Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information To Protect Americans

This executive order mandates maximum sharing of terrorism information across federal agencies and with state/local authorities while protecting Americans' legal rights. It establishes an Information Systems Council to plan an interoperable terrorism information sharing environment, sets common standards for intelligence community information sharing, and requires recommendations for domestic collection procedures.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 53599

Impact dates

Dec 25, 2004
Information Systems Council report on plan for interoperable terrorism information sharing environment
Nov 25, 2004
DCI common standards for terrorism information sharing
Nov 25, 2004
Joint recommendation on domestic collection requirements and procedures

Key directives

Agency heads shall promptly give access to terrorism information to other counterterrorism agencies (Sec. 2(a))
DCI shall set common standards for IC terrorism information sharing within 90 days (Sec. 3)
Attorney General, DHS Secretary, and DCI shall jointly submit domestic collection recommendations within 90 days (Sec. 4(a))
Establish Information Systems Council with specified membership (Sec. 5(a))
Council shall report plan with milestones and timetables within 120 days (Sec. 5(c))
Standards shall require multi-level classification versions and unclassified versions when possible (Sec. 3(a)-(b))
Minimize originator controls and compartmentalization on terrorism information (Sec. 3(c)-(d))

Timeline

Immediate

Agency heads must begin providing terrorism information access to other counterterrorism agencies

Near term (90d)

Director of Central Intelligence to set common standards for terrorism information sharing (Sec. 3)
Attorney General, DHS Secretary, and DCI to jointly submit recommendations on domestic collection requirements (Sec. 4(a))

Long term

Information Systems Council to report plan for interoperable terrorism information sharing environment (120 days)
Potential establishment of integrated information sharing system with milestones to full operational capability

Risks & tensions

Privacy protections in Sec. 1(b) may conflict with expansive sharing mandates; enforcement mechanism unclear
'To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law' caveats create implementation ambiguity
Sec. 5(c)(vii) raises questions about scope creep beyond terrorism to 'other categories of intelligence'
Interagency coordination burden across 10+ agencies with potentially competing statutory authorities
'Subject to availability of appropriations' in Sec. 7(a)(i) may limit actual implementation