OMB Demands Reciprocity on Security Clearances The Office of Management and Budget has ordered a series of actions aimed at streamlining the processing of security clearances. A Dec. 12 memo from OMB’s deputy director, Clay Johnson, addresses the issue of reciprocity: agencies’ responsibility to recognize clearances granted by other agencies. He told all agencies to update their records of cleared personnel in a new central database by March 31 and update the records daily thereafter. Johnson acknowledged that some agencies don’t trust the background investigations conducted by others and so conduct new investigations. He said the intelligence community has developed a standardized training course for all government personnel who make decisions on granting clearances. “A significant part of this reform is ensuring that background investigations are conducted to grant new security clearances only when they are actually required,” he wrote. At a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee hearing in November, Johnson testified, “Reciprocity has been required before, but no one has ever held agencies responsible for honoring it. We will.” (SAA, 11/18/05) OMB and the Office of Personnel Management, which conducts the vast majority of clearance investigations, have been working to eliminate a backlog of applications that some officials say amounts to more than half a million, counting government employees and contractor personnel. Johnson directed all agencies to report by April 1 on their progress in meeting the milestones. He said OMB will issue a progress report a month later. Congress has ordered that 80% of clearance investigations be completed within 90 days by the end of this year. Johnson told the Senate subcommittee that the administration is making progress toward that goal. Background Checks Required All contractor personnel must submit to the same background investigations as federal employees under an interim rule issued Jan. 3. The FAR councils implemented provisions of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12, which is designed to increase security at government installations. The rule was backdated to Oct. 27, 2005, to comply with the directive. Agencies must verify the identity of all contractor personnel and run a National Criminal History Check through the FBI. The rule applies to all contractors that have access to federal facilities or information systems. The interim rule is FAC 2005-07, FAR case 2005-015. Comments are due March 6.