Transferring Responsibility for Background Investigations to the Department of Defense

What it means

This order transfers responsibility for federal background investigations from the Office of Personnel Management to the Department of Defense. The Defense Security Service is renamed the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) to handle these functions, with the transition to be completed by September 30, 2019.

Expected impact

• Improved efficiency in handling background investigations for federal employees and contractors
• Consolidation of security clearance functions within a single agency to reduce backlogs and streamline processes
• Enhanced information technology systems for personnel vetting as the DOD takes over this function
• Better coordination between national security needs and the background investigation process
• Potential cost savings through economies of scale in the federal background investigation system