Federal agencies must reconsider job denials for past pot use

What it does

This bill stops the federal government from denying clearances or jobs for past pot use alone. The government must review old denials made since 2008. It may reverse them if pot use was the only reason. The government must publish how it will review these cases.

Who it affects

People denied clearances or jobs only for past pot use can ask for a new look. The federal government must review old denials and make new rules for pot use.

One thing to notice

The government must look back at denials from 2008 onward, which could create many review requests. The government can still deny jobs for other reasons; this bill only stops pot use alone.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

2 cosponsors: 1 Democrats, 1 Republicans.

• Sep 17, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• Sep 17, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Words to know

• clearances — permission the federal government gives to work with secret information
• denials — times when the government said no to a job or clearance
• reverse — change a past decision to the opposite