[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 6, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 6CFR7.20]

[Page 37]
 
                       TITLE 6--HOMELAND SECURITY
 
   CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
 
PART 7_CLASSIFIED NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION--Table of Contents
 
                    Subpart B_Classified Information
 
Sec.  7.20  Classification and declassification authority.


    (a) Top Secret original classification authority may only be 
exercised by the Secretary of Homeland Security and by officials to whom 
such authority is delegated in writing by the Secretary. The Chief 
Security Officer, as the Senior Agency Official, is delegated authority 
to originally classify information up to and including Top Secret. No 
official who is delegated Top Secret original classification authority 
by the Secretary may further delegate such authority.
    (b) The Chief Security Officer may delegate Secret and Confidential 
original classification authority to other officials determined to have 
frequent need to exercise such authority. No official who is delegated 
original classification authority by the Secretary or the Chief Security 
Officer may further delegate such authority.
    (c) Officials authorized to classify information at a specified 
level are also authorized to classify information at a lower level. In 
the absence of an official authorized to exercise classification 
authority, the person designated to act in lieu of such official may 
exercise the official's classification authority.