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[House Report 113-259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\40 U.S.C. Sec. 6121.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.

                      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 provided 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.

         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

Sec. 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, [2013] 2019.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

                                  
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