Citation[]
Intelligence Oversight Act of 1980 (Sept. 21, 1980).
Overview[]
The Act established the current Intelligence Community oversight structure by making the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) the only two oversight committees for intelligence activities. The Act provides that the heads of intelligence agencies will keep the oversight committees "fully and currently informed" of their activities including "any significant anticipated intelligence activity." The Act established detailed ground rules for reporting covert actions to Congress, in return for the number of congressional committees receiving notice of covert actions being limited to the two oversight committees.