The Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12) signed in 2004, requires all federal agencies to follow a government-wide identification process to prove their personnel's identity and verify their suitability for federal employment.

How does this impact NIH employees and contractors?

All NIH personnel must complete a security process and receive a new ID badge. This process is called the Personal Identity Verification Process (PIV Process).

The Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC) is coordinating the PIV Process in compliance with HSPD-12. The implementation of the PIV process at NIH will take place in two phases.

In PIV Phase I, all personnel gaining routine access to federal facilities and information systems must prove their identity, have their fingerprints taken, and have a background investigation. For those on the NIH Bethesda Campus, their fingerprints will be taken electronically in the DPSAC Enrollment Center. Off-campus personnel can make arrangements with DPSAC for group processing on campus or for remote processing. Rocky Mountain Labs and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences employees will be processed at the Montana and North Carolina locations.

In PIV Phase II, all personnel who have successfully completed PIV Phase I will be issued a new ID badge, called a PIV Card. The PIV Card will contain biometric information and will replace all current ID badges after the technology has been tested and approved by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).