Executive Order 10656—Establishing the President's Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, and in order to enhance the security of the United States and the conduct of its foreign affairs by furthering the availability of intelligence of the highest order, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1. There is hereby established the President's Board of Consultants on Foreign Intelligence Activities, hereinafter referred to as the President's Board. The members of the President's Board shall be appointed by the President, from among persons outside the Government and on the basis of ability, experience, and knowledge of matters relating to the national defense and security, and shall serve without compensation, but may receive transportation and per-diem allowances as authorized by law for persons serving without compensation. SEC. 2. The President's Board shall conduct an objective review of the foreign intelligence activities of the Government and of the performance of the functions of the Central Intelligence Agency and shall report its findings to the President semi-annually or at more frequent intervals as the President's Board may deem appropriate. Such reports shall embrace the quality of the foreign intelligence provided to the Executive Branch of the Government, the performance by the Central Intelligence Agency of its functions, the performance of their respective foreign intelligence functions by the principal intelligence elements of executive departments and other agencies, and any other related foreign intelligence matter which the President's Board deems appropriate. SEC. 3. The members of the President's Board, individually and sitting as the President's Board, shall consult from time to time with the Director of Central Intelligence concerning the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency and with intelligence elements of other departments and agencies. The Director of Central Intelligence and the intelligence elements concerned are authorized to make available to the President's Board or to its individual members any information concerning foreign intelligence activities relating to the national interest which the President's Board or its members may require to fulfill their responsibilities to the President under this order. SEC. 4. Each member of the President's Board shall execute an undertaking not to reveal any classified information obtained by virtue of his service on the President's Board except to the President or to such persons as the President may designate. SEC. 5. The transportation and per-diem allowances referred to in section 1 of this order, and any other expenditures arising in connection with the activities of the President's Board, shall be paid from the appropriation appearing under the heading "Special Projects" in Title I of the General Government Matters Appropriation Act, 1956 (Public Law 110, approved June 29, 1955), without regard to the provisions of section 3681 of the Revised Statutes and section 9 of the Act of March 4, 1909, 35 Stat. 1027, (31 U.S.C. 672 and 673). SEC. 6. This order shall be effective as of January 13, 1956. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE, February 6, 1956.