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H.R. 3210 115th Congress House

SECRET Act of 2018

Official title: To require the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau to submit a report on the backlog of personnel security clearance investigations, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 12, 2017 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Congressional oversightExecutive Office of the PresidentExecutive agency funding and structureGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel management
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Government studies and investigationsIntelligence activities, surveillance, classified informationOffice of Personnel Management (OPM)Presidents and presidential powers, Vice Presidents
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 Everywhere this bill has been 28 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
May 22, 2018
Became Public Law No: 115-173.
May 22, 2018
Signed by President.
May 10, 2018
Presented to President.
May 7, 2018
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
May 7, 2018
On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection. (text as House agreed to Senate amendment)
May 7, 2018
Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to without objection.(text as House agreed to Senate amendment)
May 7, 2018
Mr. Russell asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's Table and agree to the Senate amendment. (consideration: CR H3760-3761)
Mar 15, 2018
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Mar 15, 2018
Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S1768-1769)
Mar 15, 2018
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S1768-1769)
Mar 15, 2018
The committee substitute withdrawn by Unanimous Consent.
Mar 15, 2018
Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent. (consideration: CR S1768-1770)
Nov 27, 2017
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 264.
Nov 27, 2017
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-185.
Oct 4, 2017
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Jul 27, 2017
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Jul 26, 2017
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Jul 26, 2017
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6327)
Jul 26, 2017
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6327)
Jul 26, 2017
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3210.
Jul 26, 2017
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6327-6328)
Jul 26, 2017
Mr. Mitchell moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Jul 25, 2017
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 188.
Jul 25, 2017
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 115-258.
Jul 19, 2017
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Jul 19, 2017
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jul 12, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
Jul 12, 2017
Introduced in House
 Amendments to this bill 1

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

1 agreed to

AmendmentSponsorPurposeStatusLatest action
SAMDT 2,210 Johnson, Ron In the nature of a substitute. Agreed to Mar 15, 2018
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 Latest action May 22, 2018

Became Public Law No: 115-173.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Securely Expediting Clearances Through Reporting Transparency Act of 2018 or the SECRET Act of 2018

(Sec. 3) This bill requires the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB) within the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to report on its backlog of security clearance investigations. The report must include a backlog mitigation plan identifying the cause of, and making recommendations to remedy, the backlog.

(Sec. 4) The Executive Office of the President must report on the process for conducting and adjudicating security clearance investigations for the President's staff.

(Sec. 5) The OPM must report on the costs of maintaining comprehensive background investigations capability within both the NBIB and the Department of Defense, compared to the costs of sustaining a single government-wide background investigations enterprise.

(Sec. 6) The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) must report on: (1) the status of implementing government-wide continuous evaluation programs, (2) efforts by federal agencies to meet requirements for reciprocal recognition to access classified information, and (3) whether the schedule for processing security clearances should be modified.

(Sec. 7) The ODNI and the OPM must review and make recommendations to Congress and the President, as appropriate, to issue guidance to assist agencies in determining: (1) position sensitivity designation, and (2) the appropriate background investigation to initiate for each position designation. The President must report on any issues identified in, and the number of position designations revised as a result of, the review.

 Bill text 8 versions

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Connolly, Gerald E.
Virginia · Jul 12, 2017
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3210: SECRET Act of 2018. 115th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3210/
MLA
"H.R. 3210: SECRET Act of 2018." 115th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3210/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3210, 115th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3210/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3210: SECRET Act of 2018](https://openamerica.io/bill/115-HR-3210/)
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