Preventing Conflicts of Interest with Contractors Act

Preventing Conflicts of Interest with Contractors Act - Provides that a contract may not be entered into, and an extension of or option on a contract may not be exercised, with a contractor to conduct a quality review process relating to background investigation fieldwork services or background investigation support services if the contractor is performing the services to be reviewed.

Defines, for purposes of this Act:

• "agency" as an executive agency, a military department, an element of the intelligence community, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), or the Postal Regulatory Commission;
• "background investigation fieldwork services" as the investigatory fieldwork conducted to determine the eligibility of an individual for logical and physical access to federally-controlled facilities or information systems, suitability or fitness for federal employment, eligibility for access to classified information or to hold a national security sensitive position, or fitness to perform work for or on behalf of the federal government as a contractor or employee, including interviews with individuals who might have relevant knowledge of the individual and reviews of educational and employment records, criminal and other legal records, and credit history; and
• "quality review process" as performing the final quality review of a background investigation to ensure that investigative, administrative, and other required standards have been met before the completed background investigation is delivered to the adjudicating agency (i.e., the agency that requested the background check and that has final decision-making authority).

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov