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United States · Bill · HR

H.R. 39 (99th)

Federal Polygraph Limitation and Anti-Censorship Act of 1984

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

3 January 1985

Last action

Status

Referred to Subcommittee on Civil Service.

Sponsors

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

29 August 2025

Summary

Federal Polygraph Limitation and Anti-Censorship Act of 1984 - Prohibits a Federal agency from: (1) requiring or, except as specified, requesting any employee or applicant to take a polygraph test; or (2) taking any adverse action, or failing to take any beneficial action, toward an employee or applicant either for refusing to take a polygraph test or on the basis of the results of such a test. Authorizes an agency to request that an employee take a polygraph test voluntarily if: (1) the test is administered as part of a specific investigation into alleged criminal conduct after all other reasonable investigative means have been completed, solely to develop information essential to the investigation; (2) the individual is reasonably believed to have knowledge of the matter under investigation; and (3) the alleged criminal conduct constitutes an offense punishable by death or imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Prohibits an agency from: (1) requesting or requiring an employee or applicant to enter into any agreement providing for agency review of an employee's information before the employee may disclose the information to the public outside of his or her official capacity; (2) taking any adverse action, or failing to take any beneficial action, toward an employee or applicant for refusing to enter into, or to comply with, such a prepublication review agreement; or (3) establishing or enforcing any other requirement in order to compel prepublication review. Authorizes any person aggrieved by a violation of this Act to bring a civil action against the United States for equitable or monetary relief, or both, in the appropriate U.S. district court, provided: (1) such action is commenced within two years after the violation occurred; and (2) such person chooses to commence such civil action in lieu of any available remedial action under agency administrative procedures. Exempts the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency from applicability of this Act. Rescinds the provisions of any existing prepublication review agreement. Directs the head of each agency concerned to notify each individual who was a party to such an agreement of its rescission.

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Documents

1 official file

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