50 USC § 3355 - Findings

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t50/s3355"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "50 USC § 3355 - Findings"
title_number: 50
title_name: "WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE"
section_number: "3355"
section_name: "Findings"
chapter_number: 45
chapter_name: "MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AUTHORITIES"
subchapter_number: "III–A"
subchapter_name: "PUBLIC INTEREST DECLASSIFICATIONS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 106–567, title VII, § 702, Dec. 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 2856.)"
---


# § 3355. Findings

Congress makes the following findings:

**(1)** It is in the national interest to establish an effective, coordinated, and cost-effective means by which records on specific subjects of extraordinary public interest that do not undermine the national security interests of the United States may be collected, retained, reviewed, and disseminated to Congress, policymakers in the executive branch, and the public.

**(2)** Ensuring, through such measures, public access to information that does not require continued protection to maintain the national security interests of the United States is a key to striking the balance between secrecy essential to national security and the openness that is central to the proper functioning of the political institutions of the United States.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 106–567, title VII, § 702, Dec. 27, 2000, 114 Stat. 2856.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly set out in a note under .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

> “This title [enacting this subchapter] shall take effect on the date that is 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [
> 
> ].”

, , , as amended by , , ; , , ; , , ; , , ; , , , provided that:

### Short Title

For short title of title VII of , which enacted this subchapter, as the “Public Interest Declassification Act of 2000”, see , set out as a note under .

### Status of Board

> **“(1)** the Public Interest Declassification Board shall be deemed to not have terminated for purposes of the appointment of members to the Board;
> 
> **“(2)** section 703(h) of such Act [50 U.S.C. 3355a(h)] shall not apply with respect to the period beginning on December 31, 2018, and ending on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
> 
> **“(3)** the length of the terms of the members serving on the Board as of December 30, 2018, shall be calculated by not counting the period specified in paragraph (2).”

, , , provided that:

> “The provisions of this title shall expire on
> 
> .”

[Prior to being struck out by , , , section 710(b) of the Public Interest Declassification Act of 2000 (), referred to in the introductory provisions of , set out above, provided that: 
 Section 710 of the Act was formerly set out in a note under , and was editorially transferred and is now set out as an Effective Date note above.]