Hill Bill Requires DHS to Report on Clearances for State/Local Officials

H.R. 130, dubbed “The Smarter Funding for All of America’s Homeland Security Act of 2007, introduced by Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), imposes on the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) several reporting requirements related to the issuance of security clearances to state and local homeland security officials. The initiative is likely the result of complaints of impediments to cooperation with DHS.

Section 899a of the Bill would require annual reports to Congress on:

• The number and level of security clearances granted by Federal agencies to State and local government officials;

• The number of State and local government officials who have sought to be cleared by Federal agencies for such access;

• The number of instances in which State and local government officials were granted by Federal agencies situational access to classified information based only on signing a Federal non-disclosure form;

• The fastest, slowest, and average times it took to make security clearance determinations for State and local government officials;

• Any instance in which access to classified information was denied to State or local government officials whose employing governments had sought such access for them and the reasons therefor;

• All entities that conduct clearance processing for the Department, including private contractors.

Filed Under: Reform, Laws & Regulations