Bice, Turner introduce bill to make specific DOD security clearances portable

In an effort to expand job opportunities for United States military service members transitioning into civilian national security contractor positions, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) and Mike Turner (R-OH) recently introduced bipartisan legislation that would transfer their U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) security clearances for one year.

“At a time when we are seeing increased military aggression from our adversaries, we must take every step to maintain our military advantage and preparedness,” said Rep. Bice on Monday. “This commonsense legislation will streamline the clearance process while also assisting those transitioning from active duty service.”

Rep. Bice on May 12 sponsored the Security Clearance Portability for Departing Servicemembers Act, H.R. 7738, with original cosponsors Rep. Turner and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) to require DOD to treat previously held security clearances as active for the purposes of future employment for one year after a service member leaves military service.

Beyond the one-year window, H.R. 7738 would facilitate rapid reactivation (less than 180 days) up to the third year after separation from the military, according to a summary of the bill provided by the lawmakers’ offices, and would equally apply for departing DOD civilians. 

Rep. Turner said the bill would “improve the transition for men and women in uniform from a position within [DOD] to supporting our national security in the private sector while cutting down costly delays on national security-related projects.”

H.R. 7738 also includes safeguards to prevent clearance reactivation for those who separate from the U.S. Armed Services under other than honorable conditions, and for those who have a pending investigation for potentially disqualifying behavior, the summary says.

“American businesses of all sizes are still facing workforce shortages, and that certainly includes defense and intelligence contractors,” Rep. Bice said. “My legislation… seeks to allow those departing military service to transition smoothly and effectively into the private sector.”