Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP)
The independent U.S. government panel that decides appeals over classification and declassification, including mandatory declassification review denials and agency classification challenges.
The Interagency Security Classification Appeals Panel (ISCAP) is the independent body, established under Executive Order 13526, that resolves disputes in the classification system. It provides a check on agency decisions to keep information classified.
ISCAP decides several kinds of appeals: denials of mandatory declassification review requests, classification challenges, and certain agency exemptions from automatic declassification. Because it can overrule an agency and order information released, ISCAP is an important avenue for researchers and the public seeking access to classified records that an agency has declined to declassify. Its existence reinforces the principle that classification is meant to be temporary and subject to review.