MEETING WITH SENATE GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS COMMITTEE STAFF MEMBERS REGARDING S. 774 AND 815; S. 5; AND S. 653, 21 MAY 1975

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP77M00144R000800150038-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 31, 2003
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: May 21, 1975
• Content Type: MF

't E -i 1, l :Ai_. USE O .!L_
Approved For Release 200461/15 : CIA-RDP77M00144R000800150038-0
OLC 75- 1132
21 May 1975
SUBJECT: Meeting with Senate Government Operations Committee
Staff Members regarding S. 774 and 815; S. 5; and
S. 653, 21 May 1975
s,-i'i ft is
1. Met with Paul Hoff and Marilyn Harris, staff members on
the Senate Committee on Government Operations, regarding three
pieces of legislation of interest to the Agency.
2. 1 informally covered the Agency's preliminary position on
the lobbying bills (S. 774 and 815), on which the full Committee held
hearings about a week ago. I stated that the definition of "policy-making
process" did not make it clear whether communications from outsiders
to the Agency would be covered by the bills. Under a broad interpretation
of these bills, I believe they might cover competitive bidding on sensitive
Agency projects, and that classified information would thereby be dis-
closed. I pointed out that the Agency had statutory authorities exempting
it from the disclosure of names, titles, functions, etc. , of employees.
Hoff said that in drafting the bill the Committee had not considered the
need for secrecy on some communications from outsiders, but that he
thought an exemption along national security lines would develop. He
also stated the Committee was in a very early stage of consideration
and did not expect any final Committee action until next fall at the
earliest. Formal comments on these two bills are now in coordination
within the Agency.
3. I also brought up S. 5, Government in the Sunshine Act. Hoff
showed me the latest subcommittee version of the bill, and it eliminates
our concern with earlier drafts that the bill might be construed to cover
CIA. Title 2 of the earlier drafts stated that the bill applied to those
agencies "where the body comprising the agency consists of two or more
members. " The new bill language is "where the body comprising the
agency consists of two or more individual members, at least a majority
of whom are appointed to such position by the President with the advice
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and consent of the Senate. " Hoff also said the Committee report would
name the agencies to be covered and that certainly CIA would not be one
of them.
4. S. 653, Senator Proxmire's proposal to authorize GAO audits
of the intelligence agencies, is also before that Committee, and I
requested a status report on that bill. Hoff said the Committee has a
number of CIA-related bills before it, most of which concern the estab-
lishment of a new congressional oversight mechanism. He said the
Committee is inclined to let the Select Committee run its course, but
.that some Senators are getting restless and if the Senate Select Committee
extended beyond 1975, he felt the Committee would begin moving on its own.
Assistant Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
Orig - SGOC file
- S. 774/815 file
1 - S. 5 file
1 - S. 653 file
1 - OLC Chrono
STATINTL
OLC:DFM:cg (27 May 75)
Approved For Release 2ll'd i CUa PO77 M 00144R000800150038-0