Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) has released Federal Investigations Notice (FIN) 20-01 regarding the implementation of the updated Standard Form 85P (SF85P), December 2017 version. The last time this form received an update was September 1995.
The updated SF85P will include the questions found on the “Additional Questions for Moderate Risk Positions - Branching” supplemental form, eliminating the need for utilizing the SF85P Supplemental form.
Applicants needing a Tier 2 investigation will no longer have to fill out the SF85P supplemental form.
Previously, DCSA had planned to deploy the updated form in January 2020. The updated SF85P should be available Monday morning.
The updated version of the SF85P is a major overhaul and certainly much needed. It’s similar to the 86 in that if you answer yes to certain branching questions, a box will open up for you to input information in the corresponding supplemental questions.
In the end, the archival copy moderately resembles a SF86 with the amount of information being requested. Eventually, a lot of forms will go away because the questions contained in the forms are now in the SF85P.
7-year scope remains on some questions. Other questions have an ever scope. The updated 85P asks for much more information now and is not unlike the SF86.