Sens. Jon Tester (D-Montana) and Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) have asked the Office of Personnel Management for updates on how OPM will establish a new bureau that would be responsible for federal background investigations.The lawmakers asked Beth Cobert, acting OPM director, in a letter released Aug. 23 to determine whether it is feasible for OPM to meet its Oct. 1 deadline for the creation of the National Background Investigations Bureau.
Tester and McCaskill initially wrote a letter to Cobert in May to provide information on how OPM would establish NBIB that would replace the Federal Investigative Services organization.
The senators ask OPM to submit information on the bureau’s functions that include organizational chart and funding structure, NBIB’s information technology infrastructure and case management system and updates on the agency’s background investigation backlogs.
Responses to the inquiry are due Sept. 6, according to the letter.
The White House announced in January the plan to form NBIB to oversee background checks on federal contractors and employees as part of efforts to update the security clearance and investigation process.
