Certification Regarding Disclosure of Information in Certain Records Related to the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

President Biden issued the final required certification under the 1992 JFK Assassination Records Collection Act, authorizing continued withholding of a small number of redacted records where release would harm military defense, intelligence, law enforcement, or foreign relations. All other previously withheld information not covered by this certification must be released by June 30, 2023, and the National Declassification Center must continue using agency Transparency Plans for future phased disclosures as harms dissipate.

Federal Register Open PDF 88 FR 43247

Impact dates

Jun 30, 2023
Release of withheld information not subject to section 3 certification

Key directives

Certify continued postponement of specific redacted information under section 5(g)(2)(D) of the Act
Release all other withheld information not subject to certification by June 30, 2023
Direct NDC to continue using agency Transparency Plans for future reviews of postponed information
Authorize Archivist to publish memorandum in Federal Register

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Certification takes effect withholding specified redacted information from public disclosure

Near term (90d)

Release of all non-certified withheld information by June 30, 2023

Long term

Ongoing phased disclosure of postponed information via Transparency Plans as harms dissipate

Risks & tensions

Transparency advocates may criticize continued withholding despite decades-old event
Statutory standard requires balancing public interest against national security harms—threshold for withholding remains high but is met here per presidential determination
Vague timeline for future Transparency Plan releases; no fixed dates for eventual full disclosure