Sec. 3. Standards for Declassification. (a) Consistent with Executive Order 13526 of December 29, 2009 (Classified National Security Information), the Attorney General or the head of any other agency that originated the information, as the case may be, shall be responsible for conducting the declassification reviews and making declassification determinations for information that originated within their respective agency. Information may remain classified only if it still requires protection in the interest of the national security and disclosure of the information reasonably could be expected to result in damage to the national security. Information shall not remain classified if there is significant doubt about the need to maintain its classified status. Nor shall information remain classified in order to conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error or to prevent embarrassment to a person, organization, or agency.
(b) Even when information requires continued protection in the interest of the national security, the Attorney General or the head of any other agency that originated the information, as the case may be, should determine, as an exercise of discretion, whether the public interest in disclosure of the information outweighs the damage to the national security that might reasonably be expected from disclosure.
(c) Upon the completion of the declassification reviews under section 2 of this order, the Attorney General and the heads of any other agencies that originated relevant information shall ensure that, as to all information subject to such reviews but not declassified pursuant to such reviews:
- (i) such information meets the requirements for classification, in accordance with Executive Order 13526;
- (ii) all non-classified information is disentangled from any classified information and, to the extent practicable, made available to the public under section 5 of this order; and
- (iii) all information is nonetheless declassified, in accordance with section 3.1 of Executive Order 13526, or any successor order, when the Attorney General or the head of any other agency that originated the information, as the case may be, determines that the United States Government’s interest in classification is outweighed by the public’s interest in disclosure.
Sec. 4. Report to the President and the Congressional Intelligence Committees. Upon completion of each review, the Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of any other agencies that originated relevant information, shall submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and to the congressional intelligence committees, reports on the results of the declassification reviews completed under section 2 of this order, including a justification for each decision not to declassify information pursuant to such reviews.
Sec. 5. Public Release. Upon completion of each review, the Attorney General, in consultation with the heads of any other agencies that originated relevant information, shall make publicly available information declassified as a result of the declassification reviews completed under section 2 of this order, except for information the disclosure of which would materially impair confidential executive branch deliberations.
Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
- (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
- (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law, including the Privacy Act, and subject to the availability of appropriations.
