I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5240 
To reform classification and security clearance processes throughout the Fed-
eral Government and, within the Department of Homeland Security, 
to establish an effective and transparent process for the designation, 
investigation, adjudication, denial, suspension, and revocation of security 
clearances, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2014 
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition 
to the Committees on Homeland Security, Select Intelligence (Permanent 
Select), and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reform classification and security clearance processes 
throughout the Federal Government and, within the De-
partment of Homeland Security, to establish an effective 
and transparent process for the designation, investiga-
tion, adjudication, denial, suspension, and revocation of 
security clearances, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Clearance and Over-Classification Reform and Reduction 
Act’’ or the ‘‘CORRECT Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—REFORMS TO CLASSIFICATION AND CLEARANCE 
PROCESSES 
Subtitle A—Reducing Over-Classification 
Sec. 101. Trend information on classified information and third evaluations. 
Sec. 102. Uniformity in sampling. 
Sec. 103. Ten percent reduction in holdings of classified information. 
Sec. 104. Status update on efforts at reducing holdings of classified informa-
tion. 
Sec. 105. Report. 
Sec. 106. Public Interest Declassification Board enhancements. 
Sec. 107. Classification designation training. 
Sec. 108. Reducing over-classification guidance. 
Subtitle B—Governmentwide Reforms 
Sec. 111. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 112. Report on certain designations. 
Sec. 113. Transparency and accountability in personnel security investigations. 
Sec. 114. Continuous evaluation programs and insider threat programs. 
Sec. 115. Mitigating factors in the context of a continuous evaluation program 
or insider threat program. 
Sec. 116. Appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. 
Sec. 117. Automated or nongovernmental adjudication prohibited. 
Sec. 118. Report on media contacts policy for intelligence personnel. 
TITLE II—DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY CLEARANCE 
PROCESS REFORMS 
Subtitle A—Designation 
Sec. 201. Designation of national security sensitive and public trust positions. 
Sec. 202. Audits. 
Sec. 203. Review of position designations. 
Subtitle B—Investigation 
Sec. 211. Investigation services provider performance. 
Sec. 212. Metrics. 
Subtitle C—Adjudication 
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Sec. 221. Uniform adjudication standards. 
Subtitle D—Denial, Suspension, Revocation, and Appeal 
Sec. 231. Uniform revocation criteria and procedures. 
Sec. 232. Annual reporting. 
Sec. 233. Final appeals panel. 
Subtitle E—Miscellaneous Provisions 
Sec. 241. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 review 
and security clearance reciprocity. 
Sec. 242. Office of Inspector General report. 
Sec. 243. Penalties for falsification relating to an investigation file. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CHIEF
SECURITY
OFFICER.—The term 
‘‘Chief Security Officer’’ means the Classified Infor-
mation Advisory Officer of the Department of 
Homeland Security (identified and designated pursu-
ant to section 210F of the Homeland Security Act 
of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124m)). 
(2) INTELLIGENCE
REFORM
AND
TERRORISM 
PREVENTION
ACT
TERMS.—The terms ‘‘agency’’, 
‘‘authorized investigative agency’’, ‘‘authorized adju-
dicative agency’’, ‘‘current investigation file’’, ‘‘peri-
odic reinvestigations’’, and ‘‘personnel security inves-
tigation’’ have the meanings given those terms in 
section 3001(a) of the Intelligence Reform and Ter-
rorism Prevention Act of 2004 (50 U.S.C. 3341(a)). 
(3) INVESTIGATION SERVICE PROVIDER.—The 
term ‘‘investigation service provider’’ means the Of-
fice of Personnel Management and any other entity 
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that undertakes investigative services, including 
criminal record checks, financial record checks, field 
interviews, 
employment 
review, 
and 
education 
verifications, for an investigation file for a national 
security position. 
(4) NATIONAL SECURITY POSITION.—The term 
‘‘national security position’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 732.102 of title 5, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations. 
TITLE I—REFORMS TO CLASSI-
FICATION 
AND 
CLEARANCE 
PROCESSES 
Subtitle A—Reducing Over- 
Classification 
SEC. 101. TREND INFORMATION ON CLASSIFIED INFORMA-
TION AND THIRD EVALUATIONS. 
Subsection (b) of section 6 of the Reducing Over- 
Classification Act (50 U.S.C. 3161 note; Public Law 111– 
258) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘2016’’ and inserting 
‘‘2019’’; and 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘no less than two’’ and 
inserting ‘‘not fewer than three’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(D) by adding after subparagraph (B) the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) beginning with the second evaluation 
under paragraph (2)(B), to assess, with respect 
to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the de-
gree to which the incentives for accurate classi-
fication decisions referred to in subsection (a) 
have been utilized, and the extent to which the 
use of such incentives, including cash incentives 
or other alternative, non-cash awards, has im-
proved the accuracy of original classification de-
cisions or derivative classification decisions and 
a reduction in classified information.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) THIRD
EVALUATIONS.—Each third 
evaluation required by paragraph (1) shall re-
view progress made since the second evaluation 
and the adequacy of the records to support each 
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