Bill aims to prevent over-classification
The House has passed a measure with information technology components that's designed to improve information sharing by preventing the Homeland Security Department from over-classifying data.
Homeland Security Committee’s Intelligence, Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment Subcommittee,
The House has passed a bill designed to prevent the over-classification of security information by the Homeland Security Department. The measure also has some technology requirements.
Observers are concerned that unnecessary classifying of information in categories that restrict its sharing makes it difficult for DHS to share security information with state and local authorities. To improve data sharing, the bill would require that each finished classified intelligence product done by DHS also have an unclassified version that could be easily shared with state and local authorities who do not have clearances if it would be useful to those groups.
DHS would also have to take a look at technologies and standards that would allow the department to track classification decisions made by employees and contractors.
Employees and contractors with classifying authority would also have to complete training and renew their authority annually. The bill would also start a program that would detail DHS employee to the National Archives and Records Administration to educate DHS employees and improve bolster NARA’s oversight.
Steven Aftergood, the director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, said DHS is not the worst among government agencies in terms of over-classifying information; however, he added that DHS has unique information-sharing responsibilities.
“The homeland security intelligence that [DHS] deals in is pertinent to state and local officials in a way that military or foreign intelligence is not,” he said. “So that gives special impetus to this proposal.”
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) who heads the was approved by the House Feb. 3. The House passed an identical bill in July and no similar legislation is under consideration by in the Senate.
The House has passed a bill designed to prevent the over-classification of security information by the Homeland Security Department. The measure also has some technology requirements.
Observers are concerned that unnecessary classifying of information in categories that restrict its sharing makes it difficult for DHS to share security information with state and local authorities. To improve data sharing, the bill would require that each finished classified intelligence product done by DHS also have an unclassified version that could be easily shared with state and local authorities who do not have clearances if it would be useful to those groups.
DHS would also have to take a look at technologies and standards that would allow the department to track classification decisions made by employees and contractors.
Employees and contractors with classifying authority would also have to complete training and renew their authority annually. The bill would also start a program that would detail DHS employee to the National Archives and Records Administration to educate DHS employees and improve bolster NARA’s oversight.
Steven Aftergood, the director of the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists, said DHS is not the worst among government agencies in terms of over-classifying information; however, he added that DHS has unique information-sharing responsibilities.
“The homeland security intelligence that [DHS] deals in is pertinent to state and local officials in a way that military or foreign intelligence is not,” he said. “So that gives special impetus to this proposal.”
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) who heads the was approved by the House Feb. 3. The House passed an identical bill in July and no similar legislation is under consideration by in the Senate.
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