PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Commission must regularly decide which Restricted Data can be published without harming the nation’s defense and then remove those items from the Restricted Data category. It must also keep reviewing all Restricted Data and the classification guides used in the atomic energy program to find more information that can be safely declassified. If the data mainly concerns how atomic weapons are used by the military, the Commission and the Department of Defense must agree before it is released; if they cannot agree, the President makes the decision. The Commission will take such military-related items out of the Restricted Data category only if the Commission and the Department of Defense agree they can be protected as defense information, and those items cannot be shared with another nation or regional defense group except under an agreement for cooperation under subsection (b) or (d) of section 2164. The Commission and the Department of Defense, or the Commission and the Director of National Intelligence for foreign atomic energy programs (under section 102(d) of the National Security Act of 1947), may put removed information back into Restricted Data if they jointly find the original reasons for removal no longer apply, the information should be better protected, and restoring it serves national security; restorations must follow required regulations.

Title 42, §2162

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Periodic determination

The Commission shall from time to time determine the data, within the definition of Restricted Data, which can be published without undue risk to the common defense and security and shall thereupon cause such data to be declassified and removed from the category of Restricted Data.

(b)Continuous review

The Commission shall maintain a continuous review of Restricted Data and of any Classification Guides issued for the guidance of those in the atomic energy program with respect to the areas of Restricted Data which have been declassified in order to determine which information may be declassified and removed from the category of Restricted Data without undue risk to the common defense and security.

(c)Joint determination on atomic weapons; Presidential determination on disagreement

In the case of Restricted Data which the Commission and the Department of Defense jointly determine to relate primarily to the military utilization of atomic weapons, the determination that such data may be published without constituting an unreasonable risk to the common defense and security shall be made by the Commission and the Department of Defense jointly, and if the Commission and the Department of Defense do not agree, the determination shall be made by the President.

(d)Removal from Restricted Data category

(1)The Commission shall remove from the Restricted Data category such data as the Commission and the Department of Defense jointly determine relates primarily to the military utilization of atomic weapons and which the Commission and Department of Defense jointly determine can be adequately safeguarded as defense information: Provided, however, That no such data so removed from the Restricted Data category shall be transmitted or otherwise made available to any nation or regional defense organization, while such data remains defense information, except pursuant to an agreement for cooperation entered into in accordance with subsection (b) or (d) of section 2164 of this title.

(2)The Commission may restore to the Restricted Data category any information related to the design of nuclear weapons removed under paragraph (1) if the Commission and the Department of Defense jointly determine that—

(A)the programmatic requirements that caused the information to be removed from the Restricted Data category are no longer applicable or have diminished;

(B)the information would be more appropriately protected as Restricted Data; and

(C)restoring the information to the Restricted Data category is in the interest of national security.

(3)In carrying out paragraph (2), information related to the design of nuclear weapons shall be restored to the Restricted Data category in accordance with regulations prescribed for purposes of such paragraph.

(e)Joint determination on atomic energy programs

(1)The Commission shall remove from the Restricted Data category such information concerning the atomic energy programs of other nations as the Commission and the Director of National Intelligence jointly determine to be necessary to carry out the provisions of section 102(d) of the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, and can be adequately safeguarded as defense information.

(2)The Commission may restore to the Restricted Data category any information concerning atomic energy programs of other nations removed under paragraph (1) if the Commission and the Director of National Intelligence jointly determine that—

(A)the programmatic requirements that caused the information to be removed from the Restricted Data category are no longer applicable or have diminished;

(B)the information would be more appropriately protected as Restricted Data; and

(C)restoring the information to the Restricted Data category is in the interest of national security.

(3)In carrying out paragraph (2), information concerning atomic energy programs of other nations shall be restored to the Restricted Data category in accordance with regulations prescribed for purposes of such paragraph.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 102(d) of the National Security Act of 1947, as amended, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), was a reference to section 102(d) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title I, 61 Stat. 497, which was classified to section 403(d) of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 104–293, title VIII, § 805(a), Oct. 11, 1996, 110 Stat. 3477.

Amendments

2013—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 112–239, § 3163(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added pars. (2) and (3). Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 112–239, § 3163(2), designated existing provisions as par. (1), substituted “National Intelligence” for “Central Intelligence”, and added pars. (2) and (3). 1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–337, § 3155(c)(2), substituted “subsection (b) or (d) of section 2164 of this title” for “section 2164(b) of this title”. Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 103–337, § 3155(c)(3), struck out subsec. (f) which read as follows: “Notwithstanding any other law, the President may publicly release Restricted Data regarding the nuclear weapons stockpile of the United States if the United States and member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States reach reciprocal agreement on the release of such data.” 1992—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 102–484 added subsec. (f).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Review of Certain Documents Before Declassification and Release Pub. L. 104–106, div. C, title XXXI, § 3155, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 625, which was formerly set out as a note under this section, was renumbered section 4521 of Pub. L. 107–314 by Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, § 3141(h)(11), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1774, and classified to section 2671 of Title 50, War and National Defense, and was repealed and restated as section 6231 of Title 10, Armed Forces, by Pub. L. 119–60, div. C, title XXXI, § 3111(a), (b)(1), Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 1409, 1458.

Executive Documents

Ex. Ord. No. 10899. Communication of Restricted Data by Central Intelligence Agency Ex. Ord. No. 10899, eff. Dec. 9, 1960, 25 F.R. 12729, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the Act; 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: The Central Intelligence Agency is hereby authorized to communicate for intelligence purposes, in accordance with the terms and conditions of any agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to subsection 144a, b, or c of the act (42 U.S.C. 2162 (a), (b), or (c)), such restricted data and data removed from the restricted data category under subsection 142d of the Act (42 U.S.C. 2162(d)) as is determined (i) by the President, pursuant to the provisions of the Act, or (ii) by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense, jointly pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 10841 [set out as a note under section 2153 of this title], to be transmissible under the agreement for cooperation involved. Such communications shall be effected through mechanisms established by the Central Intelligence Agency in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement for cooperation involved: Provided, that no such communication shall be made by the Central Intelligence Agency until the proposed communication has been authorized either in accordance with procedures adopted by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense and applicable to conduct of programs for cooperation by those agencies, or in accordance with procedures approved by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense and applicable to conduct of programs for cooperation by the Central Intelligence Agency. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Modification of Executive Order No. 10899 Ex. Ord. No. 10899, Dec. 9, 1960, 25 F.R. 12729, set out above, when referring to functions of the Atomic Energy Commission is modified to provide that all such functions shall be exercised by the Secretary of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, see section 4(a)(1) of Ex. Ord. No. 12038, Feb. 3, 1978, 43 F.R. 4957, set out as a note under section 7151 of this title. Ex. Ord. No. 11057. Communication of Restricted Data by Department of State Ex. Ord. No. 11057, eff. Oct. 18, 1962, 27 F.R. 10289, provided: By virtue of the authority vested in me by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the Act; 42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: The Department of State is hereby authorized to communicate, in accordance with the terms and conditions of any agreement for cooperation arranged pursuant to subsection 144b of the act (42 U.S.C. 2164(b)), such restricted data and data removed from the restricted data category under subsection 142d of the act (42 U.S.C. 2162(d)) as is determined (i) by the President, pursuant to the provisions of the Act, or (ii) by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense, jointly pursuant to the provisions of Executive Order No. 10841, as amended [set out as a note under section 2153 of this title], to be transmissible under the agreement for cooperation involved. Such communications shall be effected through mechanisms established by the Department of State in accordance with the terms and conditions of the agreement for cooperation involved: Provided, that no such communication shall be made by the Department of State until the proposed communication has been authorized either in accordance with procedures adopted by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense and applicable to conduct of programs for cooperation by those agencies, or in accordance with procedures approved by the Atomic Energy Commission and the Department of Defense and applicable to conduct of programs for cooperation by the Department of State. John F. Kennedy. Modification of Executive Order No. 11057 Ex. Ord. No. 11057, Oct. 18, 1962, 27 F.R. 10289, set out above, when referring to functions of the Atomic Energy Commission is modified to provide that all such functions shall be exercised by the Secretary of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, see section 4(a)(1) of Ex. Ord. No. 12038, Feb. 3, 1978, 43 F.R. 4957, set out as a note under section 7151 of this title.

§2162 Classification and Declassification of Restricted Data