Background Investigations. Impediments to Consolidating Investigations and Adjudicative Functions.

Title 5 of the U.S. Code, sections 3301 and 7301, authorizes the President to establish standards for admission and conduct of federal employees. Federal regulations authorize the Office of Personnel Management to investigate and ajudicate the qualifications and suitability of such employees consistent wIth protecting or promoting government efficiency and the integrIty of government service. These background investigations are conducted to verify the qualifications of the applicant and to enforce applicable federal laws, rules, and regulations. Under the Federal Personnel Manual, the Office of Personnel Management delegated suitability determinations to the responsible federal agencies. Executive Orders 10450 and 12356, as amended, establish uniform requirements for personnel security programs in the federal government. They require agency heads to 1 classify federal positions for sensitivity in relation to national security and 2 investigate each person as appropriate based on the positions level of access to national security information. These background investigations are used to determine whether an individual meets established criteria for access to classified information. MM