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U.S. Attorney General's Views on the Polygraph Protection Act of 1985

NCJ Number
108452
Journal
Polygraph Volume: 15 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1986) Pages: 318-324
Author(s)
S J Markman
Date Published
1986
Length
7 pages
Annotation
The U.S. Justice Department opposes proposed bill S. 1815, which would prohibit private-sector employers from administering polygraph examinations to employees or prospective employees, because legislation in this area should remain the responsibility of the States.
Abstract
Until now, regulating polygraph use has been the States' responsibility. Thirty-five States have enacted statutes regulating the use of polygraph, other 'honesty' tests, or polygraph examiners. To preempt the States in this context, where there is no evidence of an overriding need for national policy uniformity, would do violence to an important principle of federalism -- belief in the ability and responsibility of the States generally to govern the affairs of their citizens. Whether or not polygraphs should be regulated by some governmental level is not the issue. Assuming that polygraphs are abused by private employers, the States are as capable as the Federal Government of recognizing and remedying such abuse. In considering the merits of S. 1815, it is inconsistent regarding whether polygraph tests are sufficiently valid to be useful. By exempting certain public and private agencies from the prohibition of polygraph use, the assumption must be that it has some necessary value for these agencies.

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