A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83M00171R002300040010-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 20, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: June 1, 1977
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2004/06/29 : CIA-RDP83M00171 R0023000400
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20506
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
June 1, 1977
Presidential Review Memo randum/NSC-29
TO: The Vice President
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of Defense
ALSO: The Attorney General
The Director, Office of Management and Budget
The Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Director of Central Intelligence
The Administrator, Energy Research and
Development Administration
The U. S. Representative to the United Nations
The Archivist of the United States
The Counsel to the President
SUBJECT: A Comprehensive Review of the Classification
System
In order to provide for greater opennessin government while
at the same time effectively protecting sensitive national security
information, I direct that a new Executive Order be prepared to
replace Executive Order 11652. This new order should establish
the government's policies with respect to the classification,
protection and declassification of national security information
and material.
The new Executive Order should be prepared by an ad hoc
committee co-chaired by a member of the National Security
This Committee
Council Staff and the Domestic Council Staff.
should consider: ?
--How to provide for the maximum release of information to the
American public on government, activities and policies consistent
with the need to protect sensitive national security information;
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2004/06/29 : CIA-RDP.83M00171 R002300040010-8.
 - Approved For Release 2004/06/29 : CIA-RDP83M00171 R002300040010-8
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
--How to promote increased public access to this information through
a more rapid and systematic declassification program;
--Overlaps between-the new Executive Order and the Freedom of
Information Act as amended and the Privacy Act;
--Which information requires protection and for how long and what
criteria should be used in making this judgment;
--Which categories of classified material more than 20 years old
could be declassified in bulk under appropriate guidelines;
--How the classification system can be simplified to make it more
understandable and easier to implement;
--How unnecessary and duplicative practices and procedures can
be eliminated, reducing expenses;
--Whether the Departments and Agencies should prepare classification
and declassification guidelines for their employees;
--What kinds of disciplinary actions can be taken to prevent the misuse
of the security classification system by government officials.
The ad hoc Committee should carefully consider how best to implement
the provisions of the new Executive Order. In this respect they should
examine the role and the effectiveness of the Interagency Classification
Review Committee.
The new Executive Order should be ready for my signature by September 15,
1977.
This Presidential Review Memorandum supersedes National Security
Study Memorandum 229.
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Approved For Release 2004/06/29 : CIA-RDP83MOOl71 R002300040010-8
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