HOUSE PANEL OKS SPY-DISCLOSURE FINES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160060-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 1, 2010
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: September 4, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160060-4
B,' _ T E'--)R _'UN,
4 3epteirber 1980
Liberals' amendments spitrrter
~ se panel
From'Mre services
5
"d Ii scl .0"
discios re es
such publications as the Covert Action
Washington-The House of Represent-
atives Judiciary Committee yesterday ap-
proved a bill that would make it a crime
to reveal the identity of U.S. undercover
intelligence agents.
The 21-8 vote to send the measure to
the full House for action followed the re-
jection of amendments aimed at weaken-
ing provisions liberal Democrats said
would impose unconstitutional restrictions
on journalists. , >
Supporters of the measure said the
amendments would have made the bill
worthless.
Backers of the bill are hoping for a
prompt vote on the House floor with Con-
gress planning to recess October 3. A simi-
lar bill already has been passed by the
Senate Intelligence Committee.
The bill is aimed largely at suppressing
telligence Agency journal printed in the
United States, which regularly discloses
the names of CIA officers abroad.
It was given impetus by a July 4 ma-
chine-gun attack on the home of a CIA sta-
tion chief in Jamaica after his name had
been disclosed by a Covert Action editor.
Today's vote reflected widespread fear
in Congress that the intelligence commu-
nity has been weakened by restrictions
and attacks on it and needs protection to
do its job.
Supporters of the measure cited "a
clear and present danger" to U.S. intelli-
gence agents abroad that had to be met.
Under the bill, anyone who "with the
intent to impair or impede the foreign in-
telligence activities of the United States"
identifies a U.S. covert agent could be sen-
tenced to up to three years in prison and
Disclosure of an agent's identity by
current or former government employees
with legitimate access to classified data
could result in a. 10-year sentence and a
$50,000 fine.
Before voting on the measure, the com-
mittee rejected a subcommittee's substi-
tute bill that wo;dd have restricted penal-
ties to past or present government em-
ployees.
The panel then defeated an amendment
that would have removed criminal penal-
ties for publication of information on
agents' identities that was already in the
public domain;
Proponents of the amendment said if a
journalist obtained secret information
from a public Library, it would be the
CIA's fault for allowing it to get there.
Finally, the committee defeated an
amendment that would have removed
from the bill protection for covert FBI
agents within the United States.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP90-00845R000100160060-4