Intelligence Authorization Act of 1981

Authorizes a special procedure for reporting of covert actions...In the case of necessary immediate action, only the Chairman and Vice Chairman of each committee, and the majority leaders of the Senate and House would have to be notified with a follow on briefing when time permitted. The method for notification was specified as a "finding" (later compliant documents were called "Presidential Findings") which would fully describe the activity, and be given to Congress within a reasonable period of time following the activity beginning.

This act allows the President and the Intelligence Community to limit exposure of sensitive covert action until a reasonable period of time has elapsed, and reduces the risks of a leak from any of the eight committees causing failure of the operation and unnecessary death of intelligence operatives.

The FY '96 authorization shows clearly which agencies are effected by the legislation, and serves as a good example for the language used to point to the classified section in which the allocation of the budget is set out in detail.

Also of interest, is the classified document security requirements in the U.S.. Until fairly recently the rules and regulations themselves could not be discussed, however, the Library of Congress now lists the regulations as part of the public record. For example, in response to Presidential Directive 12958, a new set of document handling regulations were adopted by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Typically document security is enacted to protect sources and methods of intelligence operations, thus security restrictions are key to protection of intelligence assets.

See also Presidential Directive of 1976, the War Powers Act of 1973, the Boland Amendment, or Executive Order 12333.

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