In the News

Yesterday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee advanced the Securely Expediting Clearances through Reporting Transparency (SECRET) Act. The legislation, introduced by Congressman Steve Knight (R-CA) and Congressman Gerald E. Connolly (D-VA), requires a quarterly report on the size of the security clearance investigation backlog and the average length of time it takes to carry out security clearance investigations. The information gathered on the average time for investigations to be completed will be separated by clearance level and whether it is a new or periodic investigation.

“The National Background Investigations Bureau was created to streamline and enhance the security clearance and investigation process,” said Congressman Connolly, Vice Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “In order to ensure that the new Bureau can successfully distinguish itself from OPM’s past failures, it must work to reduce the backlog of background investigations and the length of time it takes to complete each investigation. This bill provides the transparency needed for Congress to hold NBIB accountable and ensure that important background investigations are being conducted in a timely manner.”

“Bureaucratic processes are hindering government agencies and employees from doing critical work on behalf of our national defense because of these investigation backlogs,” said Congressman Knight. “This bill brings more government transparency and represents a critical step in Congress holding those accountable for this unacceptable backlog."