What it is

Proposal to set time limits on official secrets

Amendments step 3 of 7 · Unfinished

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 13 December 2019. 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 122/000006· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

The bill, introduced by the Basque Parliamentary Group (EAJ-PNV), proposes to reform the 1968 Official Secrets Act. It is not an approved law, only a text submitted to the Congress of Deputies (Congreso de los Diputados).
It proposes that every classified matter have a time limit: 25 years at most for secret matters and 10 for reserved ones. Only secret matters could be extended, exceptionally and with reasons, for another 10 years at most.
It proposes that only the Council of Ministers be able to classify and cancel matters. If the Congress or the Senate access classified information in a non-secret session, it would be automatically declassified.
It proposes that matters already classified be declassified when they meet the new time limits, and those that had already met them be declassified when the law takes effect. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).

Who it affects

The Government: It would be the only body able to classify matters and cancel their classification, and to exceptionally extend the time limits for secret matters.
The Congress of Deputies and the Senate: They would always have access to any classified information they request, under their own rules, and their access in a non-secret session would declassify the matter.
The media and private individuals: They would be notified when a matter is classified if it is expected they might come to know of it.

Words worth knowing

Materia clasificada (classified matter): Official information the Government considers secret or reserved and therefore not made public.
Consejo de Ministros (Council of Ministers): The meeting of all the Government's ministers, chaired by the prime minister.
Recurso contencioso-administrativo (judicial review appeal): An appeal filed with the courts to challenge decisions made by public authorities.

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 3 of 7 steps. It reached Amendments, and today it is unfinished.

Introduced13 December 2019Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
Admitted15 January 2020The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
Amendments17 July 2020Groups propose changes.
Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.

See the 9 official steps on a timeline

23 June 2020

How did the plenary vote?

More votes in favour 197 yes · 53 no · 99 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 1 of sitting 30· updated 11 Nov

Each dot is a seat. Tap one, or use the arrow keys, to see who it is.

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 Euskal Herria Bildu, Republicano, Socialista, Vasco (EAJ-PNV), Mixto, Gcup-ec-gc and GPlu. Against, most of VOX. 4 deputies voted differently from their group.

By province: in 35 most voted in favour; in 1, against.

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

In favour: 35
Against: 1
Abstained: 3
Tie: 13

Result by parliamentary group
Group	Seats	How it voted
Euskal Herria Bildu	5	5 in favour
Republicano	13	13 in favour
Socialista	120	120 in favour
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)	6	6 in favour
Mixto	9	5 in favour · 1 against · 2 abst. · 1 did not vote
Ciudadanos	10	10 abst.
Gcup-ec-gc	35	35 in favour
GPlu	12	12 in favour
Popular en el Congreso	88	1 in favour · 87 abst.
VOX	52	52 against

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:

XV Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Unfinished Bill proposes time limits for official state secrets

Presented before in:

XI Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Unfinished Bill proposes maximum time limits for declassifying official secrets
XII Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Unfinished Bill to set time limits on official secrets
XIII Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Unfinished Bill to set time limits on official secrets

Sources

Where does all this come from?

Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000006
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.

Retrieved 11 November 2026
Congreso de los Diputados, vote 1 of sitting 30
The count and every seat’s vote.

Retrieved 11 November 2026

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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