50 U.S.C. § 3352a — Reports and plans relating to security clearances and background investigations

(a) Congress states that—(1) keeping the Federal Government’s workforce, facilities, and information trustworthy and secure is a highest priority for national security and public safety; (2) the President and Congress should prioritize modernizing the personnel-security framework to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability; (3) the current system for security-clearance background investigations, employment suitability and fitness, and credentialing lacks the efficiency and capabilities needed for today’s threats, for recruiting and keeping a trusted workforce, and for using modern technology; and (4) policy or process changes to improve the system should be reviewed through the Council^* to ensure standardization, portability, and reciprocity^* of security clearances throughout the Federal Government.

(b)(1) Within 90 days after December 20, 2019, the Council must submit to the appropriate congressional committees^* and make available to appropriate industry partners—(A) a plan, with milestones, to reduce the background-investigation inventory to 200,000 or another sustainable steady level by the end of 2020. The plan must note any needed changes to investigative or adjudicative standards or resources; and (B) a plan to consolidate security-clearance background investigations in the most effective and efficient way within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. That plan must address funding, personnel, contracts, information technology, field-office structure, policy, governance, schedule, transition costs, and effects on stakeholders.

(b)(2)(A) Within 180 days after December 20, 2019, the Chairman of the Council, coordinating with Council members, must submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to appropriate industry partners a report on the future of personnel security that reflects changes in threats, the workforce, and technology.

(b)(2)(B) The report must include—(i) a risk framework for granting and renewing access to classified information; (ii) discussion of technologies used to prevent, detect, and monitor threats; (iii) discussion of efforts concerning reciprocity and portability; (iv) discussion of effective insider-threat programs; (v) analysis of how to combine data from continuous vetting^*, insider-threat programs, and human-resources data; and (vi) recommendations about interagency governance.

(b)(3) Within 180 days after December 20, 2019, the Chairman of the Council, coordinating with Council members, must submit to the appropriate congressional committees and make available to appropriate industry partners a plan to implement the framework and recommendations in the report under paragraph (2)(A).

(b)(4) At least quarterly, the Security Executive Agent^* must make a public report about the status and disposition of requests from Federal departments and agencies seeking a change to, or approval under, the Federal investigative standards, national adjudicative guidelines, continuous vetting, or another national personnel-security policy.