Bills · S 1959
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 1959Armed Forces and National Security
A bill to protect integrity, fairness, and objectivity in decisions regarding access to classified information, and for other purposes.
INTRO JUN 5· LAST ACTION JUN 5
READING
16MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
NO VOTES YET · BE THE FIRST
- Introduced only
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenThis bill matters because security clearances are vital for many government jobs, impacting the livelihoods and careers of hundreds of thousands of Americans. If this bill becomes law, it would bring greater accountability and transparency to a process that has often been criticized for being opaque and inconsistent, where decisions can sometimes feel arbitrary. People would have clearer, standardized rules, and a robust way to challenge unfair decisions. This could reduce delays, improve fairness, and potentially prevent qualified individuals from losing their jobs due to unclear or biased evaluations.
Without this bill, the current system might continue to operate with varying standards across agencies, leaving individuals with fewer clear avenues to understand why a decision was made or to appeal it effectively. It aims to prevent abuses of power or discrimination in a critical area of national security employment. Voters should care because ensuring fairness in these decisions helps protect the rights of government employees and contractors while also maintaining public trust in the integrity of national security processes.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Requires all government agencies to use a single, official set of procedures for making decisions about access to classified information, rather than having different rules for different agencies.
This ensures consistency and fairness by making sure everyone is evaluated under the same rules, no matter which agency they work for.
PROVISION 02
Mandates that the President publish all existing security clearance procedures and any future changes in the Federal Register, an official public record.
This makes the rules transparent and accessible to the public, preventing secret or surprise changes to clearance requirements.
PROVISION 03
Prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, or handicap, and bars retaliation for political beliefs or activities in security clearance decisions.
This safeguards individuals' civil liberties and constitutional rights during a critical government employment process.
PROVISION 04
Creates a formal appeal process within each agency for individuals whose security clearance has been denied or revoked.
This gives individuals a clear path to challenge decisions, ensuring due process and the opportunity to correct errors.
PROVISION 05
Guarantees that individuals appealing a clearance decision will receive a written explanation for the denial or revocation and access to relevant documents, and allows them to retain legal counsel, who may be granted access to classified information for the appeal.
This empowers individuals to mount a strong defense and ensures their rights are protected throughout the appeal, even when dealing with sensitive information.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 1
D· Virginia
YRS IN OFFICE
17
BILLS LED
59
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 0 REP 1 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSJUN 5
Introduced in Senate
JUN 5
Read twice and referred to the Select Committee on Intelligence.
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Bill
NumberS 1959
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedJun 5, 2025
Last actionJun 5, 2025
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · INTELLIGENCE (SELECT) COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED JUN 5, 2025
Senate BillS 1959Armed Forces and National Security
A bill to protect integrity, fairness, and objectivity in decisions regarding access to classified information, and for other purposes.
INTRODUCED JUN 5, 2025· LAST ACTION JUN 5, 2025
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
16 min
COSPONSORS
1
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
