Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-530.pdf
Page Number: 7

Cite as:  562 U. S. ____ (2011) 

3 

Opinion of the Court 

ground investigation.  At the time when respondents were 
hired,  background  checks  were  standard  only  for  federal 
civil  servants.  See  Exec.  Order  No.  10450,  3  CFR  936 
(1949–1953  Comp.).  In  some  instances,  individual  con-
tracts  required  background  checks  for  the  employees  of 
federal contractors, but no blanket policy was in place. 

The  Government  has  recently  taken  steps  to  eliminate
this  two-track  approach  to  background  investigations. 
In 2004,  a  recommendation  by  the  9/11  Commission
prompted  the  President  to  order  new,  uniform  identifica-
tion  standards  for  “[f]ederal  employees,”  including  “con-
tractor  employees.”  Homeland  Security  Presidential 
Directive/HSPD–12—Policy  for  a  Common  Identification 
Standard  for  Federal  Employees  and  Contractors,  Public
Papers  of the President, George W. Bush, Vol. 2, Aug. 27,
p. 1765  (2007)  (hereinafter  HSPD–12),  App.  127.    The 
Department  of  Commerce  implemented  this  directive  by 
mandating that contract employees with long-term access 
to federal facilities complete a standard background check, 
typically  the  National  Agency  Check  with  Inquiries 
(NACI).  National  Inst.  of  Standards  and  Technology,
Personal  Identity  Verification  of  Federal  Employees  &
Contractors,  pp.  iii–vi,  1–8,  6  (FIPS  PUB  201–1,  Mar. 
2006)  (hereinafter  FIPS  PUB  201–1),  App.  131–150, 
144–145.1 

An  October  2007  deadline  was  set  for  completion  of
these  investigations.    Memorandum  from  Joshua  B.  Bol-
ten,  Director,  OMB,  to  the  Heads  of  all  Departments  and 
Agencies  (Aug.  5,  2005),  App.  112.    In  January  2007, 
NASA  modified  its  contract  with  Cal  Tech  to  reflect  the 
new  background-check  requirement.  JPL  management 
—————— 

1 As  alternatives  to  the  NACI  process,  the  Department  of  Commerce
also  authorized  federal  agencies  to  use  another  “Office  of  Personnel 
Management  . . .  or  National  Security  community  investigation  re-
quired  for  Federal  employment.”    App.  145.  None  of  these  alternative 
background checks are at issue here.