Bush Memo Puts Deadline to Clearance Reforms

On February 5, President Bush issued a memorandum to federal agencies requiring that they present to him, by April 30, their plans for reforms of the security clearance process to increase speed and efficiency.

According to testimony given to Congress in May, security clearances continue to be processed at a pace much slower than mandated under current reform guidelines.

According to an article in Federal Computer Week, The memo assigns responsibility for developing the clearance reform proposal to the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management, and the offices of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Director of National Intelligence and the Secretary of Defense.

...the memo’s language reflects the administration’s concerns that longstanding practices are causing undue delays in processing security clearances, and preventing employees and contractors from beginning work or moving from one work assignment to another.

The chairman of a House government oversight panel applauded the memo.

Filed Under: Reform