What is one of the requirements concerning declassification set by Executive Order 13526?

One of the key requirements established by Executive Order 13526 is that automatic declassification occurs after 25 years unless a specific justification is provided to continue classification. This means that documents that have been classified for 25 years are presumed to be unclassified and will automatically be declassified unless a government agency asserts that the information still requires protection due to national security concerns or other valid reasons.

This rule helps ensure that information does not remain classified indefinitely without proper cause, promoting transparency and allowing historical access to information that may no longer pose a risk to national security. The provision for automatic declassification encourages agencies to review and assess the continued relevance of sensitive information over time, thereby systematically reducing the volume of classified material.

In contrast, the other options do not reflect the actual provisions in Executive Order 13526 regarding declassification processes, which clarify that declassification is not mandated annually, there is no blanket five-year declassification requirement for all classified documents, and declassification reviews are not limited to public requests but are part of the agencies’ responsibilities.