Washington, D.C. -- The full Homeland Security Committee today reported two bipartisan bills (H.R. 4806 and H.R. 6193) authored by Congresswoman Jane Harman (D-Venice), Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment, to clamp down on excessive classification and so-called “sensitive but unclassified” information control markings.  

HR 4806 requires portion marking (the identification of paragraphs in a document that are classified -- permitting the remainder of the document to remain unclassified), training, limits on the number of people who can classify documents, audits and incentives to reduce classification by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). 

HR 6193 relates to so-called “pseudo-classifications,” the subject of a new framework developed by the Director of National Intelligence.  The bill limits the number of information control markings that can be used on unclassified information from over 100 to just seven, while holding DHS employees accountable for properly designating and sharing unclassified information of a sensitive nature. 

Said Harman, “This Administration is among the most secretive in American history.  Instead of classifying and reclassifying everything that moves, the federal government should remove barriers to information sharing and access -- and carefully apply “classified” and “sensitive but unclassified” markings to protect sources and methods, not turf.”

A total of 11 bills were marked-up by the full Homeland Security Committee, 2 of which were authored by Congresswoman Harman.

Her legislation – co-sponsored by Subcommittee Ranking Member Dave Reichert (R-WA) and 6 other committee members – was reported unanimously out of her subcommittee on June 11.

“These bills are good policy and truly bipartisan, and I urge their prompt consideration by the full House,” said Harman.