FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

DOS - 656 - Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation - Statutory (Congress Created)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Advisory Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation	Agency Name	Department of State
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	656
Original Establishment Date	10/28/1991	Committee Status	Chartered
Actual Termination Date		Committee URL	https://history.state.gov/about/hac
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	9
Terminated This FY	No	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	Designated Federal Officer
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix
Current Charter Date	10/31/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Ashley
Date Of Renewal Charter	10/31/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name	Marie
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Schofield
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority		Designated Federal Officer Phone*	771-205-5663
Establishment Authority*	Statutory (Congress Created)	Designated Federal Officer Fax*
Specific Establishment Authority*	.22 U.S.C. §4356	Designated Federal Officer Email*	schofieldam@state.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	10/28/1991
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Non Scientific Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Continue
Legislation to Terminate Required	Not Applicable
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Committee ensures the Foreign Relations series compliance as required by statute and the timely and full implementation of 22 USC 4351, et. seq., by reviewing and approving the methodology for compilation and declassification; by providing expert advice on important declassification issues for the series; and by overseeing the Department's efforts to declassify and open its 30-year old and older documentation at the National Archives and to advise on reforming government-wide national security information management procedures.
How is membership balanced?*	22 USC 4356 requires appointment of six Committee members representing the six major national professional societies for American historians, diplomatic historians, political scientists, archivists, and international lawyers. These major national groups provide top-level, integrated scholarly insights and background on the use and evaluation of historical foreign affairs records. Three at-large members of the Committee further broaden the points of view available to the Department.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	22 USC 4356 (d) requires the Committee to meet at least quarterly a year and as frequently as may be necessary to carry out its responsibilities. The meetings have a significant impact on Department of State and government-wide actions and decisions that facilitate and improve the preparation and publication of the Foreign Relations of the United States series and public access to the Department of State's historical records.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	Committee members represent major national professional societies dedicated to scholarly research and teaching of U.S. history, diplomatic history, political science, and international affairs; with preservation of national documentary heritage; and with the study and practice of international law. The members bring to Committee meetings the organized, considered, and focused concerns and advice of their constituencies, which comprise nearly 30,000 historians, political scientists, archivists, and lawyers.
Why close or partially close meetings?	Each meeting must be partially closed while the Committee considers highly-classified and sensitive national security information from the Department of State and from other government agencies, including the White House, the CIA, and the Defense Department, proposed for inclusion in the Foreign Relations series. The Committee also discusses sensitive classification/declassification decisions that have an impact on the accuracy of the Foreign Relations series and on the declassification and opening of the Department's records at the National Archives.
Recommendation Remarks	Required by its Congressional mandate, the committee met to review and evaluate classified diplomatic and intelligence documents for possible inclusion in the Foreign Relations series and to evaluate the implementation by the Department of its requirement to open 25-year-old records to public examination at the National Archives, and to advise the Department on the preparation of the Foreign Relations series. The Department continues to work with the other agencies to expedite the declassification process and make it more efficient. These procedures ensure the full implementation of the statutory mandate to publish a Foreign Relations series that is "thorough, accurate and reliable." The Committee advises on improvement and innovation of the preparation and publication of the series in hard copy and online. Committee members closely monitor any reform. At meetings, the Committee is briefed by representatives from other Federal agencies with equity in the process to gain insight into the interagency declassification effort. President Donald J. Trump terminated all existing members on 4/30/2025. Therefore, the meetings were cancelled for June, September and December, while we are working to reconstitute the HAC.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	No	Action Reorganize Priorities*	Yes
Outcome Trust In Government	Yes	Action Reallocate Resources	No
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	No	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	Yes	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	Yes	Action Comment	NA
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	No	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	NA	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	NA	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*	26	Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The committee issued 1 conclusion/recommendations in their 2024 report which can be read online; https://networks.h-net.org/group/discussions/20040269/report-advisory-committee-historical-diplomatic-documentation-january-1. The Historical Advisory Committee completes their annual report in June, of the following new fiscal year. This information reflects 2024.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*	29.63%	Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	From 2017 to 2024 there have been 8 out of 27 recommendations that have been fully implemented. The Historical Advisory Committee completes their annual report in June, of the following new fiscal year. The information in this report reflects 2024.	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*	44.40%	Access Publications	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	From 2017 to 2024 there have been 12 out of 27 recommendations that have been partially implemented. The Historical Advisory Committee completes their annual report in June, of the following new fiscal year. The information in this report reflects 2024.	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	N/A
Agency Feedback Comment*	The agency provides feedback at meetings of the Committee. The public can obtain information about the feedback in the Committee’s Meeting Notes: https://history.state.gov/about/hac/meeting-notes.	Narrative Description*	The Committee on Historical Diplomatic Documentation supports the Department of State's mission by providing oversight to the Foreign Relations series and the opening of the Department's historical records disseminated to the global community through print and electronic publications. The Historical Advisory Committee reviews records, advises, and makes recommendations to the Office of the Historian, concerning the Foreign Relations of the United States documentary series. The Committee oversees the overall compilation and editorial process of the series and advises on all aspects of the preparation and declassification of the series. Although the Committee does not review the contents of all individual volumes, it does monitor the overall process and makes recommendations on particular issues that are brought to its attention. The Committee also reviews the declassification procedures of the Department of State, all guidelines used in the declassification process, and, by random sampling, documents representative of all Department of State records that remain classified after 25 years.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*	$26,457.95	1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*	$30,000.00
2. Payments to Federal Members*	$0.00	2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*	$0.00
3. Payments to Federal Staff*	$114,373.80	3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*	$117,780.00
4. Payments to Consultants*	$0.00	4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*	$0.00
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*	$18,073.03	5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*	$25,200.00
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*	$0.00	6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*	$0.00
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*	$0.00	7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*	$0.00
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*	$0.00	8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*	$0.00
10. Other Costs		10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*
11. Total Costs	$159,923.41	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$175,080.00
Date Cost Last Modified	9/26/2025 10:32 AM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*	2.00
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*	2.00	Est Cost Remarks	Estimated $1500 for Federal Register notices because we have to renew our Chapter in 2026 and will hopefully have new committee members so we can resume our quarterly meetings.
Cost Remarks	The numbers are using FY2024 actuals.

Interest Areas

Category Area Education Education Schools and Academic Institutions Government Federal Government Housing and Urban International Programs, Studies, and Diplomacy International International Economic Policy International Law International Organizations Research Basic Research Social Sciences History

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