THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NEW EXECUTIVE ORDER
              ON CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION

• Discourages unnecessary classification by instructing classifiers to keep information unclassified when in doubt; also directs classifiers to choose the lower level of classification when in doubt about which level is appropriate. [Sec. 1.2(b); Sec. 1.3(c)]
• Limits the duration of classification of most newly classified information to 10 years, subject to limited exceptions. [Sec. 1.6]
• Mandates automatic declassification of information that is 25 years old, unless it falls within one of the narrow exemption categories, such as revealing the identity of a human source. [Sec. 3.4]
• Establishes an Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel to hear appeals of agency decisions on mandatory declassification review requests or challenges to classification; and to review an agency head's determination to exempt 25-year old information from automatic declassification. [Sec. 5.4]
• Authorizes agency officials to determine whether the public interest in disclosure outweighs the national security interest in maintaining classification when deciding whether to declassify information that otherwise continues to meet the standards for classification. [Sec. 3.2(b)]
• Implements a number of management improvements to better safeguard classified information and reduce the overall costs of protecting such information. [Throughout the Order]
• Stresses a general commitment to openness as a part of the classification management process. [Preamble and throughout the Order]
• Requires classifiers to identify why information is classified. [Sec. 1.7(a)]
• Eliminates presumption that any category of information is automatically classified.
• Specifies sanctions for overclassification. [Sec. 5.7]
• Requires the establishment of a Government-wide declassification database. [Sec. 3.8]
• Establishes an Information Security Policy Advisory Council of non-Government experts to recommend subject areas for systematic declassification review and to advise on classification system policies. [Sec. 5.5]
• Limits the establishment and requires annual revalidation of special access programs and increases both internal and external oversight of these programs. [Sec. 4.4]
• Requires accounting and reporting of costs associated with security classification program. [Sec. 5.6(c)]
• Mandates training and accountability of original classification authorities. [Sec. 1.4(d); 5.6(c)]
• Calls for challenges of improper classification decisions and establishes processing procedures that ensure nonretribution. [Sec. 1.9]
• Requires personal commitment of agency heads and senior management to the effective implementation of the system. [Sec. 5.6(a)]