The Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB) will host a public meeting to discuss the recommendations included in its Report to the President on Transforming the Security Classification System, and its recommendation to re-examine the classification status of obsolete and historical Formerly Restricted Data (FRD) information. The meeting will focus on new processes to support the … Continue reading Registration Now Open for the PIDB Public Meeting on June 19, 2014
Save-the-Date: Public Meeting of the Public Interest Declassification Board
The Public Interest Declassification Board will hold a public meeting the morning of Thursday, June 19, 2014. We will include more details about the agenda, location and time of the meeting, as well as information about how to register to attend in a future blog post. Please visit the PIDB’s website, http://www.archives.gov/declassification/pidb/, and continue to follow … Continue reading Save-the-Date: Public Meeting of the Public Interest Declassification Board
“More Declassification Reform Needed,” says Boston Globe
The Boston Globe published an article yesterday titled, “U.S. lags in airing its old secrets.” It discusses the challenges facing the National Declassification Center (NDC) and the effect current declassification policies and practices have on providing timely access to historical records at the National Archives and Records Administration. In the article, journalist Bryan Bender quotes … Continue reading “More Declassification Reform Needed,” says Boston Globe
New Legislation Introduced to Extend the PIDB
We are pleased to announce that two bills were introduced this week that, if enacted, will extend the term of the PIDB. On May 19, 2014, Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) introduced H.R. 4671, “To extend the Public Interest Declassification Act of 2000,” and on May 21, 2014, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform … Continue reading New Legislation Introduced to Extend the PIDB
Farewell to PIDB Member Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker
On behalf of the members of the Public Interest Declassification Board, I would like to thank Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker for her dedicated service to the PIDB and acknowledge her extensive contributions. Elizabeth concluded her third term as a member of the PIDB and we are lucky to have had her knowledge and expertise during her … Continue reading Farewell to PIDB Member Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker
What We Heard and Learned during Sunshine Week
The members and staff of the Public Interest Declassification Board attended and participated in many events last week to commemorate Sunshine Week. We thank the public and representatives from civil society and open government advocacy groups, Government agencies, the Congress and all attendees who participated in Sunshine Week activities. The Board wishes to thank the … Continue reading What We Heard and Learned during Sunshine Week
Commemorating Sunshine Week: More Sunshine Earlier
The annual celebration of Sunshine Week reminds us of the need for greater transparency in government and greater public access to government information. As part of the initiative to promote freedom of information, we, the members of the Public Interest Declassification Board, renew our call on the need to transform our nation's security classification system. … Continue reading Commemorating Sunshine Week: More Sunshine Earlier
National Declassification Center Completes Quality Assurance of Backlog Final
At the recent conference on the Berlin Wall, the Director of the National Declassification Center (NDC) announced that the NDC completed the quality assurance review of the nearly 352 million pages that constitute the backlog of classified Federal records in the custody of the National Archives. The backlog was a result of previous reviews of … Continue reading National Declassification Center Completes Quality Assurance of Backlog Final
Final Call for Topics
The PIDB still wants your suggested topics that you feel agencies should prioritize for declassification. Beginning on January 27, 2014, the PIDB will begin compiling the responses and comments it received on this blog. It will then use those ideas and report back to the public its conclusions and suggested next steps to assist the … Continue reading Final Call for Topics
NEW PRIORITIZATION: Topics Related to the Presidential Libraries
We have already received many comments from our followers about what topics you would like to see declassified. Today, we present you with a new list of topics. These topics all relate to records found at the Presidential Libraries. View the List Here: Topics Related to the Presidential Libraries Like the other categories on our … Continue reading NEW PRIORITIZATION: Topics Related to the Presidential Libraries