General Access Requirements. Except as provided in § 403.10(c), access to classified information shall be granted in accordance with the following:

Determination of Trustworthiness. No person shall be given access to classified information or material unless a favorable determination has been made as to his trustworthiness. The determination of eligibility, referred to as a security clearance, shall be based on such investigations as the Bank may require in accordance with the standards and criteria of applicable law and Executive orders.

Determination of Need to Know. In addition to a security clearance, a person must have a need for access to the particular classified information or material sought in connection with the performance of official duties or contractual obligations. The determination of that need shall be made by officials having responsibility for the classified information or material.

Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement. All persons with authorized access to classified information shall be required to sign a nondisclosure agreement, Standard Form 189, as a condition of access. This form shall be retained in the security file of the individual for 50 years.

Access by Historical Researchers and Former Presidential Appointees. The Bank shall obtain written agreements from requesters to safeguard the information to which they are given access as permitted by the Order and written consent to the Bank's review of their notes and manuscripts for the purpose of determining that no classified information is contained therein. A determination of trustworthiness is a pre-condition to a requester's access. If the access requested by historical researchers and former Presidential Appointees requires the rendering of services for which fair and equitable fees may be charged pursuant to title 5 of the Independent Offices Appropriations Act, 65 Stat. 290, 31 U.S.C. 483a (1976), the requester shall be so notified and the fees may be imposed.

Media Contacts. All contacts by members of the media which concern classified information shall be directed to the attention of the Security Officer, Room 1031, Export-Import Bank of the United States, 811 Vermont Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20571.

Dissemination. Except as otherwise provided by directives issued by the President through the National Security Council, classified information originating in another agency and in the possession of the Bank may not be disseminated outside the Bank without the consent of the originating agency.

Accountability Procedures. Dissemination of various levels of classified information or material shall be within the control and responsibility of designated control officers. Particularly stringent controls shall be placed on information and material classified as TOP SECRET.

TOP SECRET. Designated as TOP SECRET control officers are the Chairman, Vice Chairman and the Security Officer who alone have authority to receive TOP SECRET information for the Bank. Other personnel authorized in writing by the Chairman or Security Officer also may receive TOP SECRET information for the Bank. It shall be the responsibility of these individuals with respect to all TOP SECRET information:

To receive the material for the Bank;

To maintain registers which will reflect the routing of the material and the return thereof in a reasonable length of time for security storage;

To dispatch and make record of material disseminated to authorize persons outside the Bank;

To make a physical inventory of all material at least annually; and

To maintain current access records.

SECRET. Designated as SECRET control officers are the Security Officer and the Analysis, Records & Communications Manager, who have the responsibility with respect to all information classified in this category:

To receive the material for the Bank;

To maintain registers which will reflect the routing of the material and the return thereof in a reasonable length of time for security storage;

To dispatch and make record of material disseminated to authorized persons outside the Bank;

To maintain current access records.

CONFIDENTIAL. Designated as CONFIDENTIAL control officers are the Security Officer and the Analysis, Records & Communications Manager who have responsibility with respect to all information classified in this category:

To review material for the Bank;

To route the material to proper Bank offices;

To dispatch and make record of material disseminated to authorized persons outside the Bank;

To maintain current access records.

Storage. Classified information shall be stored only in facilities or under conditions adequate to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to it and in accordance with the Directive as well as General Services Administration standards and specifications. Reference may be made to 32 CFR 2001.41, 2001.43 for preliminary guidance regarding these standards and specifications.

Coversheets. Department of State (DSC) classified incoming cables are to be logged in and routed to the appropriate offices in double envelopes. When these cables are being used in various offices, classified coversheets must be used to protect the documents. This practice eliminates the possibility of inadvertently mixing classified with non-classified material, and promotes security awareness. Coversheets are obtainable from the Office of the Security Director.

Transmittal. (1) To be transmitted outside the Bank, all classified documents must be sent through the Security Office and have attached EIB Form 71-2, approved by one of the following: the President and Chairman, First Vice President and Vice Chairman, a Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Vice President or Security Officer.

Preparation and Receipting. Classified information shall be enclosed in opaque inner and outer covers before transmitting. The inner cover shall be a sealed wrapper or envelope plainly marked with the assigned classification and addresses of both sender and addressee. Transmittal documents shall indicate on their face the highest level of any information transmitted, and must clearly state whether or not the transmittal document itself is classified after removal of enclosures and attachments. The outer cover shall be sealed and addressed with no identification of the classification of its contents. A receipt shall be attached to or enclosed in the inner cover, except that CONFIDENTIAL information shall require a receipt only if the sender deems it necessary. The receipt shall identify the sender, addressee, and the document but shall contain no classified information. It shall be immediately signed by the recipient and returned to the sender. Any of these wrapping and receipting requirements may be waived by agency heads under conditions that will provide adequate protection and prevent access by unauthorized persons.

Transmittal of CONFIDENTIAL information. CONFIDENTIAL information shall be transmitted within and between the fifty States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories or possessions by one of the means established for higher classifications, or by United States Postal Service, certified first class, or express mail service, when prescribed by an agency head. Outside these areas, CONFIDENTIAL information shall be transmitted only as is authorized for higher classification levels.

Transmittal of TOP SECRET and SECRET information shall be in accordance with the Directive. Reference may be made to 32 CFR 2001.44 for preliminary guidance.

Destruction. Classified information no longer needed in working files or for record or reference purposes shall be processed for appropriate disposition in accordance with Chapters 21 and 33 of title 44 U.S.C., when govern disposition of Federal Records. All classified information approved for destruction must be torn and placed in containers designated as burnbags which are available through the Office Services Section of the Bank. Destruction of such information will be carried out by the Security Officer or a designee by use of a disintegrator or by burning. The method of destruction selected must preclude recognition or reconstruction of the classified information or material. Records of destruction will be maintained by the Security Office for TOP SECRET information and material with serialized markings or material for which there is a special need to record its destruction.

Reproduction controls. (1) Reproduction of classified documents is prohibited, except by personnel authorized in writing by the Chairman or Security Officer.

TOP SECRET documents may not be reproduced without the consent of the originating agency unless otherwise marked by the originating office.

Reproduction of SECRET and CONFIDENTIAL documents may be restricted by the originating agency.

Reproduced copies of classified documents are subject to the same accountability and controls as the original documents.

Records shall be maintained by the Security Officer to show the number and distribution or reproduced copies of all TOP SECRET documents, of all documents covered by special access programs distributed outside the originating agency, and all SECRET and all CONFIDENTIAL documents which are marked with special dissemination and reproduction limitations.