Security clearance investigations fall behind despite reforms

Federal Times: Executive agencies are getting worse at processing background investigations in a timely manner, despite reform efforts, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report.

In 2012, 59 percent of executive branch agencies reviewed by GAO reported meeting timeliness objectives for top secret clearances, according to the report. In 2016 that number fell to 10 percent.

The executive branch was previously required to submit the timeliness of their clearance investigations to Congress in an annual report under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, according to the report, but that requirement expired in 2011.

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