---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 6231"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "6231"
heading: "Review of certain documents before declassification and release"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/6231"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part VI — Elements of Department of Defense and Other Matters"
  - "Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense"
  - "Chapter 605 — Safeguards and Security Matters"
  - "Subchapter II — Classified Information"
---

# §6231. Review of certain documents before declassification and release

- (a) **In General.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) of Energy shall ensure that, before a document of the [Department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) of Energy that contains [national security](/usc/10/801.md?p=16) information is released or declassified, such document is reviewed to determine whether it contains Restricted Data.
- (b) **Limitation on Declassification.—** The [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) may not implement the automatic declassification provisions of Executive Order No. 13526 ([50 U.S.C. 3161](/usc/50/3161.md) note) if the [Secretary](/usc/10/4951.md?p=3) determines that such implementation could result in the automatic declassification and [release](/usc/10/2700.md?p=2) of documents containing Restricted Data.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1409.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2671 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).