From OMB Watch:
On Nov. 5, the House Judiciary Committee began markups on a bill that would codify standards for when and how the executive branch may apply the state secrets privilege in civil litigation. Although the Obama administration has promised certain limitations on its own use of the privilege, civil liberties and open government groups continue to call for legislation to address the privilege. Ultimately, the committee approved the bill on an 18-12 vote and referred the legislation to the full House.
The State Secrets Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 984) was introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). The purpose of the bill is to allow executive branch secrecy claims to be examined in a secure manner. The markup was the first time the committee had addressed the issue since the bill was referred to it in June.