Approved declassification guides are the sole basis for the exemption from automatic declassification of specific information as provided in section 3.3(b) of the Order and the sole basis for the continued classification of information under section 3.3(h) of the Order. These guides must be prepared in accordance with section 3.3(j) of the Order and include additional pertinent detail relating to the exemptions described in sections 3.3(b) and 3.3(h) of the Order, and follow the format required of declassification guides as described in § 2001.32. During a review under section 3.3 of the Order, it is expected that agencies will use these guides to identify specific information for exemption from automatic declassification. It is further expected that the guides or detailed declassification guidance will be made available to the NDC under section 3.7(b) of the Order and to appropriately cleared individuals of other agencies to support equity recognition.

(i) The appropriate exemption category listed in section 3.3(b), and, if appropriate, section 3.3(h) of the Order; and

(a) Beginning one year after the effective date of this directive, declassification guides must be submitted to the Director of ISOO, serving as the Executive Secretary of the Panel, at least one year prior to the onset of automatic declassification for approval by the Panel. Currently approved guides remain in effect until a new guide is approved, to the extent they are otherwise applied consistent with section 3.3(b) of the Order. The information to be exempted must be narrowly defined, with sufficient specificity to allow the user to identify the information with precision. Exemptions must be based upon specific content and not type of document. Exemptions for general categories of information are not acceptable. Agencies must prepare guides that clearly delineate between the exemptions proposed under sections 3.3(b), 3.3(h)(1) and (2), and 3.3(h)(3).

(i) 50X1-HUM or 50X2-WMD, or an ISOO-approved designator reflecting the Panel approval for classification beyond 50 years in accordance with section 3.3(h)(2) of the Order;

(a) Beginning one year after the effective date of this directive, declassification guides must be submitted to the Director of ISOO, serving as the Executive Secretary of the Panel, at least one year prior to the onset of automatic declassification for approval by the Panel. Currently approved guides remain in effect until a new guide is approved, to the extent they are otherwise applied consistent with section 3.3(b) of the Order. The information to be exempted must be narrowly defined, with sufficient specificity to allow the user to identify the information with precision. Exemptions must be based upon specific content and not type of document. Exemptions for general categories of information are not acceptable. Agencies must prepare guides that clearly delineate between the exemptions proposed under sections 3.3(b), 3.3(h)(1) and (2), and 3.3(h)(3).

(a) Beginning one year after the effective date of this directive, declassification guides must be submitted to the Director of ISOO, serving as the Executive Secretary of the Panel, at least one year prior to the onset of automatic declassification for approval by the Panel. Currently approved guides remain in effect until a new guide is approved, to the extent they are otherwise applied consistent with section 3.3(b) of the Order. The information to be exempted must be narrowly defined, with sufficient specificity to allow the user to identify the information with precision. Exemptions must be based upon specific content and not type of document. Exemptions for general categories of information are not acceptable. Agencies must prepare guides that clearly delineate between the exemptions proposed under sections 3.3(b), 3.3(h)(1) and (2), and 3.3(h)(3).

(i) The exemption has been approved by the Panel under section 3.3(j) of the Order;

(5) Agencies need not apply a “25X” marking to individual documents contained in a file series exempted from automatic declassification under section 3.3(c) of the Order until the individual document is removed from the file and may only apply such a marking as approved by the Panel under section 3.3(j) of the Order.

(k) Approved declassification guides are the sole basis for the exemption from automatic declassification of specific information as provided in section 3.3(b) of the Order and the sole basis for the continued classification of information under section 3.3(h) of the Order. These guides must be prepared in accordance with section 3.3(j) of the Order and include additional pertinent detail relating to the exemptions described in sections 3.3(b) and 3.3(h) of the Order, and follow the format required of declassification guides as described in § 2001.32. During a review under section 3.3 of the Order, it is expected that agencies will use these guides to identify specific information for exemption from automatic declassification. It is further expected that the guides or detailed declassification guidance will be made available to the NDC under section 3.7(b) of the Order and to appropriately cleared individuals of other agencies to support equity recognition.