House Says Clearance Reforms Moving Too Slowly

In its Initial Assessment on the Implementation of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence reviews initial reforms in security clearance processing and finds fault, on several counts, in the efforts of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The July 2006 Subcommittee report, relevant portions of which begin on page 30, also identifies key reforms mandated in legislation and Executive Orders.

Among the Subcommittee’s key statements and findings:

• Security clearance processing involves two parts: a background check, followed by adjudication;
• The Office of Management and Budget leads clearance process reform, while the DNI retains responsibility for sensitive compartmented information (SCI) clearances;
• By the end of 2006, 80% of clearance applications must be completed within 120 days (90 days investigations and 30 days adjudications);
• By the end of 2009, 90% of applications must be completed within 60 days (40 days investigation and 20 days adjudication);
• The DNI has “started to address the task of expediting the clearance process,” but actions taken illustrate an “overall passive approach” that “has not been aggressive enough” and exhibits a lack of “concern.”

According to second-quarter 2006 data collected by the DNI from FBI, CIA, DHS, DIA, NRO, NSA, and DOS, FBI reported the slowest clearance processing time, exceeding 150 days.

Filed Under: Reform, Laws & Regulations, Adjudication