Security Processing Requirements—High or Moderate Risk Contracts (APR 2010)

(a) Investigative Requirements for High and Moderate Risk Contracts. All contractor (and subcontractor) personnel proposed to be employed under a High or Moderate Risk contract shall undergo security processing by the Department's Office of Security before being eligible to work on the premises of any Department of Commerce owned, leased, or controlled facility in the United States or overseas, or to obtain access to a Department of Commerce IT system. All Department of Commerce security processing pertinent to this contract will be conducted at no cost to the contractor. The level of contract risk will determine the type and scope of such processing, as noted below.

(1) Investigative requirements for Non-IT Service Contracts are:

(i) High Risk—Background Investigation (BI).

(ii) Moderate Risk—Moderate Background Investigation (MBI).

(2) Investigative requirements for IT Service Contracts are:

(i) High Risk IT—Background Investigation (BI).

(ii) Moderate Risk IT—Background Investigation (BI).

(b) In addition to the investigations noted above, non-U.S. citizens must have a pre-appointment check that includes an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency check.

(c) Additional Requirements for Foreign Nationals (Non-U.S. Citizens). To be employed under this contract within the United States, non-U.S. citizens must have:

(1) Official legal status in the United States;

(2) Continuously resided in the United States for the last two years; and

(3) Obtained advance approval from the servicing Security Officer of the contracting operating unit in consultation with the DOC Office of Security (OSY) headquarters. (OSY routinely consults with appropriate agencies regarding the use of non-U.S. citizens on contracts and can provide up-to-date information concerning this matter.)

(d) Security Processing Requirement. Processing requirements for High and Moderate Risk Contracts are as follows:

(1) The contractor must complete and submit the following forms to the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR):

(i) Standard Form 85P (SF-85P), Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions;

(ii) FD-258, Fingerprint Chart with OPM's designation in the ORI Block; and

(iii) Credit Release Authorization.

(2) The Sponsor will ensure that these forms have been properly completed, initiate the CD-254, Contract Security Classification Specification, and forward the documents to the cognizant Security Officer.

(3) Upon completion of security processing, the Office of Security, through the servicing Security Officer and the Sponsor, will notify the contractor in writing of an individual's eligibility to be provided access to a Department of Commerce facility or Department of Commerce IT system.

(4) Security processing shall consist of limited personal background inquiries pertaining to verification of name, physical description, marital status, present and former residences, education, employment history, criminal record, personal references, medical fitness, fingerprint classification, and other pertinent information. For non-U.S. citizens, the Sponsor must request an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency check. It is the option of the Office of Security to repeat the security processing on any contract employee at its discretion.

(e) Notification of Disqualifying Information. If the Office of Security receives disqualifying information on a contract employee, the COR will be notified. The Sponsor, in coordination with the Contracting Officer, will immediately remove the contract employee from duties requiring access to Departmental facilities or IT systems. Contract employees may be barred from working on the premises of a facility for any of the following:

(1) Conviction of a felony crime of violence or of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude;

(2) Falsification of information entered on security screening forms or on other documents submitted to the Department;

(3) Improper conduct once performing on the contract, including criminal, infamous, dishonest, immoral, or notoriously disgraceful conduct or other conduct prejudicial to the Government, regardless of whether the conduct was directly related to the contract;

(4) Any behavior judged to pose a potential threat to Departmental information systems, personnel, property, or other assets.

(f) Failure to comply with security processing requirements may result in termination of the contract or removal of contract employees from Department of Commerce facilities or denial of access to IT systems.

(g) Access to National Security Information. Compliance with these requirements shall not be construed as providing a contract employee clearance to have access to national security information.

(h) The contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph, in all subcontracts.