§2006 — Title 29 Labor | U.S. Code

Summary

Allows many government and some employers to use polygraph (lie detector) tests in certain situations. It does not apply to the United States Government, any State or local government, or their subdivisions. The Federal Government may give polygraphs for intelligence or counterintelligence work to certain people: experts or consultants and contractor employees working for the Department of Defense or Department of Energy on atomic energy defense work; employees of FBI contractors working under that Bureau’s contracts; and people employed by, assigned to, or applying to the National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or Central Intelligence Agency, plus contractors and others who work where top secret or special access program information (see section 4.2(a) of Executive Order 12356 or a successor) is used. All of these are subject to sections 2007 and 2009 of this title. Private employers may use polygraphs in limited cases, also subject to sections 2007 and 2009. An employer can ask an employee to take a polygraph during an ongoing investigation of economic loss or harm (for example, theft or sabotage) if the employee had access to the property, the employer has reasonable suspicion, and the employer gives a written statement before the test that names the incident, explains why that employee is being tested, is signed by someone who can legally bind the employer, and is kept for at least 3 years. Employers whose main business is providing armored car personnel, security alarm workers, or other security staff may test job applicants who would protect certain important public or national safety facilities or valuable assets (the Secretary had to set rules within 90 days after June 27, 1988). Employers authorized to handle controlled substances listed in schedule I, II, III, or IV of section 812 of title 21 may test job applicants with direct access to those drugs, and may test current employees only during investigations of misconduct involving access to the person or property under investigation.

Title 29, §2006

Labor — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This chapter shall not apply with respect to the United States Government, any State or local government, or any political subdivision of a State or local government.

(b)(1)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the administration, by the Federal Government, in the performance of any counterintelligence function, of any lie detector test to—

(A)any expert or consultant under contract to the Department of Defense or any employee of any contractor of such Department; or

(B)any expert or consultant under contract with the Department of Energy in connection with the atomic energy defense activities of such Department or any employee of any contractor of such Department in connection with such activities.

(2)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the administration, by the Federal Government, in the performance of any intelligence or counterintelligence function, of any lie detector test to—

(A)(i)any individual employed by, assigned to, or detailed to, the National Security Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or the Central Intelligence Agency,

(ii)any expert or consultant under contract to any such agency,

(iii)any employee of a contractor to any such agency,

(iv)any individual applying for a position in any such agency, or

(v)any individual assigned to a space where sensitive cryptologic information is produced, processed, or stored for any such agency; or

(B)any expert, or consultant (or employee of such expert or consultant) under contract with any Federal Government department, agency, or program whose duties involve access to information that has been classified at the level of top secret or designated as being within a special access program under section 4.2(a) of Executive Order 12356 (or a successor Executive order).

(c)Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit the administration, by the Federal Government, in the performance of any counterintelligence function, of any lie detector test to an employee of a contractor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the Department of Justice who is engaged in the performance of any work under the contract with such Bureau.

(d)Subject to section 2007 and 2009 of this title, this chapter shall not prohibit an employer from requesting an employee to submit to a polygraph test if—

(1)the test is administered in connection with an ongoing investigation involving economic loss or injury to the employer’s business, such as theft, embezzlement, misappropriation, or an act of unlawful industrial espionage or sabotage;

(2)the employee had access to the property that is the subject of the investigation;

(3)the employer has a reasonable suspicion that the employee was involved in the incident or activity under investigation; and

(4)the employer executes a statement, provided to the examinee before the test, that—

(A)sets forth with particularity the specific incident or activity being investigated and the basis for testing particular employees,

(B)is signed by a person (other than a polygraph examiner) authorized to legally bind the employer,

(C)is retained by the employer for at least 3 years, and

(D)contains at a minimum—

(i)an identification of the specific economic loss or injury to the business of the employer,

(ii)a statement indicating that the employee had access to the property that is the subject of the investigation, and

(iii)a statement describing the basis of the employer’s reasonable suspicion that the employee was involved in the incident or activity under investigation.

(e)(1)Subject to paragraph (2) and section 2007 and 2009 of this title, this chapter shall not prohibit the use of polygraph tests on prospective employees by any private employer whose primary business purpose consists of providing armored car personnel, personnel engaged in the design, installation, and maintenance of security alarm systems, or other uniformed or plainclothes security personnel and whose function includes protection of—

(A)facilities, materials, or operations having a significant impact on the health or safety of any State or political subdivision thereof, or the national security of the United States, as determined under rules and regulations issued by the Secretary within 90 days after June 27, 1988, including—

(i)facilities engaged in the production, transmission, or distribution of electric or nuclear power,

(ii)public water supply facilities,

(iii)shipments or storage of radioactive or other toxic waste materials, and

(iv)public transportation, or

(B)currency, negotiable securities, precious commodities or instruments, or proprietary information.

(2)The exemption provided under this subsection shall not apply if the test is administered to a prospective employee who would not be employed to protect facilities, materials, operations, or assets referred to in paragraph (1).

(f)(1)Subject to paragraph (2) and section 2007 and 2009 of this title, this chapter shall not prohibit the use of a polygraph test by any employer authorized to manufacture, distribute, or dispense a controlled substance listed in schedule I, II, III, or IV of section 812 of title 21.

(2)The exemption provided under this subsection shall apply—

(A)if the test is administered to a prospective employee who would have direct access to the manufacture, storage, distribution, or sale of any such controlled substance; or

(B)in the case of a test administered to a current employee, if—

(i)the test is administered in connection with an ongoing investigation of criminal or other misconduct involving, or potentially involving, loss or injury to the manufacture, distribution, or dispensing of any such controlled substance by such employer, and

(ii)the employee had access to the person or property that is the subject of the investigation.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Executive Order 12356, referred to in subsec. (b)(2)(B), was Ex. Ord. No. 12356, Apr. 2, 1982, 47 F.R. 14874, 15557, which was formerly set out as a note under section 435 (now section 3161) of Title 50, War and National Defense, and was revoked by Ex. Ord. No. 12958, § 6.1(d), Apr. 17, 1995, 60 F.R. 19843. For provisions relating to special access programs, see section 4.3 of Ex. Ord. No. 13526, set out as a note under section 3161 of Title 50.

Amendments

2008—Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(i). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted “National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency” for “National Imagery and Mapping Agency”. 1996—Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(i). Pub. L. 104–201 substituted “National Imagery and Mapping Agency” for “Central Imagery Office”. 1994—Subsec. (b)(2)(A)(i). Pub. L. 103–359 inserted “the Central Imagery Office,” after “Defense Intelligence Agency,”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1996 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 104–201 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1124 of Pub. L. 104–201, set out as a note under section 193 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Effective Date

Section effective 6 months after June 27, 1988, except that

Rules and Regulations

shall be issued not later than 90 days after June 27, 1988, see section 11 of Pub. L. 100–347, set out as a note under section 2001 of this title.

§2006 Exemptions

Summary

Title 29, §2006

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Rules and Regulations

Citations & Metadata