President Donald Trump has signed a bill aiming to streamline and boost accountability of the government’s security clearance process.
The Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Transparency, or SECRET, Act requires the Office of Personnel Management‘s National Background Investigations Bureau to report on security clearance investigation backlogs, Rep. Steve Knight, R-Calif. said Wednesday.
The new law also states that the office would formulate plans to address investigation delays.
The Executive Office of the President will be tasked to provide reports on the adjudication and clearance investigation processes used for the president’s staff.
The bill’s provisions additionally require the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report on and recommend efforts to improve government-wide evaluation programs, requests for classified information and security clearance investigations in general.
Knight stated that the bill also seeks to help federal contractors hire new employees without having to wait for an extensive period of time for security clearances.
The congressman first introduced the SECRET Act in July 2017.
