H.R. 6193, The Improving Public Access to Documents Act of 2008

• This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.

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H.R. 6193 would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer policies, procedures, and programs to promote the implementation of the Controlled Unclassified Information Framework applicable to unclassified information that is homeland security information, terrorism information, weapons of mass destruction information and other information within the scope of the information sharing environment established under section 1016 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (6 U.S.C. 485).

Detailed Summary

Improving Public Access to Documents Act of 2008 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer policies, procedures, and programs within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement the controlled unclassified information framework in order to maximize the disclosure to the public of, and to standardize the use of controlled unclassified information control markings on, homeland security, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and other information within the scope of the information sharing environment established under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 that must be disseminated to prevent and collectively respond to acts of terrorism.

Requires the Secretary to institute a series of penalties, up to and including termination, for employees and contractors who fail to comply with such policies, procedures, and programs.

Sets forth provisions concerning the designation of controlled unclassified information. Requires the Secretary to make available to the public, pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request, all controlled unclassified information and other unclassified information in the Secretary's possession.

Requires the Secretary to: (1) assess the technologies by which an electronic identifying marker can be assigned to each DHS employee or contractor with such designation authority; (2) develop an implementation plan for a DHS standard for such technology with appropriate benchmarks, a timetable for its completion, and a cost estimate for the creation and implementation of a system of electronic identifying markers for all relevant employees and contractors; (3) require annual training for each DHS employee or contractor with such designation authority who is responsible for analysis, dissemination, preparation, production, receiving, publishing, or otherwise communicating written controlled unclassified information; and (4) implement a departmental program to detail DHS personnel to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for one year.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 7/29/2008: House floor actions. Status: At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Bilirakis objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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