Secret Service Reauthorization Act of 2017

Summary: Secret Service Reauthorization Act of 2017 This bill amends the federal criminal code to: (1) subject the appointment of the Director of the U.S. Secret Service to the advice and consent of the Senate; (2) prohibit knowingly entering an object into any restricted building or grounds to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of government business or official functions; and (3) prohibit knowingly and willfully threatening to kill, kidnap, or harm former Vice Presidents, their spouses, or their children under age 16 or any person protected by the Secret Service under a presidential memorandum. The Director must increase the annual number of training hours for Secret Service officers and agents.  The Director is authorized to: (1) construct facilities at the Rowley Training Center to improve the training of U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division officers and Secret Service agents, and (2) hire not fewer than 200 additional officers for such division and 85 additional agents for the Secret Service Presidential Protective Detail. The Director shall adopt improved procedures for: (1) evaluating vulnerabilities in White House security and threats to persons protected by the Secret Service, and (2) evaluating the use of technology to improve such security and respond to such threats. The Director is required to evaluate the practicability of equipping agents and officers with weapons other than those currently provided. Provisions of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976 requiring expenditures above a specified amount by the Secret Service for securing any non-governmental property in addition to the one non-governmental property designated by each protectee to be approved by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are replaced with provisions requiring the Secret Service to notify such committees of any such expenditures. The Director shall establish an Ethics Program Office. A Secret Service officer may provide armed protective services authorized by statute or pursuant to a presidential memorandum at any place where a general or special election is held.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Secret Service Reauthorization Act 
of 2017''.

SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR OF THE SECRET SERVICE.

    Section 3056 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end:
    ``(h) The Director of the Secret Service shall be appointed by the 
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The 
Director of the Secret Service is the head of the Secret Service.''.

SEC. 3. RESTRICTED BUILDING OR GROUNDS.

    Section 1752(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3), by striking ``or'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``or'' at the end; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
            ``(5) knowingly, and with the intent to enter a restricted 
        building or grounds, causes any object to enter any restricted 
        building or grounds, when, or so that, such object, in fact, 
        impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of government business 
        or official functions;''.

SEC. 4. THREATS AGAINST FORMER VICE PRESIDENTS.

    Section 879(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``section 3056(a)(6);'' 
        and inserting ``paragraph (6) or (8) of section 3056(a); or''; 
        and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following:
            ``(5) a person protected by the Secret Service under a 
        Presidential memorandum;''.

SEC. 5. INCREASED TRAINING.

    Beginning in the first full fiscal year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director of the Secret Service shall increase the 
annual number of hours spent training by officers and agents of the 
Secret Service, including officers of the United States Secret Service 
Uniformed Division established under section 3056A of title 18, United 
States Code, and agents operating pursuant to section 3056 of title 18, 
United States Code, including joint training between the two.

SEC. 6. TRAINING FACILITIES.

    The Director of the Secret Service is authorized to construct 
facilities at the Rowley Training Center necessary to improve the 
training of officers of the United States Secret Service Uniformed 
Division established under section 3056A of title 18, United States 
Code, and agents of the United States Secret Service, operating 
pursuant to section 3056 of title 18, United States Code.

SEC. 7. HIRING OF ADDITIONAL OFFICERS AND AGENTS.

    The Director of the Secret Service is authorized to hire not fewer 
than--
            (1) 200 additional officers for the United States Secret 
        Service Uniformed Division established under section 3056A of 
        title 18, United States Code; and
            (2) 85 additional agents for the United States Secret 
        Service Presidential Protective Detail, operating pursuant to 
        section 3056 of title 18, United States Code.

SEC. 8. EVALUATION OF VULNERABILITIES AND THREATS.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Secret Service shall devise 
and adopt improved procedures for evaluating vulnerabilities in the 
security of the White House and threats to persons protected by the 
Secret Service, including threats posed by unmanned aerial systems or 
explosive devices.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director of the Secret Service shall report on the 
implementation of subsection (a) to--
            (1) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (4) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs of the Senate; and
            (5) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
        House of Representatives.

SEC. 9. EVALUATION OF USE OF TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Secret Service, in 
consultation with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of the 
Department of Homeland Security, and other experts, shall devise and 
adopt improved procedures for--
            (1) evaluating the ways in which technology may be used to 
        improve the security of the White House and the response to 
        threats to persons protected by the Secret Service; and
            (2) retaining evidence pertaining to the duties referred to 
        in paragraph (1) for an extended period of time.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director of the Secret Service shall report on the 
implementation of subsection (a) to--
            (1) the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (2) the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
        Representatives;
            (4) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
        Affairs of the Senate; and
            (5) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
        House of Representatives.

SEC. 10. EVALUATION OF USE OF ADDITIONAL WEAPONRY.

    The Director of the Secret Service shall evaluate the 
practicability of equipping agents and officers with weapons other than 
those provided to officers and agents of the Secret Service as of the 
date of enactment of this Act, including nonlethal weapons.

SEC. 11. SECURITY COSTS FOR SECONDARY RESIDENCES.

    (a) In General.--The Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976 
(18 U.S.C. 3056 note) is amended by striking section 4 and inserting 
the following:

``SEC. 4. NOTIFICATION REGARDING EXPENDITURES ON NON-GOVERNMENTAL 
              PROPERTIES.

    ``The Secret Service shall notify the Committees on Appropriations 
of the House and Senate of any expenditures for permanent facilities, 
equipment, and services to secure any non-Governmental property in 
addition to the one non-Governmental property designated by each 
protectee under subsection (a) or (b) of section 3.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--The Presidential Protection Assistance 
Act of 1976 (18 U.S.C. 3056 note), as amended by this Act, is further 
amended--
            (1) in section 3(b), by striking ``any expenditures by the 
        Secret Service'' and all that follows through ``imposed under 
        section 4'' and inserting ``any expenditures by the Secret 
        Service for permanent facilities, equipment, and services to 
        secure the non-Governmental property previously designated 
        under subsection (a) are subject to the requirements set forth 
        in section 4''; and
            (2) in section 5(c), by striking ``within the limitations 
        imposed under section 4''.

SEC. 12. ESTABLISHMENT OF ETHICS PROGRAM OFFICE.

    Subject to the oversight of the Office of Chief Counsel of the 
United States Secret Service, the Director of the Secret Service shall 
establish an Ethics Program Office, consisting of a minimum of two 
employees, to administer the provisions of the Ethics in Government Act 
of 1978, as amended, and to provide increased training to employees of 
the United States Secret Service.

SEC. 13. SECRET SERVICE PROTECTION AT POLLING PLACES.

    Section 592 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following: ``This section shall not prevent any officer 
or agent of the United States Secret Service from providing armed 
protective services authorized under section 3056 or pursuant to a 
Presidential memorandum at any place where a general or special 
election is held.''.

SEC. 14. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that an assessment made by the 
Secretary of Homeland Security or the Director of the Secret Service 
with regard to physical security of the White House and attendant 
grounds, and any security-related enhancements thereto should be 
accorded substantial deference by the National Capital Planning 
Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and any other relevant 
entities.