(a) Staff Security Officer/Top Secret Control Officer. A Vice Presidential Staff Security Officer and Assistant Staff Security Officer will be assigned to perform the duties as outlined in these regulations. They will normally be on the staff of the Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs. The Staff Security Officer and Assistant Staff Security Officer will serve as Top Secret Control Officer and Assistant Top Secret Control Officer and custodians of classified material for the Office of the Vice President respectively, and will be responsible for the overall supervision of the Top Secret Control program. They will maintain positive control over the movement of all Top Secret material under their jurisdiction.
(b) Custodian, Office of the Assistant to the Vice President for Congressional Relations. The Assistant to the Vice President for Congressional Relations, Office of the President of the Senate, will be designated as Custodian of classified material for that office. He will be responsible for compliance with the instructions contained herein. In this capacity, he will be charged with safeguarding classified material necessary to the operation of the office.
(c) National Security Classifications. Classifications of National Security Information are defined in Executive Order 12065, sections 1-102 through 1-104.
(d) Prohibited Markings. (1) The caveats “FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY” and “ADMINISTRATIVELY RESTRICTED” are used within the Office of the Vice President to designate certain unclassified information which requires control. These caveats will under no circumstances be applied to information which qualifies as classified information. Further, neither they nor other terms will be used in conjunction with the prescribed security classifications of CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET and TOP SECRET.
(2) Unclassified information bearing either of the foregoing administrative designations cannot be protected from release under the national security exemption of the Freedom of Information Act (although other exemptions may be available).
(e) Security Clearances. No person shall be given access to classified information or material unless a favorable background investigation has been completed determining that the individual is trustworthy and that access is necessary for the performance of official duties.
(1) Security Clearance Procedures. (i) The Counsel to the Vice President will:
(A) Be responsible for the processing of full field investigations for personnel assigned to the Vice President's staff. Department of Defense detailees are processed by the Defense Investigative Service.
(B) Inform the Staff Security Office of individuals whose full field investigations have been satisfactorily completed and approved and of any subsequent changes.
(C) Notify the Staff Security Office as soon as he/she is aware that a staff member is planning to terminate his/her employment.
(ii) The Staff Security Office will provide newly cleared persons with a security orientation briefing covering policy and procedures for handling classified information and material. After the briefing individuals will sign a Statement of Understanding of Security Procedures (Attachment 1). This statement will be kept on file by the Staff Security Office.
(iii) There is no such thing as an “Interim Security Clearance” for persons employed by or detailed to the Office of the Vice President. Under no circumstances will uncleared persons be given access to classified material. Access to classified material will be denied until the individual has had a satisfactorily completed background investigation, has received the security orientation briefing and signed the Statement of Understanding of Security Procedures.
(iv) The Staff Security Office, as part of an individual's departure debriefing, will remind them of their continuing responsibilities to protect classified information to which they have had access during the performance of their official duties. After being debriefed, the individual will sign a Security Termination Statement acknowledging his responsibilities (Attachment 2).
(2) Satisfactory completion of a background investigation does not in itself grant an individual access to classified information. Individual clearances for access to classified information or material will be controlled by the Staff Security Office and certified in writing on an individual basis.
(f) Access to Classified Material. Each member of the staff who has custody or possession of classified information is responsible for providing the required degree of protection from unauthorized disclosure at all times.
(1) Classified information and material will only be disclosed to an individual after it has been determined that the individual possesses the required clearance and has a valid “need to know.” Persons releasing the information shall be responsible in every case for determining the recipient's eligibility for access.
(2) Access to Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Information will be controlled by the Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs.
(g) Custody and safekeeping of Classified Material. (1) Classified material addressed to the Office of the Vice President will normally be delivered to and receipted for by the Staff Security Office where it will be entered into the classified material control system.
(i) Staff members receiving classified material from any source by any means will personally deliver such material to the Staff Security Office for appropriate entry into the classified control system.
(ii) Conversely, members of the staff desiring to transmit classified material will deliver the material to the Staff Security Office for handling in accordance with paragraph (h)(5) of this section.
(2) Storage of Classified Material. (i) Classified material will be stored only in accordance with the provisions of ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraph IV-F-1 through 4.
(ii) Filing of unclassified material in security containers is prohibited except where the unclassified material is an integral part of a file which contains classified material. If extenuating circumstances necessitate the use of a security container for storing only unclassified material, the container will be marked with a sign stating “This container is not used to store classified material” or “Do not store classified material in this container.”
(3) Record of safe locations. The Staff Security Office will assign numbers to all security containers used to store classified material in the Office of the Vice President. A record of safe numbers, locations and date of last combination change will be maintained in the Staff Security Office.
(4) Changing of lock combinations. Combinations of security containers will be changed by the Staff Security Office or the Secret Service. This service may be requested by contacting the Staff Security Office. Combinations will be changed in accordance with the provisions of ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraph IV-F-5.
(5) Records of combinations. Records of combinations shall be maintained by the Staff Security Office. Whenever a combination is changed, the new combination and other required information will be recorded on GSA Optional Form 63. The sealed envelope will then be delivered to the Staff Security Office for retention in the vault safe.
(6) Custodians. Each container used for storage of classified material within the Office of the Vice President will have assigned a primary and alternate custodian. Responsibility for security of these containers shall rest with those persons, and their names shall be affixed on the outside of the top drawer of each container positioned so as to be readily discernible. Optional Form 63 shall be used for this purpose.
(h) Handling of Classified Material—(1) Use of cover sheets. A separate cover sheet indicating the classification of the material will be fastened to the top page of cover of each CONFIDENTIAL, SECRET or TOP SECRET document.
(2) Unattended documents. Classified material will be under the direct supervision of a person with an appropriate security clearance and a verified need-to-know at all times when in use. Special care will be taken to insure that classified material is not left unsecured or unattended in an office.
(3) Working papers. Working papers are documents, including drafts, photographs, etc., created to assist in the formulation and preparation of finished papers. Working papers containing classified information will be marked with the appropriate classification and provided the same degree of protection as that given to other documents of an equal category of classification.
(4) Communications security. Classified information shall not be discussed over any voice communications device except as authorized over approved secure communications circuits. This restriction also applies to electrical transmission of classified material via any unsecure circuitry involving teletypes, DEX equipment or other systems of a like nature. Appropriate secure facilities for the discussion or transmittal of classified material may be arranged by contacting the Staff Security Office.
(5) Transmittal of Classified Material—(i) Outside the Office of the Vice President and the White House Complex. The Staff Security Office is responsible for transmitting or transferring all classified material outside the Office of the Vice President and the White House Complex in accordance with the provisions of ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraphs I, G and H.
(ii) Within the Office of the Vice President and the White House Complex. Transfer or movement of classified material will be accomplished only by properly cleared persons handcarrying the material to the recipient. The material shall be carried in an envelope marked with the appropriate classification. Use of see through messenger envelopes is not authorized. Recipients will sign a receipt (GSA Optional Form 112) for all material classified SECRET and TOP SECRET. Whenever TOP SECRET material is transferred, the Staff Security Office will be notified in order to maintain accurate accountability of the material. Classified material will never be delivered to an uncleared person, left in an unoccupied office, or sent through unclassified mail delivery/distribution systems.
(iii) Staff members requiring the use of classified material at conferences or meetings held outside the Washington, DC Metropolitan area and who intend to use commercial transportation shall provide the material to the Staff Security Office far enough in advance to assure that the material will be available on or before the date needed. This requirement does not apply when utilizing government/military transportation. In this case, material may be handcarried. The Staff Security Office will brief each staff member prior to departure concerning security requirements or arrangements needed to safeguard the material while away from his office. For meetings or conferences within the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, members may handcarry classified material. Use of classified material during a conference or meeting requires increased awareness and precautionary handling to avoid security violations and/or compromises. Staff members using classified material during a meeting or conference are responsible for ensuring that the material is properly protected at all times, and that personnel present posses appropriate clearances for the material being presented.
(iv) Visits to foreign countries. Special precautions must be taken when visiting foreign countries to ensure classified material is protected at all times. For all visits to foreign countries a member of the staff will be appointed as custodian for all classified material required for the success of the mission. This individual will be the holder of a diplomatic passport which exempts him from customs inspections. Individual so designated will coordinate with United States embassy personnel in the country to be visited for securing of classified material within the embassy compound or other appropriate secure area during the course of the visit.
(6) Preparation and marking of Classified Material. All classified material originating within the office of the Vice President will be prepared and marked by properly authorized and cleared personnel in accordance with ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraphs I, G, and H. A sample letter is attached for your guidance (Attachment 3). Derivitive information will be prepared and classified in accordance with ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraphs II A through C. Questions concerning procedures should be directed to the Staff Security Office.
(7) Reproduction of Classified Material. (i) Reproduction of classified material will be accomplished only by properly cleared persons.
(ii) Reproduction of TOP SECRET material will be accomplished only by a member of the Staff Security Office or a designated representative of that office.
(iii) Accountability of reproduced classified material will be maintained by informing the Staff Security Office of the reproduction of SECRET and TOP SECRET material, the number of copies reproduced and their disposition.
(iv) Reproduction machines can retain the imagery of material passed through them. Therefore, to avoid inadvertent disclosure of classified information through subsequent use of machines, staff members will always run machines through four cycles (four blank pages) after the last page of the classified material has been reproduced. These pages will be destroyed in the same manner as classified material.
(8) Destruction of Classified Material. (i) SECRET and TOP SECRET material will be given to the Staff Security Office for destruction to insure destruction is properly recorded and destroyed material is removed from the classified control system.
(ii) CONFIDENTIAL material may be destroyed in the holder's office by tearing lengthwise and placing in a “Burn Bag” specifically designated for classified material.
(iii) Classified waste material will be separated from other office waste material and placed in “Burn Bags.” Classified waste material includes working papers, notes, drafts of classified correspondence, carbon paper, typewriter ribbons and any other material containing information requiring destruction. “Burn Bags” will be collected daily by a member of the White House Executive Protective Service who will then dispose of the bags in a secure facility.
(iv) Typewriter ribbons. Classified material can be reproduced from imprints on used typewriter ribbons. Therefore, ribbons which are used in the preparation of classified material must be safeguarded accordingly, i.e., they will be stored in a safe at the close of business, destroyed as classified waste when no longer serviceable, etc.
(9) Inventories. The Staff Security Office will conduct inventories of all TOP SECRET material charged to the Office of the Vice President at least annually to determine the adequacy of control procedures and insure accountability.
(i) Loss or compromise. Any person who has knowledge of loss of possible compromise of classified information shall promptly report the circumstances to the Staff Security Office for appropriate action in accordance with ISOO Directive No. 1, paragraph IV, H.
(j) Penalties. Any individual breach of security may warrant penalties up to and including the separation of the individual from his employment or criminal prosecution.
(k) Special access. Special access authority is required for release of Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Information. The names of personnel cleared for access to this category of information are on file in the Staff Security Office.
(a) Basic policy. Except as provided in the Atomic Energy Act of 1943, as amended, Executive Order 12065, as implemented by ISOO Directive No. 1, provides the only basis for classifying information. It is the policy of this office to make available to the public as much information concerning its activities as possible consistent with the need to protect the national security. Accordingly, security classification shall be applied only to protect the national security.
(b) Duration of classification. Classification shall not be continued longer than necessary for the protection of national security. Each decision to classify requires a simultaneous determination of the duration such classification must remain in effect. For further guidance, refer to sections 1-401 and 1-402, E.O. 12065.
(c) Declassification. Declassification of information shall be given emphasis comparable to that accorded to classification. Decisions concerning declassification shall be based on the loss of the information's sensitivity with the passage of time or upon the occurrence of a declassification event. For further guidance, refer to sections 3-102, 3-103 and 3-104 of E.O. 12065.
(d) Systematic review for declassification. Systematic review for declassification will be in accordance with sections 3-204, 3-401 and 3-503 of E.O. 12065.
(e) Mandatory review requests. Requests from a member of the public, a government employee, or an agency, to declassify and release information will be acted upon within 60 days provided the request reasonably identifies the information. After review, the information or any reasonably segregable portion thereof that no longer requires protection, shall be declassified and released, except as provided in section 3-503, E.O. 12065, unless withholding is otherwise warranted under applicable law.
(f) Classification guides. The Chief Counsel, National Security Council, has determined that, in view of the limited amount of material originally classified by this office, the preparation and publication of classification guides is not required.
(g) Access to Classified Information by historical researchers and former Presidential appointees. Access may be granted under the provisions of section 4-3 of E.O. 12065; however, access is permissive and not mandatory.
Pursuant to the provisions of sections 1-201 and 3-103 of E.O. 12065 of June 28, 1978, the following officials within the Office of the Vice President, are designated to originally classify and declassify information as “SECRET” and/or “CONFIDENTIAL”:
(a) Chief of Staff to the Vice President.
(b) Counsel to the Vice President.
(c) Executive Assistant to the Vice President.
(d) Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs.
(e) Assistant to the Vice President for Issues Development and Domestic Policy.
(f) Additionally, the following individuals are designated to declassify “SECRET” and/or “CONFIDENTIAL” information in accordance with section 3-103 of E.O. 12065:
(i) Staff Security Officer/Top Secret Control Officer.
(ii) Assistant Staff Security Officer/Assistant Top Secret Control Officer.