Classification Subcommittee
Co-Chairs
Kristin Ellis, Federal Bureau of Investigation and James R. Stocker, Trinity Washington University
Mission Statement
The Classification Subcommittee plans to investigate the role of classification in the FOIA process. The classification of information, while critical to protecting the nation's security, can pose major obstacles to the public's ability to obtain information about government operations under the FOIA. This Subcommittee will study the impact of classification on the FOIA process, the use of particular exemptions to justify the withholding of national security information, and ways to improve communication between agencies and the public regarding classification.
Related Resources
- 32 CFR Part 2001, “Classified National Security Information" (June 28, 2010)
- 32 CFR Part 2003, “The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) Bylaws, Rules, and Appeal Procedures" (July 9, 2012)
- Executive Order 13526, “Classified National Security Information” (December 29, 2009)
- FOIA Advisory Committee Recommendations Dashboard
- Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO)
- National Declassification Center (NDC)
- Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, (U) Assessment of IC Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Programs, Report INS-2018-001 (September 28, 2018)
- Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB)
- Public Interest Declassification Board Blog, "Transforming Classification"
- "A Vision for the Digital Age: Modernization of the U.S. National Security Classification and Declassification System" (May 2020)
- "The Importance of Technology in Classification and Declassification" (June 2016)
- "Transforming the Security Classification System" (2012)
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy, "OIP Guidance: Referrals, Consultations, and Coordination: Procedures for Processing Records When Another Agency or Entity Has an Interest in Them," updated August 15, 2014.