§ 114 — Sensitive Security Information

Using funds made available in this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide that each office within the Department that handles documents marked as Sensitive Security Information (SSI) shall have at least one employee in that office with authority to coordinate and make determinations on behalf of the agency that such documents meet the criteria for marking as SSI: Provided, That not later than December 31, 2005, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives: (1) Department-wide policies for designating, coordinating and marking documents as SSI; (2) Department-wide auditing and accountability procedures for documents designated and marked as SSI; (3) the total number of SSI Coordinators within the Department; and (4) the total number of staff authorized to designate SSI documents within the Department: Provided further, That not later than January 31, 2006, the Secretary shall provide to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives the title of all DHS documents that are designated as SSI in their entirety during the period October 1, 2005, through December 31, 2005: Provided further, That not later than January 31 of each succeeding year, starting on January 31, 2007, the Secretary shall provide annually a similar report to the Committees on Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the titles of all DHS documents that are designated as SSI in their entirety during the period of January 1 through December 31 for the preceding year: Provided further, That the Secretary shall promulgate guidance that includes common but extensive examples of SSI that further define the individual categories of information cited under 49 CFR 1520(b)(1) through (16) and eliminates judgment by covered persons in the application of the SSI marking: Provided further, That such guidance shall serve as the primary basis and authority for the marking of DHS information as SSI by covered persons.