Designation Under Executive Order 12958
Headline: Secretary of Health and Human Services Authorized to Classify Secret Information
What it does: The order directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to classify information originally designated as "Secret".
- Gives the head of the federal health department authority to classify 'Secret' information.
- Allows delegation of classification power only following the cited rule.
- Changes how national security materials are handled at the health department.
Summary
This order gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to classify information that was originally labeled "Secret" under the government's rules for classified national security information.
It affects the head of the federal health department and any officials they delegate this power to, and it requires delegations to follow the specified provision of the classification order. This matters because it changes who at the health department can make formal classification decisions about national security-related materials.
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