Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/10pdf/09-530.pdf
Page Number: 9.0

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

5 

Opinion of the Court 

Once  a  completed  SF–85  is  on  file,  the  “agency  check” 
and  “inquiries”  begin.    75  Fed.  Reg.  5359  (2010).    The 
Government  runs  the  information  provided  by  the  em-
ployee  through  FBI  and  other  federal-agency  databases.
It  also  sends  out  form  questionnaires  to  the  former  em-
ployers, schools, landlords, and references listed on SF–85.
The  particular  form  at  issue  in  this  case—the  Investiga-
tive  Request  for  Personal  Information,  Form  42—goes  to 
the employee’s former landlords and references.  Ibid.3 

Form  42  is  a  two-page  document  that  takes  about  five
minutes to complete.  See ibid.  It explains to the reference 
that  “[y]our  name  has  been  provided  by”  a  particular 
employee  or  applicant  to  help  the  Government  determine
that  person’s  “suitability  for  employment  or  a  security 
clearance.”  App.  96–97.    After  several  preliminary  ques-
tions about the extent of the reference’s associations with 
the  employee,  the  form  asks  if  the  reference  has  “any 
reason  to  question”  the  employee’s  “honesty  or  trustwor-
thiness.” Id., at 97.  It also asks if the reference knows of 
any  “adverse  information”  concerning  the  employee’s 
“violations  of  the  law,”  “financial  integrity,”  “abuse  of 
alcohol  and/or  drugs,”  “mental  or  emotional  stability,” 
“general behavior or conduct,” or “other matters.”  Ibid.  If 
“yes” is checked for any of these categories, the form calls 
for an explanation in the space below.  That space is also
available  for  providing  “additional  information”  (“deroga-
tory”  or  “favorable”)  that  may  bear  on  “suitability  for 
government employment or a security clearance.”  Ibid. 

All  responses  to  SF–85  and  Form  42  are  subject  to  the 
protections  of  the  Privacy  Act.  The  Act  authorizes  the 
Government  to  keep  records  pertaining  to  an  individual 

—————— 

3 The Government sends separate forms to employers (Form 41), edu-
cational  institutions  (Form  43),  record repositories  (Form  40),  and  law 
enforcement  agencies  (Form  44).    75  Fed.  Reg.  5359.    None  of  these 
forms are at issue here.