The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel, or "ISCAP", provides the public and users of the classification system with a forum for further review of classification decisions. ISCAP states in order to foster a well-informed public while simultaneously protecting national security interests, checks and balances are needed over the classification system. This requires that some of the work of the U.S. Government be done outside the purview of its citizenry.

The ISCAP was created under Executive Order 12958

Executive Order 12958

Executive Order 12958 created new standards for the process of identifying and protecting classified information, and led to an unprecedented effort to declassify millions of pages from the U.S. diplomatic and national security history. In 1995, United States President William J. Clinton signed...

, "Classified National Security Information," when it was signed on April 17, 1995 and held its first meeting in May 1996. Today the ISCAP receives its guidelines from Executive Order 13526

Executive Order 13526

Executive Order 13526 was enacted on December 29, 2009 by United States President Barack Obama. It is the latest in a series of executive orders from US Presidents outlining how classified information should be handled...

 of December 29, 2009, which superseded Executive Order 12958 and its amendments in full on June 25, 2010.

Functions

Section 5.3 of E.O. 13526 directs the ISCAP to perform four critical functions:

• Classification Challenges: Deciding on appeals by authorized persons who have filed classification challenges under Section 1.8 of E.O. 13526;
• Exemptions from Automatic Declassification: Approving, denying or amending agency exemptions from automatic declassification, as provided in Section 3.3 of E.O. 13526;
• Mandatory Declassification Review Appeals: Deciding on mandatory declassification review appeals by parties whose requests for declassification under Section 3.5 of E.O. 13526, have been denied at the agency level; and
• Inform Decisions: Appropriately inform senior agency officials and the public of final Panel decisions on appeals under Sections 1.8 and 3.5 of E.O. 13526.

Additionally, the ISCAP has another function under section 3.3(c)(1) of E.O. 13526.

• File Series Exemptions: Deciding on agency requests to exempt a designated file series from automatic declassification at 25 years.

Membership

The ISCAP member body consists of senior level representatives appointed by the Departments of State, Defense, and Justice, the National Archives, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the National Security Advisor. Each shall be represented by a senior-level representative who is a full-time or permanent part-time Federal officer or employee designated to serve as a member of the Panel by the respective agency head. The President shall designate a Chair from among the members of the Panel. The Director of ISOO serves as its Executive Secretary, and ISOO staff provides program and administrative support for the panel. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency may appoint a temporary representative to participate as a voting member in all Panel deliberations and associated support activities concerning classified information originated by the Central Intelligence Agency.

See also

• National Archives and Records Administration
  National Archives and Records Administration
  The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
  
  

• Information Security Oversight Office
  Information Security Oversight Office
  The Information Security Oversight Office is responsible to the President for policy and oversight of the government-wide security classification system and the National Industrial Security Program...
  
  

• Public Interest Declassification Board
  Public Interest Declassification Board
  The Public Interest Declassification Board is an advisory committee established by the United States Congress with the official mandate of promoting the fullest possible public access to a thorough, accurate, and reliable documentary record of significant U.S. national security decisions and...
  
  

• The Controlled Unclassified Information
  Controlled Unclassified Information
  Controlled Unclassified Information is a new category of unclassified categories issued in a directive on May 9, 2008, by President George W. Bush...
  
  

• National Security Council
  National Security Council
  A National Security Council is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security...
  
  

External links

• Official site