[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR8.27]

[Page 76]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
          Subtitle A--Office of the Secretary of Transportation
 
PART 8_CLASSIFIED INFORMATION: CLASSIFICATION/DECLASSIFICATION/ACCESS
--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart C_Access to Information
 
Sec.  8.27  Public availability of declassified information.

    (a) It is a fundamental policy of the Department to make information 
available to the public to the maximum extent permitted by law. 
Information that is declassified for any reason loses its status as 
material protected in the interest of national security. Accordingly, 
declassified information will be handled in every respect on the same 
basis as all other unclassified information. Declassified information is 
subject to the Departmental public information policies and procedures, 
with particular reference to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 
552) and implementing Departmental regulations (49 CFR Part 7).
    (b) In furtherance of this policy, all classified material produced 
after June 1, 1972 that is of sufficient historical or other value to 
warrant preservation as permanent records in accordance with appropriate 
records administrative standards, and that becomes declassified, will be 
systematically reviewed prior to the end of each calendar year for the 
purpose of making the material publicly available. To the maximum extent 
possible without destroying the integrity of the Department's files, all 
such material will be segregated or set aside for public release upon 
request.