---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 3236"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "3236"
heading: "Inspector General external review panel"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/3236"
units:
  - "Chapter 44 — National Security"
  - "Subchapter IX — Additional Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §3236. Inspector General external review panel

- (a) **Request for review—** An individual with a claim described in [subsection (b)](#b) may submit to the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) a request for a review of such claim by an external review panel convened under [subsection (c)](#c).
- (b) **Claims and individuals described—** A claim described in this subsection is any—
  - (1) claim by an individual—
    - (A) that the individual has been subjected to a personnel action that is prohibited under [section 3234 of this title](/usc/50/3234.md); and
    - (B) who has exhausted the applicable review process for the claim pursuant to enforcement of such section; or
  - (2) claim by an individual—
    - (A) that he or she has been subjected to a reprisal prohibited by paragraph (1) of [section 3341(j) of this title](/usc/50/3341.md?p=j); and
    - (B) who received a decision on an appeal regarding that claim under paragraph (4) of such section.
- (c) **External review panel convened—**
  - (1) **Discretion to convene—** Upon receipt of a request under [subsection (a)](#a) regarding a claim, the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) may, at the discretion of the Inspector General, convene an external review panel under this subsection to review the claim.
  - (2) **Membership—**
    - (A) **Composition—** An external review panel convened under this subsection shall be composed of three members as follows:
      - (i) The Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4).
      - (ii) Except as provided in [subparagraph (B)](#c-2-B), two members selected by the Inspector General as the Inspector General considers appropriate on a case-by-case basis from among inspectors general of the following:
        - (I) The [Department of Defense](/usc/50/3075.md?p=b).
        - (II) The Department of Energy.
        - (III) The Department of Homeland Security.
        - (IV) The Department of Justice.
        - (V) The Department of State.
        - (VI) The Department of the Treasury.
        - (VII) The Central [Intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) Agency.
        - (VIII) The Defense [Intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) Agency.
        - (IX) The National Geospatial-[Intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=1) Agency.
        - (X) The National Reconnaissance Office.
        - (XI) The National Security Agency.
    - (B) **Limitation—** An inspector general of an agency may not be selected to sit on the panel under [subparagraph (A)(ii)](#c-2-A-ii) to review any matter relating to a decision made by such agency.
    - (C) **Chairperson—**
      - (i) **In general—** Except as provided in [clause (ii)](#c-2-C-ii), the chairperson of any panel convened under this subsection shall be the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4).
      - (ii) **Conflicts of interest—** If the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) finds cause to recuse himself or herself from a panel convened under this subsection, the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) shall—
        - (I) select a chairperson from inspectors general of the elements listed under [subparagraph (A)(ii)](#c-2-A-ii) whom the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) considers appropriate; and
        - (II) notify the [congressional intelligence committees](/usc/50/3003.md?p=7) of such selection.
  - (3) **Period of review—** Each external review panel convened under this subsection to review a claim shall complete review of the claim no later than 270 days after the date on which the Inspector General convenes the external review panel.
- (d) **Remedies—**
  - (1) **Panel recommendations—** If an external review panel convened under [subsection (c)](#c) determines, pursuant to a review of a claim submitted by an individual under [subsection (a)](#a), that the individual was the subject of a personnel action prohibited under [section 3234 of this title](/usc/50/3234.md) or was subjected to a reprisal prohibited by [section 3341(j)(1) of this title](/usc/50/3341.md?p=j-1), the panel may recommend that the agency head take corrective action—
    - (A) in the case of an employee or former employee—
      - (i) to return the employee or former employee, as nearly as practicable and reasonable, to the position such employee or former employee would have held had the reprisal not occurred; or
      - (ii) reconsider the employee’s or former employee’s eligibility for access to classified information consistent with national security; or
    - (B) in any other case, such other action as the external review panel considers appropriate.
  - (2) **Agency action—**
    - (A) **In general—** Not later than 90 days after the date on which the head of an agency receives a recommendation from an external review panel under [paragraph (1)](#d-1), the head shall—
      - (i) give full consideration to such recommendation; and
      - (ii) inform the panel and the Director of [National Intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=5) of what action the head has taken with respect to the recommendation.
    - (B) **Failure to inform—** The Director shall notify the President of any failures to comply with [subparagraph (A)(ii)](#d-2-A-ii).
- (e) **Annual reports—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not less frequently than once each year, the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) shall submit to the [congressional intelligence committees](/usc/50/3003.md?p=7) and the Director of [National Intelligence](/usc/50/3003.md?p=5) a report on the activities under this section during the previous year.
  - (2) **Contents—** Subject to such limitations as the Inspector General of the [Intelligence Community](/usc/50/3003.md?p=4) considers necessary to protect the privacy of an individual who has made a claim described in [subsection (b)](#b), each report submitted under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) shall include, for the period covered by the report, the following:
    - (A) The determinations and recommendations made by the external review panels convened under this section.
    - (B) The responses of the heads of agencies that received recommendations from the external review panels.

## Source credit

(July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title XI, § 1106, as added Pub. L. 116–92, div. E, title LIII, § 5332(a)(1), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 2137.)