SUBCHAPTER III—PERSONNEL SECURITY PROCEDURES IN NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY

§831. Regulations for employment security

Subject to the provisions of this subchapter, the Secretary of Defense (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Secretary") shall prescribe such regulations relating to continuing security procedures as he considers necessary to assure—

(1) that no person shall be employed in, or detailed or assigned to, the National Security Agency (hereafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Agency"), or continue to be so employed, detailed, or assigned; and

(2) that no person so employed, detailed, or assigned shall have access to any classified information;

unless such employment, detail, assignment, or access to classified information is clearly consistent with the national security.

(Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title III, §301, as added Pub. L. 88–290, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 168.)

§832. Full field investigation and appraisal

(a) Conditional employment; other current security clearance; circumstances authorizing employment on temporary basis

No person shall be employed in, or detailed or assigned to, the Agency unless he has been the subject of a full field investigation in connection with such employment, detail, or assignment, and is cleared for access to classified information in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter; excepting that conditional employment without access to sensitive cryptologic information or material may be tendered any applicant, under such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe, pending the completion of such full field investigation: And provided further, That such full field investigation at the discretion of the Secretary need not be required in the case of persons assigned or detailed to the Agency who have a current security clearance for access to sensitive cryptologic information under equivalent standards of investigation and clearance. During any period of war declared by the Congress, or during any period when the Secretary determines that a national disaster exists, or in exceptional cases in which the Secretary (or his designee for such purpose) makes a determination in writing that his action is necessary or advisable in the national interest, he may authorize the employment of any person in, or the detail or assignment of any person to, the Agency, and may grant to any such person access to classified information, on a temporary basis, pending the completion of the full field investigation and the clearance for access to classified information required by this subsection, if the Secretary determines that such action is clearly consistent with the national security.

(b) Boards of appraisal; establishment; membership; appointment; appraisal in doubtful cases; report and recommendation; qualifications of members; Secretary's clearance contrary to board's recommendation

To assist the Secretary and the Director of the Agency in carrying out their personnel security responsibilities, one or more boards of appraisal of three members each, to be appointed by the Director of the Agency, shall be established in the Agency. Such a board shall appraise the loyalty and suitability of persons for access to classified information, in those cases in which the Director of the Agency determines that there is a doubt whether their access to that information would be clearly consistent with the national security, and shall submit a report and recommendation on each such a case. However, appraisal by such a board is not required before action may be taken under sections 7512 and 7532 of title 5, or any other similar provision of law. Each member of such a board shall be specially qualified and trained for his duties as such a member, shall have been the subject of a full field investigation in connection with his appointment as such a member, and shall have been cleared by the Director for access to classified information at the time of his appointment as such a member. No person shall be cleared for access to classified information, contrary to the recommendations of any such board, unless the Secretary (or his designee for such purpose) shall make a determination in writing that such employment, detail, assignment, or access to classified information is in the national interest.

(Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title III, §302, as added Pub. L. 88–290, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 168.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

In subsec. (b), "sections 7512 and 7532 of title 5" substituted for "section 14 of the Act of June 27, 1944, chapter 287, as amended (5 U.S.C. 863), section 1 of the Act of August 26, 1950, chapter 803, as amended (5 U.S.C. 22–1)" on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, §7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. Sections 7511 and 7512 (which related to adverse actions against preference eligible employees and comprised subchapter II of chapter 75) were repealed by Pub. L. 95–454 and replaced by a new subchapter II (§§7511–7514) of chapter 75 (relating to removal, suspension for more than 14 days, reduction in grade or pay, or furlough for 30 days or less).

§833. Repealed. Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVI, §1633(b)(2), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2751

Section, act Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title III, §303, as added Mar. 26, 1964, Pub. L. 88–290, 78 Stat. 169; amended Oct. 27, 1972, Pub. L. 92–596, §7, 86 Stat. 1318; Oct. 21, 1977, Pub. L. 95–140, §3(c), 91 Stat. 1173; 1978 Reorg. Plan No. 2, §102, eff. Jan. 1, 1979, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783; Oct. 1, 1986, Pub. L. 99–433, title I, §110(h)(3), 100 Stat. 1004, related to termination of employment.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of Repeal

Repeal effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1635 of Pub. L. 104–201, set out as an Effective Date of 1996 Amendment note under section 1593 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

§834. "Classified information" defined

For the purposes of this section, the term "classified information" means information which, for reasons of national security, is specifically designated by a United States Government agency for limited or restricted dissemination or distribution.

(Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title III, §304, as added Pub. L. 88–290, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 170.)

§835. Nonapplicability of administrative procedure provisions

Subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5, shall not apply to the use or exercise of any authority granted by this subchapter.

(Sept. 23, 1950, ch. 1024, title III, §305, as added Pub. L. 88–290, Mar. 26, 1964, 78 Stat. 170.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

"Subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5" substituted in text for "the Administrative Procedure Act, as amended" on authority of Pub. L. 89–554, §7(b), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 631, the first section of which enacted Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.