HPSCI DEAR COLLEAGUE LETTER REGARDING H.R. 5164

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R001201600019-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 6, 2008
• Sequence Number: 19
• Publication Date: April 13, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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L) U 1- - v
OLL 84-1502
13 April 1984
MEMORANDUM FOR: See Distribution
Deputy Chief, Legislation Division
Office of Legislative Liaison
SUBJECT: HPSCI "Dear Colleague" Letter
Regarding H.R. 5164
Attached for your information is a copy of a "Dear
Colleague" letter which was sent by Chairman Boland and
Representatives Mazzoli, Robinson and Whitehurst to all Members
of the House following the unanimous approval of H.R. 5164 on
11 April. The purpose of this letter is to urge other Members
of the House to join them as co-sponsors of the Bill.
STAT
STAT
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PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE
ON INTELLIGENCE
,. uTI#( Siul L"IrTC l
y: .{. J C M{?. C-11 COO-SL
S'hT? t I1?... ASSO:un C^rS6
Dear Colleague:
We have jointly sponsored H.R. 5164, the "Central Intelligence Agency
Information Act," to improve CIA responsiveness to public requests for information
under the Freedom of Inforation Act and to provide greater' security for certain
sensitive CIA operational files. The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
ordered the bill reported unanimously on April 11, 1984. The legislation has been
crafted with great care to ensure that providing more effective security for these
files will not diminish the amount of meaningful information currently available to
the public under the.FOIA. The legislation is deserving of full bipartisan
support, and we urge you to join us as cosponsors .of the bill.
A decade of experience has shown that certain specifically identifiable CIA
.operational records systems, containing the most sensitive information directly
concerning intelligence sources and methods, inevitably contain few, if any, items
which can be disclosed to FOIA requesters. The records contained in these
operational records systems almost invariably fall within the FOIA exemptions
protecting classified information and information relating to intelligence sources
and methods. Nevertheless, despite the fact that records retrieved from these
operational records systems will, after line-by-line security review, be found to
be exempt from FOIA disclosure, the CIA must search and review records from these
systems in response to FOIA requests.
The unproductive process of searching and reviewing CIA operational records
systems which contain little, if any, information releasable under the FOIA absorbs
a substantial amount of the time of experienced CIA operational personnel and
scarce tax dollars. This expenditure of time and money contributes very little to
the FO1A goe l of an informed citizenry, since it produces almost no records
.releasable to the public. In fact, it actively hinders achievement of that goal,
because the time-consuming process of reviewing sensitive CIA operational records
which prove unreleasable creates a bottleneck in the Agency's FOIA review process,
causing a two-to-three year delay in CIA responses to many FOIA requests.
The legislation we have sponsored will eliminate this waste of resources by
removing certain specifically defined sensitive CIA operational files from the FOIA
search, review and disclosure process. The legislation will have the additional
benefits of reducing the risk of accidental administrative disclosure of sensitive
CIA operational secrets and of providing additional assurance to CIA intelligence
sources that public access to government files under America's. Freedom of
Information Act poses no risk to the confidentiality of their relationship with the
United States Government. The legislation preserves the current state of the law
on requests by individuals for information concerning themselves, requests for
information concerning CIA covert actions, and requests for information concerning
the specific subject matter, of investigations of intelligence activities for
illegality or impropriety. Of great importance, with the relief afforded the CIA
from undue administrative burdens by the legislation, CIA will be able to respond
more quickly and more efficiently to FOIA requests in the future than it has in the
past.
To cosponsor H.R. 5164, please contact the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence Chief Counsel Michael J. O'Neil or Associate Counsel Steven K. Berry
at 225-4121
J. KENNETH ROBINSON
Ranking Minority Member
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
April 11, 1984
C. YiILL IAA 1-,HITEHJRST
R6nk nD tSincr i t\' t.;?fi e:
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