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What it is

Bill to set time limits on official secrets

Committee step 4 of 7 · Unfinished

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 7 September 2016. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Vasco (EAJ-PNV).

Official title: Private member's bill amending Law 9/1968, of April 5, on official secrets.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000021· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill, introduced by the Basque Parliamentary Group (EAJ-PNV), proposes to reform the 1968 Official Secrets Law. It is not an approved law, only a text filed in the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados).
  2. The bill would require every classified matter to have a validity period: at most 25 years for secret matters and 10 for reserved ones. Only the Council of Ministers could grant an exceptional, reasoned extension for secret matters, for at most 10 more years.
  3. It would give the Council of Ministers the exclusive power to classify or cancel a matter. Also, if the Congress or the Senate access classified information in a non-secret session, the matter would be automatically declassified.
  4. The bill includes a transitional provision: matters already classified would be declassified when they meet the new deadlines, and those that had already met them when the law takes effect would be declassified immediately.

Who it affects

  • The Government and the Council of Ministers: They would be the only body able to classify matters and extend deadlines for secret ones.
  • The Congress of Deputies and the Senate: They would always have access to any classified information they request, under their own rules.
  • The media and private individuals: They would be notified when a matter is declared classified and could come to their knowledge.

Words worth knowing

Materia clasificada (classified matter)
Official information whose disclosure is restricted for State security reasons. It can be 'secreta' (secret) or 'reservada' (reserved).
Consejo de Ministros (Council of Ministers)
The body made up of the Prime Minister and the ministers, which makes the Government's main decisions.
Recurso contencioso-administrativo
A court appeal used to challenge decisions made by the public administration.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 4 of 7 steps. It reached Committee, and today it is unfinished.

  1. Introduced7 September 2016Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted12 September 2016The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments16 December 2016Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee21 March 2018A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 10 official steps on a timeline
Dec 2016Dec 2017Dec 201811. 7 September 2016: Presentación22. 12 September 2016: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 12/09/2016 hasta 16/09/201633. 12 September 2016: Calificación44. 16 September 2016: Gobierno Contestación desde 16/09/2016 hasta 24/10/201655. 24 October 2016: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 24/10/2016 hasta 29/11/201666. 29 November 2016: Mesa del Congreso Acuerdo subsiguiente a la toma en consideración desde 29/11/2016 hasta 13/12/201677. 13 December 2016: Comisión Constitucional Publicación desde 13/12/2016 hasta 16/12/201688. 16 December 2016: Comisión Constitucional Enmiendas desde 16/12/2016 hasta 21/03/201899. 21 March 2018: Comisión Constitucional Informe desde 21/03/2018 hasta 05/03/20191010. 5 March 2019: Concluido - (Caducado) desde 05/03/2019 hasta 27/03/2019

29 November 2016

How did the plenary vote?

More votes in favour 169 yes · 3 no · 162 abst.

Voted on: Private member's bill of the Basque Parliamentary Group (EAJ-PNV), on the reform of Law 9/1968, of April 5, on official secrets.

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, vote 2 of sitting 17· updated 10 Nov

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Your province

How did the deputies from your province vote?

And your senators: the Senate does not link its votes to this law in its open data, so we cannot put them side by side here.

Or see how most of each province voted
More details: how each group and each province voted

The groups

Who voted in favour and who against?

In favour, most of Socialista, Vasco (EAJ-PNV), Mixto, Gcup-ec-em and GER. 5 deputies voted differently from their group.

By province: in 15 most voted in favour; in 0, against.

Coloured by how most of each province’s deputies voted.

  • In favour: 15
  • Against: 0
  • Abstained: 24
  • Tie: 13
Result by parliamentary group
GroupSeatsHow it voted
Socialista84
84 in favour
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)4
4 in favour
Mixto19
14 in favour · 2 abst. · 3 did not vote
Ciudadanos32
32 abst.
Gcup-ec-em67
60 in favour · 7 did not vote
GER9
7 in favour · 2 did not vote
Sin grupo4
1 against · 3 abst.
Popular en el Congreso130
2 against · 125 abst. · 3 did not vote

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

It was presented again:

Presented before in:

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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