39–006 

113TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 113–259 

TO EXTEND THE AUTHORITY OF THE SUPREME COURT 

POLICE TO PROTECT COURT OFFICIALS AWAY FROM 

THE SUPREME COURT GROUNDS 

NOVEMBER 12, 2013.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. GOODLATTE, from the Committee on the Judiciary, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 2922] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the bill 

(H.R. 2922) to extend the authority of the Supreme Court Police to 

protect court officials away from the Supreme Court grounds, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 1 

Background and Need for the Legislation ............................................................. 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures ...................................................... 3 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate .......................................................... 3 

Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................................ 4 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 4 

Performance Goals and Objectives ......................................................................... 4 

Advisory on Earmarks ............................................................................................. 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis .................................................................................... 4 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 

Purpose and Summary 

The purpose of H.R. 2922 is to extend until December 29, 2019 

the long-standing authority of the Supreme Court Police to provide 


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1 40 U.S.C. § 6121. 

appropriate protection for the safety of Justices, Court employees 

and official guests of the Court. 

Background and Need for the Legislation 

It is essential to the functioning of the Supreme Court that Justices, Court employees and official guests of the Court be provided 

with adequate and appropriate protective services. Subject to regulations prescribed by the Marshal of the Supreme Court and approved by the Chief Justice of the United States, the Marshal of 

the Supreme Court and Supreme Court Police are charged with enforcing the law at the Supreme Court building and on its grounds 

as well as the duty to protect Justices, court officers and employees 

and official guests when they travel in any State. 

Since 1982, Congress has provided explicit statutory authority 1

to the Supreme Court Police to provide security beyond the Court 

building for Justices, Court employees and official guests. Since 

1986, Congress has extended this authority, which is currently due 

to expire December 29, 2013, continuously and repeatedly. 

The current authority and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court Police is essential to the force’s professional performance of its everyday duties. Supreme Court Police provide security to Justices by 

transporting and accompanying them to official functions in the 

Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and on occasion, outside this 

area when they, Court officers or employees or official guests travel 

on official Court business. 

In some circumstances, threats to personal safety may make it 

necessary and appropriate to ensure Justices are accompanied by 

a protective detail when traveling between their home and the 

Court. Additionally, police are authorized to provide protection to 

Court employees while they move between the Court and designated parking facilities. 

The House, on a non-partisan basis, has previously supported 

making this authority permanent. Notwithstanding the House’s 

willingness to enact this authority on a permanent basis, a temporary extension until December 29, 2019 is appropriate at this 

time in order to ensure continuity of operations and maximize the 

ability to achieve comity with the other body. 

Hearings 

The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R. 2922. 

Committee Consideration 

On September 11, 2013, the Committee met in open session and 

ordered the bill, H.R. 2922, favorably reported without amendment, 

by a voice vote, a quorum being present. 

Committee Votes 

In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there were 

no recorded votes during the Committee’s consideration of H.R. 

2922. 


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Committee Oversight Findings 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the findings 

and recommendations of the Committee, based on oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the descriptive portions of this report. 

New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures 

Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does not provide new 

budgetary authority or increased tax expenditures. 

Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate 

In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with respect to 

the bill, H.R. 2922, the following estimate and comparison prepared 

by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office under section 

402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974: 

U.S. CONGRESS, CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, Washington, DC, October 24, 2013. 

Hon. BOB GOODLATTE, CHAIRMAN, 

Committee on the Judiciary, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2922, a bill to extend the 

authority of the Supreme Court Police to protect court officials 

away from the Supreme Court grounds. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Martin von Gnechten, 

who can be reached at 226–2860. 

Sincerely, 

DOUGLAS W. ELMENDORF, 

DIRECTOR. 

Enclosure 

cc: Honorable John Conyers, Jr. 

Ranking Member 

H.R. 2922—A bill to extend the authority of the Supreme 

Court Police to protect court officials away from the Supreme Court grounds. 

As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary 

on September 11, 2013. 

H.R. 2922 would extend the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court 

Police to provide security beyond the Supreme Court buildings and 

grounds for justices, other court employees, and official guests 

through December 29, 2019. The current authority to provide such 

services expires on December 29, 2013. Based on information proVerDate Mar 15 2010 04:02 Nov 13, 2013 Jkt 039006 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR259.XXX HR259

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vided by the Supreme Court and the Department of Justice, CBO 

estimates that implementing H.R. 2922 would not have a significant impact on the Federal budget. Enacting H.R. 2922 would not 

affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

Under current law, the Supreme Court Police spend about $15 

million annually, and the U.S. Marshals Service would continue to 

provide protection for the Supreme Court justices, staff, and official 

guests off the Supreme Court grounds when the authorization for 

the Supreme Court Police expires. Consequently, CBO estimates 

that implementing the legislation would have no significant impact 

on the Federal budget. 

H.R. 2922 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would 

not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal governments. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Martin von Gnechten. 

The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

Duplication of Federal Programs 

No provision of H.R. 2922 establishes or reauthorizes a program 

of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of another Federal program, a program that was included in any report from the 

Government Accountability Office to Congress pursuant to section 

21 of Public Law 111–139, or a program related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings 

The Committee estimates that H.R. 2922 specifically directs to be 

completed no specific rule makings within the meaning of 5 U.S.C. 

551. 

Performance Goals and Objectives 

The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII 

of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R. 2922 is intended 

to provide for an appropriate level of security and safety for Supreme Court Justices, Court employees and official visitors to the 

Court until December 29, 2019. 

Advisory on Earmarks 

In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 2922 does not contain any congressional 

earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined 

in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of Rule XXI. 

Section-by-Section Analysis 

The following discussion describes the bill as reported by the 

Committee. 

Sec. 1. Extension of Authority of Supreme Court Police to Protect 

Court Officials Off Supreme Court Grounds. 

Extends the current authority in section 6121(b)(2) of title 40, 

United States Code, until December 29, 2019. 


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Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported 

In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by the bill, 

as reported, are shown as follows (existing law proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new matter is printed in italics, 

existing law in which no change is proposed is shown in roman): 

TITLE 40, UNITED STATES CODE 

* * * * * * * 

SUBTITLE II—PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND WORKS 

* * * * * * * 

PART C—FEDERAL BUILDING COMPLEXES 

* * * * * * * 

CHAPTER 61—UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT 

BUILDING AND GROUNDS 

* * * * * * * 

SUBCHAPTER III—POLICING AUTHORITY 

§ 6121. General 

(a) * * * 

(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS RELATED TO SUBSECTION

(a)(2).— 

(1) * * * 

(2) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authority provided 

under subsection (a)(2) expires on December 29, ø2013¿ 2019. 

* * * * * * * 

Æ 


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