FORM: FAX TRANSMITTAL: NEW DEADLINE FOR RESPONSES OS C.O.B. 3 JUNE 97/NARA TESTIMONY ON HR 1553 EXTENSION OF THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE ARRB
Originator: CIA
From: OCA
To: ED COHEN
Document date: 06/02/1997
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

jun- 32-97 ,05:35p Congressional Affairs

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P .01

SCA

INTEILIGENCE AGENCY

UNCLASSIFIED FACSIMILE TRANSMITTAL FORM

DATE:

2 June 1997

NO. OF PAGES 11

TO :

Ed Cohen

FAXi

703-613-3020

Lee strickland

FAX:

703-513-3007

Leonard smitt

- CIA/OCA

FROM:

COMMENTS :

NEW DEADLINE FOR

C. 0. B

3 JunE 97.

(Phone: 703-482-8824)

RESPONSES

6/3197-Brenda-

Breada from fees. Ofice.

deopped this off they wale

daw o let Leonard Swith

Know that eveyone was in

a carf yestuday i today.

JB

this.

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congressional Affairs

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P. 02

Ollice of

Congressional

A1QI85

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

UNCLASSIFIED FACSIMILE TRANSMITTAL FORM

DATE:

2 June 1997

NO. OF PAGES 11

TO:

Bob caudle

FAX: 703-874-3208

BEUCE Burke

FAX: 703-874-3208

FROM:

Leonard smith, CIA/OCA

(FAX:

703-428-5841)

(Phone: 703-482-8824)

COMMENTS:

Thanks.

Please make an additional copy for Bruce Burke.

Leonard Smith

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Toral Pagos:

LRM ID: JAW106

TO:

FROM:

OMB CONTACT:

SUBJECT:

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET

Washingson, D.C. 20503-0001

Friday, May 30, 1997

LEGISLATIVE REFERRAL MEMORANDUM

Legislative Liaison Officer - Sce Distribution below

James J. Jukes (for) Assistant Director for Logislativa Reference

M. Jill Gibbons

PHONE: (202)395-7593 FAX: (202)395-3109

National Archives and Records Administrallon Testimony on HR1553

Extencion of the Authorizatlon for tha Assassination Racorde Raviow Board

DEADLINE:

2PM Monday, Juna 2, 1997

In accordance with OMB Circular A-19, OMB raquasts tho viows of your agency on the above

subject before advising on its relationship to the program of the President. Please advise us it this

Hem will affect direct spending or rocoipts for purposes of the "Pay-Ax-YOU-Go" provisions of Tillo

XIll of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990.

COMMENTS: A copy of HR 1553 is anclosed.

DISTRIBUTION LIST

AGENCIES:

29-DEFENSE - Samuel T. Brick Jr. - 1703) 697-1305-Parz2 5

51-General Services Administration - William R. Ratchford - (202) 501-0563

61-JUSTICE - Andrew Fois - (202) 514-2141

State

CIA

NSC

EOP:

Robert W. Schroeder

Ken Schwartz

Louisa Koch

Kim Newman

Maya Bernstein

Julie L. Haas

Jim Murr

Steve Aitken

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Stasamone of

Steven D. Tilley, Chief of the Access and Froodam of Iaforation Starf

National Archives and Records Administration

Boforo tho

Subcommittoe on National Security, International Affairs, and Criminal Justice

Committee on Government Reform and Oversighs

House of Representatives

Juno 1, 1907

Mr. Chairman, I am Steven D. Tilley, Chief of the Access and Freedom of laformation Act Staff

of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). I wish to thank you for the

opportunity to testify today on behalf of NARA in suppont of H.R. 1553, which will extend the

authorization of the John F. Kennady Asrassination Racords Reviaw Rnard for one year to

September 3U, 19Y8. I am appearing roday la my capacily as NARA's Chief of tho Prodidom Joha

F. Kennedy Assassination Records Colloction. In that role I am charged with implementing

NARA's responsibilities under the Act and I serve as NARA's liaison to the Assassination

Records Review Board (ARRB). This afternoon I would like to tell you a little bit of my

background oonoarning rocords.of the ascapsination nf President Keanody, explain the role of

NAKA in implementing the ACt, and outline why the National Archives end Records

Administration supports passage of this important piece of legislation."

Mr. Chairman, my career ae an archivist has involved working with some of the most sensitive

and bighly classifiod rocords of our Govemmant. I nversaw the closing of the office of the

Watergate Spocial Proseculion Furus (WSPF) and suparvisod tho tranafor of thace rocorde to pac i

Natioaal Archives in 1977. I workod with the records of the WSPF for more than 11 years,

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serving for most uf lust liut as the sonior archivist for thono secords. I also parvod as the senior

archivist for the rocords of the National Security Council (NSC) following the transfer of the NSC

records of the Trumen and Eisenhower Administrations in 1983. In 1989 I joined the slaff of the

National Socurity Council, where I served as Director of Freedom of Information AcuPrisacy Act

Activities and later as NSC's Director of laformation Disclosure with responsibility for all

disclosure aulivilios of the NSC. In 1993, I rotumod to NARA to bocomo the Chief of the JFK

Colloction, and I have servod in that capacity ever since. I became the Chlet of the Aluess suil

FOLA Staff in January of this year.

Tinder the IFK Act, NARA hed several major responsibilities. Three of these requirements,

lowever, provod to be central to the work of the Assassination Rocords Ravinw Bourd. On first

responsibility was to formally establish the President John F. Kennody Assessivation Rocords

Collection which we accomplished with the publication of an announcement in the Esderal

Register on Dosember 21, 1992. As establishod on that date, the Colloction ouly consistod of

open records already in NARA's custody, primarily the records of the Warren Commission.

Socandly, within 45 days of the statute boing signed, NARA was requirod to prepare and make

available standard identiúcation forms for use by all guveliant offces in dosaribing assassination

reoords and to creato a database of these forms 10 serve as an electronic finding aid to the stK

Collection. Our third responsibility, which we shared with other government officos, was to

identify, reviow, and make available to the public all assassination records that could be disclosed

under tho provisions of the law within a 300 day review periad Descriptions of all rocords

reviowed were roquired to be entered into the dalbist, Wrors they would be mado widoty

available to the public.

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As the end of the rovic poriod in August 1993, newly seleased records were made available for

rescarch, including most of Loc Harvey Urwald's 201 Personality file, part of the Coulial

Intelligonce Agency's "segregated collection" of assassination related documents, and the rocords

of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. The database was also available for use by

researchers on that day.

When tho ARRB members were confirmed by the Senate in April, 1994, uy staff and I bogen to

work with tho Board and later with the Board's staff, to provido information on the records in

the Collaction a thai time, the development and usc of the database, our contacts and discussions

with other agencies involved in searchos for astassination related documents, and the existence of

assassination rocorde in the custody of private repositories or individuals. The ARRB and NARA

have maintained an excellent working relationalip luvugh the J years of the Board's existence,

and I would like to think that this close relationship has in somc way contributed to the success of

the ARRB.

NARA arthusiastically supports passage of H.R. 1553 to extend the ARRB's authorization. Our

mission is not unlike that of the ARRB, lu easure roady acocss to assantial do cumourasy

evidence. In the Board's case the essential evidenco is any rocords relating to the assassination of

President Kennedy. In our case essential evidence consists of all fodoral and presidential records

that documout the rights of American citizens, the actions of federal officials, and the national

oxparionos. The Review Board needs the sime designatod in this bill to complere its important

work in making avallable as compitle su historical rocord as ponsiblo ooscorning the

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assassisation of Presidont Kennody. Wo would like to offer for your consideration some staristics

and facts to demonstrale the success of the board and suppor is one-year extension.

The John F. Kennody Assassination Records Collection today bears little resemblance to tho

Collection that was established in December 1992. As that time, the Collection consisted of

approximately 450 oubio fact of rooorde from a few agencias. Today, the Collaction has grown to

more than 1,600 cubic feet of recorde or 3.75 million pages from more than 30 dillordut

goverment offces. Those numbers are a testament to the work of the Review Board in

obtaining the cooperation of the entiro Foderal goverment in this important task.

The ARRB has not only suoceeded in obtaining the cooperation of the Federal agencies but has

aiso nogotiated the donation of very important rovords lial were previously held in privatc hands.

Donations have includod the relatod papers of James Garrison and Edward Wegmanz, the

prosecutor and defense attorney in the conspiracy trial of Clay Shaw, and the papers of J. Loe

Rankin, the General Counsel and Chiaf of Staff of the Warren Commission Copies of the papors

of Sonator Richard Russell, a member of the Warren Commiasion, that were donated to the

University of Goorgia are being rovicwel aud wa hope will bo made part of the Collostion in che

near future with the agreement of the University. For the information of the l'ommittoo, Mr.

Chairman, I have attachod to my testimony a copy of the Register of the Collection, which lists

the major groups of Federal records and private papers, along with the supplemental lirting of FBI

files.

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Not only lens the Cullection increasod dramatically in sirc, the signifoonco of tha recorde in the

Collection cannot be overestimated. In addition to the records of numerous Executive branch

agencies and officos, tho records of rolovant Congressional commitices, relatod court cases, and

records donated by privato entities are available in the Colloction.. This rich docurrentation is

senrchable restronically, giving researchers the ability to sock out documents concerning a topic,

poTsUl, us Eveal, or even individual documents, not only a NAPA's Collogo Park facility, but

from their own personal computer through the imemnot. Equally important, the Colloction

provides researchers with a view of how our goverument worked during this period in history, as

the documents reflect not only the operations of goverament as the offices and agencies reacted to

the death of the President bur also how thore ofices and agencies were operating in regard lo

other events that are ralated to tho assassination, such as the campaign to doriabilize the

govemmont of Cuba or tho FBl's mvostigation of various organizod crime agures. Perlinus lis

unique window on the operations of these agencies may be the most important rosull of the

development of the Colloction.

Furthermore, tha Colloction cartinuer to grow. Additional FBI rocords will he added in the

wooks and months ahead. Hecords of the Departments of the Army and Navy and the Joint

Chiafs of Staff are currently under reviow. The addition of these records will only add to the

richness, of the Colloction and increase its value lo the genoral research community.

Public demand for thoro rovords is the ultimate evidence of the the value of the Cnlloction.

Reference requosts have risen in mumber every year since the Culloiliul upeued with new rocordo

in August 1993. This your we have already roccivod close to 600 written inquiries, an increase of

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6)

30% over this time last year. The number of infliries on nur computer website is also steadily

increasing. Since March, 1996 when the Culletlius was made available through the NARA

website, the assassination records havo been accessed over 100,000 times by the publio. Many of

the written inquirios we receive include copies of record idemification forms taken from the

datebase, showing that the rasearcher has accessed our website and downloaded information. The

availability of the database via the. Internet remains one of the most important developmonts ther

have come from this prucess.

Dut to the exceptional work of the John P. Kennedy Assassination Reoords Rovow Board, great

progress has been made on making available as completo a rocord es possible on the history of the

ascessination of John Kennedy. Without the focus, integrity, and exportice of the ARRB, the

Collection would nut have the size, quality, or public demand wiracased today. However, tbere is

still much to do. NARA supports passage of HR 19S3 so that this important work can be

completed.

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105TH CONGRESS

IST SESSION

H. R. 1553

To rmend the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Colleclion

Act of 1992 to extend the authorization of the Assassination Records

Revica Board until September 30, 1998.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MaY 8, 1997

Mr. BURTON of Indiana (for himsell, Mr. WASMAN, and Mr. STOREs) intro-

duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Govern-

ment Reform and Oversight, and in addition to ihe Committee on the Ju-

diciary, for a period to be subraquently delermined by the Spcaker, in

each case for consideration of such provisions as full within the juriedic.

tion of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the President Jobn F. Kennedy Assassination

Records Collection Act of 1992 to estend the authoriza-

tion of the Assassination Records Review Board until

September 30, 1998.

1

• Be it enacted. by the Senate and House of Representa-

2 tives uf the United States of America in Congress assembled,

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1 SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF ASSAS-

2

SINATION RECORDS REVIEW BOARD.

3

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination

4 Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 U.S.C. 2107 note) is

5 amended-

6°

(1) in section 7(o)(1), by striking "September

7

30, 1996" and all that follows through the end of

8

the paragraph and inserting "September 30, 1998.";

9

and

10

11

12

13

(2) in section 13(a), by striking "such sums"

and all that follow's through "expended" and insert-

ing "to carry out the provisions of this Act

$1,600,000 for Escal ycar 1998".

•FOR 1558 DA

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