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H.R. 235 105th Congress House

War Crimes Disclosure Act

Official title: To amend title 5, United States Code, and the National Security Act of 1947 to require disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act regarding certain individuals.

Introduced: April 30, 1997 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics AliensArmed Forces and National SecurityCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCounterintelligence
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Crime and Law EnforcementData banksEuropeFreedom of informationGermanyGovernment publicationsHistoryHuman rightsImmigrationInformersIntelligence officersInternational AffairsJewish holocaust (1939-1945)National socialismPolitical persecutionRacial discriminationReligionReligious libertyScience, Technology, CommunicationsWar crimesWorld War II
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 28, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.
Jan 16, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology.
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to House Judiciary
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to House Intelligence (Permanent)
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, and in addition to the Committees on Intelligence (Permanent Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to House Government Reform
Jan 7, 1997
Introduced in House
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 Latest action January 28, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

War Crimes Disclosure Act - Requires disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of any matter in the possession or control of specified Federal agencies that relates to any individual who participated in the persecution of any person because of race, religion, national origin, or political opinion at the direction of, or in association with, the Nazi government of Germany.

Provides disclosure exceptions, such as for: (1) personnel and medical files and similar files; (2) the protection of intelligence agents; (3) informants; (4) compelling national security reasons; or (5) any portion of any matter that does not relate to any individual who committed Nazi war crimes and is reasonably segregable from other portions of the matter that relate to such individual. Requires disclosure of information that can be reasonably separated from excepted information.

Amends the National Security Act of 1947 to provide that the exemption from public disclosure authorized under such Act for operational files of the Central Intelligence Agency required to be disclosed under FOIA shall not apply to information regarding Nazi war crimes participants.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 5
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Democratic 2
D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Apr 30, 1997
FROST, MARTIN
· Apr 23, 1997
LAMPSON, NICK
· Apr 23, 1997
DEUTSCH, PETER
· Feb 5, 1997
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Feb 5, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 235: War Crimes Disclosure Act. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-235/
MLA
"H.R. 235: War Crimes Disclosure Act." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-235/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 235, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-235/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 235: War Crimes Disclosure Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-235/)
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