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§ 2165. Security restrictions

Version history — every release point where this text changed

Release point 119-83 · current through 04/13/2026

§ 2165.

Security restrictions

(a)

On contractors and licensees

No arrangement shall be made under section 2051 of this title, no contract shall be made or continued in effect under section 2061 of this title, and no license shall be issued under section 2133 or 2134 of this title, unless the person with whom such arrangement is made, the contractor or prospective contractor, or the prospective licensee agrees in writing not to permit any individual to have access to Restricted Data until the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall have made an investigation and report to the Commission on the character, associations, and loyalty of such individual, and the Commission shall have determined that permitting such person to have access to Restricted Data will not endanger the common defense and security.

(b)

Employment of personnel; access to Restricted Data

Except as authorized by the Commission or the General Manager upon a determination by the Commission or General Manager that such action is clearly consistent with the national interest, no individual shall be employed by the Commission nor shall the Commission permit any individual to have access to Restricted Data until the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall have made an investigation and report to the Commission on the character, associations, and loyalty of such individual, and the Commission shall have determined that permitting such person to have access to Restricted Data will not endanger the common defense and security.

(c)

Acceptance of investigation and clearance granted by other Government agencies

In lieu of the investigation and report to be made by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the Commission may accept an investigation and report on the character, associations, and loyalty of an individual made by another Government agency which conducts personnel security investigations, provided that a security clearance has been granted to such individual by another Government agency based on such investigation and report.

(d)

Investigations by FBI

In the event an investigation made pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section develops any data reflecting that the individual who is the subject of the investigation is of questionable loyalty, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall refer the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the conduct of a full field investigation, the results of which shall be furnished to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management for his information and appropriate action.

(e)

Presidential investigation

(1)

If the President deems it to be in the national interest he may from time to time determine that investigations of any group or class which are required by subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section be made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(2)

In the case of an individual employed in a program known as a Special Access Program, any investigation required by subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section shall be made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

(f)

Performance of personnel security investigations by FBI

(1)

Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, but subject to subsection (e) of this section, a majority of the members of the Commission may direct that an investigation required by such provisions on an individual described in paragraph (2) be carried out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation rather than by the Civil Service Commission.

(2)

An individual described in this paragraph is an individual who is employed—

(A)

in a program certified by a majority of the members of the Commission to be of a high degree of importance or sensitivity; or

(B)

in any other specific position certified by a majority of the members of the Commission to be of a high degree of importance or sensitivity.

(g)

Investigation standards

The Commission shall establish standards and specifications in writing as to the scope and extent of investigations, the reports of which will be utilized by the Commission in making the determination, pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, that permitting a person access to restricted data will not endanger the common defense and security. Such standards and specifications shall be based on the location and class or kind of work to be done, and shall, among other considerations, take into account the degree of importance to the common defense and security of the restricted data to which access will be permitted.

(h)

War time clearance

Whenever the Congress declares that a state of war exists, or in the event of a national disaster due to enemy attack, the Commission is authorized during the state of war or period of national disaster due to enemy attack to employ individuals and to permit individuals access to Restricted Data pending the investigation report, and determination required by subsection (b), to the extent that and so long as the Commission finds that such action is required to prevent impairment of its activities in furtherance of the common defense and security.

Source(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 145, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 942; amended Pub. L. 85–681, § 5,
Aug. 19, 1958
, 72 Stat. 633; Pub. L. 87–206, § 6,
Sept. 6, 1961
, 75 Stat. 476; Pub. L. 87–615, § 10,
Aug. 29, 1962
, 76 Stat. 411; 1978 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 102, eff.
Jan. 1, 1979
, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8),
Oct. 24, 1992
, 106 Stat. 2944; Pub. L. 106–65, div. C, title XXXI, § 3144(a),
Oct. 5, 1999
, 113 Stat. 934; Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, § 3131,
Nov. 24, 2003
, 117 Stat. 1749.)
Notes

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to this section were contained in section 1810(b)(5) of this title, prior to the general amendment and renumbering of act
Aug. 1, 1946
, by act
Aug. 30, 1954
.

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 108–136, § 3131(b), struck out “or a Personnel Security and Assurance Program” after “Special Access Program”.
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 108–136, § 3131(a), amended text of subsec. (f) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, a majority of the members of the Commission shall certify those specific positions which are of a high degree of importance or sensitivity, and upon such certification, the investigation and reports required by such provisions shall be made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
1999—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 106–65 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).
1962—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 87–615 struck out the comma after “investigation”.
1961—Subsecs. (c), (d). Pub. L. 87–206 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e), respectively.
Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 87–206 redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e) and amended provisions by substituting “determine that” for “cause investigations”, inserting reference to subsection (c) of this section and striking out “instead of by the Civil Service Commission” after “Federal Bureau of Investigation”. Former subsec. (e) redesignated (f).
Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 87–206 redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f) and amended provisions by inserting reference to subsection (c) of this section and striking out “instead of by the Civil Service Commission” after “Federal Bureau of Investigation”. Former subsec. (f) redesignated (g).
Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 87–206 redesignated former subsec. (f) as (g) and amended provisions by substituting “, the reports of which will be utilized by the Commission in making the determination, pursuant to subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section, that permitting a person access to restricted data will not endanger the common defense and security” for “to be made by the Civil Service Commission pursuant to subsections (a) and (b) of this section.” Former subsec. (g) redesignated (h).
1958—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 85–681 added subsec. (g).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Implementation of Subsection (e)(2)

Pub. L. 106–65, div. C, title XXXI, § 3144(b), (c),
Oct. 5, 1999
, 113 Stat. 934, provided that:
“(b)

Compliance.—

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall have 18 months from the date of the enactment of this Act [

Oct. 5, 1999
] to meet the responsibilities of the Bureau under subsection e.(2) of section 145 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 [42 U.S.C. 2165(e)(2)], as added by subsection (a).

“(c)

Report.—

(1)

Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall submit to the committees specified in paragraph (2) a report on the implementation of the responsibilities of the Bureau under subsection e.(2) of that section. That report shall include the following:

“(A)

An assessment of the capability of the Bureau to execute the additional clearance requirements, to include additional post-initial investigations.

“(B)

An estimate of the additional resources required, to include funding, to support the expanded use of the Bureau to conduct the additional investigations.

“(C)

The extent to which contractor personnel are and would be used in the clearance process.

“(2)

The committees referred to in paragraph (1) are the following:

“(A)

The Committee on Armed Services and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate.

“(B)

The Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives.”

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

“Director of the Office of Personnel Management” and “his” substituted for “Civil Service Commission” and “its”, respectively, in subsecs. (a) to (d), pursuant to Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1978, § 102, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783, set out under section 1101 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, which transferred all functions vested by statute in United States Civil Service Commission to Director of Office of Personnel Management (except as otherwise specified), effective
Jan. 1, 1979
, as provided by section 1–102 of Ex. Ord. No. 12107,
Dec. 28, 1978
, 44 F.R. 1055, set out under section 1101 of Title 5.

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