Memorandum on Effective Dates of Provisions in Title I of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004

Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of National Intelligence Subject: Effective Dates of Provisions in Title I of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004

Subsection 1097(a) of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458, December 17, 2004) (the Act) provides:

(a) IN GENERAL--Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, this title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Subsection 1097(a) clearly contemplates that one or more of the provisions in Title I of the Act may take effect earlier than the date that is 6 months after the date of enactment of the Act, but does not state explicitly the mechanism for determining when such earlier effect shall occur, leaving it to the President in the execution of the Act. Moreover, given that section 1097(a) evinces a legislative intent to afford the President flexibility, and such flexibility is constitutionally appropriate with respect to intelligence matters (see United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corporation, 299 U.S. 304 (1936)), the executive branch shall construe section 1097(a) to authorize the President to select different effective dates that precede the 6-month deadline for different provisions in Title I.

Therefore, pursuant to the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including subsection 1097(a) of the Act, I hereby determine and direct:

1. Sections 1097(a) and 1103 of the Act, relating respectively to effective dates of provisions and to severability, shall take effect immediately upon the signing of this memorandum to any extent that they have not already taken effect.

2. Provisions in Title I of the Act other than those addressed in numbered paragraph 1 of this memorandum shall take effect immediately upon the signing of this memorandum, except: (a) any provision in Title I of the Act for which the Act expressly provides the date on which the provision shall take effect; and (b) sections 1021 and 1092 of the Act, relating to the National Counter-terrorism Center.

The taking of effect of a provision pursuant to section 1097(a) of the Act and this memorandum shall not affect the construction of such provision by the executive branch as set forth in my Statement of December 17, 2004, upon signing the Act into law.

The Director of the Office of Management and Budget is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

George W. Bush