Sponsors (3)
The bill improves protection of classified information and accountability through standardized counterintelligence training and certification tracking, but it can delay classified access for some Members and staff and creates additional administrative costs.
Federal Members, officers, and staff with classified access will receive standardized counterintelligence training, reducing insider risk to classified information and strengthening national security.
Federal employees and oversight bodies will have clear certification deadlines and an auditable record of who is authorized for classified access, improving government accountability and oversight.
Newly elected Members who recently completed equivalent counterintelligence training will be exempted, allowing them to receive classified briefings more quickly without duplicative training.
Officers and staff may face up to 180-day restrictions on classified access after completing training, disrupting staff support for classified work and potentially impeding operations.
Members who miss the certification deadline are barred from classified access, which can delay their ability to perform oversight or participate in classified briefings.
House offices, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and taxpayers will incur additional time and administrative costs to run training, track certifications, and manage compliance.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires Sergeant‑at‑Arms–administered counterintelligence and classified‑information protection training and certification for House Members, officers, and employees with clearance; noncompliance bars access to classified information.
Official title: Requiring certain Members, officers, and employees of the House of Representatives to complete a program of training in counterintelligence and classified information protection each Congress, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 30, 2026 by Pat Fallon · Last progress April 30, 2026
Requires the House Administration Committee to set rules requiring every Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, and House employee who holds a security clearance and receives classified information to complete a Sergeant‑at‑Arms–administered counterintelligence and classified‑information protection training program each Congress. Certificates of completion must be filed within specified deadlines and failure to comply temporarily bars access to classified information until certification or completion timelines are met. Applies to incumbents, new entrants, fellows, and detailees, with an exemption for those who already completed the Committee’s new Member orientation in that Congress; the Committee must issue regulations within 90 days and may adopt additional compliance mechanisms.