Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic
Documentation
Charter
- I. PURPOSE
- The Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation
(short title: Historical Advisory Committee) shall, in accordance
with P.L. 102-138, Sec. 198, review records and advise and make
recommendations to the Historian of the Department of State
concerning all aspects of preparation and publication of the Foreign Relations of the United States
historical series, including the review and selection of records for
inclusion in the series.
- The Committee shall also review Department of State procedures for
the declassification of Department records, their transfer to the
National Archives and Records Administration, and their opening for
public inspection and copying. This process will include the review
of all declassification guidelines and the random sampling of
representative Department records that must remain classified after
30 years.
- II. AUTHORITY
- The Committee is established under the authority of Sec. 198 of
the Foreign Affairs Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993,
P.L. 102-138, which added Title IV to the State Department Basic
Authorities Act of 1956 (22 USC 4351-4357) (hereinafter "the
SDBAA"), as amended in the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003, and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act (hereinafter "FACA"), P.L. 92-463. In accordance with
Sec. 406(f)(3), the FACA applies to the Committee only to the extent
that its provisions are not inconsistent with the SDBAA.
- III. ORGANIZATION
- The nine members of the Committee shall be selected by the
Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under a delegation
of authority from the Secretary of State and in accordance with the
specific qualifications, nomination procedures, and length of terms
on the basis of the provisions of Sec. 406 of the SDBAA. The
Historian of the Department shall serve as the Executive Secretary
of the Committee.
- IV. OPERATIONS
- The Committee is required by Sec. 406(d) of the SDBAA to meet at
least quarterly or as frequently as may be necessary to carry out
its duties. Its meetings shall be held on dates determined by the
Executive Secretary in consultation with the Committee and its
Chairperson. The Executive Secretary must attend all Committee
meetings and may adjourn any Committee or subcommittee meeting in
accordance with FACA. A majority of the members of the Advisory
Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Historian may create
subgroups or subcommittees to study matters within the Committee's
duties and jurisdiction and such subgroups or subcommittees shall
report to the Committee, and shall not report directly to the
Department of State.
- The Historian of the Department shall coordinate the provision of
necessary security clearances and access to documentation, both of
the Department and of other agencies, required by Committee members
in accordance with Secs. 403(a), 403(b)(5), and 406(e) of the SDBAA.
- The Chairperson of the Committee shall be selected for a term of
one year by the Committee, in accordance with Sec. 406(c) of the
SDBAA. The Chairperson may be re-elected. Pursuant to Sec. 406(a) of
the SDBAA, the Committee shall be composed of nine members from the
organizations listed in Sec. 406(a)(3), and an Executive
Secretary.
- The Committee shall annually submit an unclassified report at the
end of the calendar year to the Secretary of State in these matters
and to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the
Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. The
report shall: (i) apprise the Secretary of the results of the
Committee's review of Department of State declassification
procedures, declassification guidelines, and random samplings of
documents remaining classified after 30 years; (ii) summarize the
Committee's recommendations regarding the preparation and
publication of the Foreign Relations series;
(iii) advise the Secretary of any determination by the Committee
that records proposed for, or already included in, a Foreign Relations volume have been so altered
or changed by deletions made during the declassification review
process that such records could be misleading or lead to an
inaccurate or incomplete historical record; and (iv) advise the
Secretary of any determinations by the Committee that the selection
of any group of documents relating to a particular topic and
proposed for, or already included in, a Foreign
Relations volume could be misleading or lead to an
inaccurate historical record. The Executive Secretary will supply
copies of the report to the Library of Congress, to the
organizations represented on the Committee, and to other interested
persons. The Committee may also make to the Assistant Secretary of
State for Public Affairs for appropriate action ad hoc, written or
oral reports or recommendations regarding the preparation of the Foreign Relations series.
- Subject to 5 U.S.C. Sec. 552(b), records, reports, transcripts,
minutes, appendixes, working papers, drafts, studies, agenda, or
other documents made available to or prepared for or by the
Committee shall be made available for public inspection and copying
in accordance with the Department's Freedom of Information Act
regulations (22 CFR Subchapter R, Part 171). The summary minutes of
Committee meetings will be reviewed by responsible declassification
officials and made available on the Department's World Wide Web site
(http://www.history.state.gov/about/hac) as soon as
possible after each meeting.
- The permanent records of the Committee shall consist of classified
and unclassified papers and documents pertinent to its establishment
and activities, including its charter, agenda, determinations for
closed meetings, minutes, communications between the Department and
members of the Committee, and written materials and reports
considered and/or issued by the Committee. All the Committee's
permanent substantive records are scheduled for transfer to the
National Archives and Records Administration after 2 years.
- V. FUNDING
- A. Compensation and travel allowances for the members of the
Advisory Committee shall be provided at a level and in accordance
with the provisions of Sec. 406(f) of the SDBAA.
- B. Funds for operation of the Advisory Committee will be supplied
from the miscellaneous allotments of the Bureau of Public
Affairs.
- C. The estimated annual operating cost of the Committee from the
Bureau of Public Affairs program funds is less than $75,000. An
estimated total of 3.4 person years, equivalent to approximately
$200,000 in pro-rated salaries is required of personnel of the
Department of State who provide "necessary secretarial and staff
support" for the Committee required by Sec. 406(t)(2) of the
SDBAA.
- VI. TERMINATION
- In accordance with Sec. 406(a)(1) of the SDBAA, the Advisory
Committee is permanent. In accordance with P.L. 92-463, Sec.
14(a)(1), the Committee's Charter must be renewed after each
two-year term.
- A copy of this Charter shall also be furnished to the General
Services Administration, the Library of Congress, the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, as
provided by law.
- APPROVED:
Patrick F. Kennedy
Under Secretary of State for
Management
Date: February 19, 2009