Improving Public Access to Documents Act of 2008

To 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), and for other purposes.

6/5/2008--Introduced.
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.


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Sponsor

• Rep. Jane Harman [D, CA-36]
• and 7 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Christopher Carney [D, PA-10]
  • Rep. Norman Dicks [D, WA-6]
  • Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee [D, TX-18]
  • Rep. James Langevin [D, RI-2]
  • Rep. Eleanor Norton [D, DC-0]
  • Rep. Dave Reichert [R, WA-8]
  • Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
  close

Committees

• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
• 2 more
  • House Homeland Security
  • House Homeland Security
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.6193

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
June 05, 2008		July 30, 2008

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All Bill Actions

• Jul 31, 2008: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 30, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR 7/29/2008 H7186-7188)
• Jul 30, 2008: Considered as unfinished business.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 30, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jul 29, 2008: 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.
• Jul 29, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6193.
• Jul 29, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Jul 29, 2008: Ms. Harman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Added to calendar on Jul 28, 2008: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 498..
• Jul 28, 2008: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 110-779.
• Added to calendar on Jun 26, 2008: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote..
• Jun 26, 2008: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Jun 11, 2008: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Unanimous Consent .
• Jun 11, 2008: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
• Jun 11, 2008: Subcommittee Hearings Held.
• Jun 09, 2008: Referred to the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment.
• Jun 05, 2008: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
• Introduced on Jun 05, 2008.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.4806

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Blog Coverage

July 31, 2008 House Passes HR 4806 and HR 6193

I had just posted my blog entry about HR 4806 and then I saw the news from Chairman Thompson that it, along with HR 6193 and a bunch of other homeland security committee bills, had passed in the House of Representatives. ...

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Source: Chemical Facility Security News

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July 30, 2008 House Passes Homeland Security Information Sharing Bills

One bill (HR 6193) sponsored by Jane Harman, D-Calif., would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop policies to allow unclassified information to flow to state and local law enforcement authorities, first-responders and ...

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Source: War on Terror - Homeland Security

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July 30, 2008 HR 6193 Status Update 7-28-08

Well, it took just one month, but the House Homeland Security Committee finally completed its report on HR 6193. The committee report (House Report 110-779) and the amended bill are now available for review on the Library of Congress ...

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Source: Chemical Facility Security News

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