Via the White House Blog, January 22, 2016 – “The Government has a responsibility to determine the fitness of Federal employees, members of the Armed Forces, and contractors for the jobs they are hired into and for the sensitive work they do on behalf of the American people each and every day. At the same time, we as leaders in Government must work diligently to protect the information these individuals give us when verifying their readiness. With these responsibilities in mind, today, the Federal Government announced a series of changes to modernize and strengthen the way we conduct background investigations for Federal employees and contractors and protect sensitive data.  These changes include the establishment of the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), which will absorb the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) existing Federal Investigative Services (FIS), and be headquartered in Washington, D.C.  This new government-wide service provider for background investigations will be housed within the OPM.  Its mission will be to provide effective, efficient, and secure background investigations for the Federal Government.  Unlike the previous structure, the Department of Defense will assume the responsibility for the design, development, security, and operation of the background investigations IT systems for the NBIB…”

• The accompanying Fact Sheet is here. “As part of the reforms being announced today, the Administration is establishing a new government-wide service provider for background investigations, the National Background Investigations Bureau (NBIB), which will assume this mission and absorb FIS.  NBIB will concentrate solely on providing effective, efficient, and secure background investigations for the Federal Government.  NBIB will report to the OPM Director, but unlike the previous structure, DOD will assume responsibility for the design, development, security, and operation of the background investigations IT systems for the new entity.  Additional changes include: the head of NBIB will be Presidentially-appointed and a full member of the PAC; NBIB will receive policy direction and guidance from and be accountable to the PAC and its customer agencies for providing continuous improvements to the investigative process; NBIB will be headquartered in Washington D.C., which will allow for enhanced coordination with its interagency partners; and NBIB will have a dedicated senior privacy official to advance privacy-by-design as the new entity is stood up and new IT systems are developed.  A cadre of interagency personnel will help stand up the new entity and be part of its ongoing management, and NBIB will leverage existing expertise, resources, and a well-established framework for providing government-wide services.”