New Group to Oversee Policy

The order creates a new Suitability and Security Clearance Performance Accountability Council, headed by OMB and containing agency representatives, that will establish requirements, share best practices and “hold agencies accountable for the implementation of suitability, security, and, as appropriate, contractor employee fitness processes and procedures.” The order follows a recent rule proposal from OPM that would generally require agencies to honor each others’ determinations that an individual is suitable for federal employment when a person is transferring from one agency to another, among other changes. Employees and managers have complained for years about delays in clearances