Title: Protecting Access to Classified Information in Elections Act
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics

Summary:
Protecting Access to Classified Information in Elections Act
This bill amends the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to authorize certain candidates for President or Vice President to request a security clearance. Candidates must be the nominees of a major party or on the election ballot in at least 10 states to qualify. The federal government must expeditiously conduct background investigations and eligibility determinations for qualified candidates.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6429 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6429

 To amend the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
to authorize candidates in a presidential election campaign to request 
                         a security clearance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 18, 2018

  Mr. Huffman (for himself, Mr. Jeffries, and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
   Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the Permanent 
Select Committee on Intelligence (Permanent Select), for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 
to authorize candidates in a presidential election campaign to request 
                         a security clearance.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Protecting Access to Classified 
Information in Elections Act''.

SEC. 2. SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR CANDIDATES DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION 
              CAMPAIGNS.

    (a) In General.--The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention 
Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-458; 118 Stat. 3856) is amended by 
inserting after section 7601 the following new section:

``SEC. 7602. SECURITY CLEARANCES FOR CANDIDATES DURING PRESIDENTIAL 
              ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

    ``(a) Security Clearance.--An eligible candidate may request a 
security clearance.
    ``(b) Procedures.--To the extent practicable pursuant to existing 
procedures and requirements, the appropriate agencies and departments 
of the Federal Government shall expeditiously provide the necessary 
background investigations and eligibility determinations with respect 
to a request for a security clearance by an eligible candidate under 
subsection (a).
    ``(c) Disclosure.--
            ``(1) List.--Beginning not later than January 1 of each 
        year in which a presidential election is held, the Director 
        shall maintain on a publicly accessible internet website of the 
        Office of the Director of National Intelligence a list of each 
        eligible candidate who--
                    ``(A) is granted a security clearance pursuant to a 
                request under subsection (a); and
                    ``(B) provides written consent to the Director to 
                make public the status of such request.
            ``(2) Updates.--The Director shall update the list under 
        paragraph (1) not later than 7 days after the date on which the 
        Director receives the written consent of a candidate under 
        subparagraph (B) of such paragraph.
    ``(d) Eligible Candidate Defined.--The term `eligible candidate' 
means a candidate for election to the office of President of the United 
States or the office of Vice President of the United States described 
in section 9002(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents at the beginning of 
such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
7601 the following new item:

``Sec. 7602. Security clearances for candidates during presidential 
                            election campaigns.''.
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