I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8609 

To limit the extent to which certain Federal law enforcement agencies may 

be permitted to conduct law enforcement functions in a jurisdiction 

without the approval of such jurisdiction, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 16, 2020 

Mr. TED LIEU of California (for himself, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. 

ESCOBAR, Mrs. HAYES, and Ms. NORTON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition 

to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To limit the extent to which certain Federal law enforcement 

agencies may be permitted to conduct law enforcement 

functions in a jurisdiction without the approval of such 

jurisdiction, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protect Peaceful Pro5 tests Act’’. 

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1 SEC. 2. LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY. 

2 (a) POWERS OF ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.—Sec3 tion 508(a)(5) of the Controlled Substances Act is amend4 ed to read as follows: 

5 ‘‘(5) perform such law enforcement duties as 

6 the Attorney General may designate as necessary to 

7 enforce the controlled substances laws of the United 

8 States, which shall not include any law enforcement 

9 duty that does not relate to, arise from, or supple10 ment investigations of matters concerning drugs.’’. 

11 (b) U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE POWERS AND DU12 TIES.—Section 566(c) of title 28, United States Code, is 

13 amended by inserting after the period at the end the fol14 lowing: ‘‘The United States Marshals Service may not dep15 utize a law enforcement officer of a State (or any unit 

16 of local government within a State), Indian tribe, territory, 

17 or the District of Columbia, unless pursuant to a request 

18 by the chief executive of the appropriate State, Indian 

19 tribe, territory, or the District of Columbia. The United 

20 States Marshals Service may not deputize any other law 

21 enforcement officer of the Federal Government, unless 

22 pursuant to a request by the chief executive of the appro23 priate State, Indian tribe, territory, or the District of Co24 lumbia.’’. 

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1 (c) LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY

2 OF HOMELAND SECURITY.—Section 1315(b) of title 40, 

3 United States Code, is amended— 

4 (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The Sec5 retary’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to paragraph (3), the 

6 Secretary’’; and 

7 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(3) PROTESTS.—The Secretary may not des9 ignate additional employees of the Department of 

10 Homeland Security as officers and agents for duty 

11 in connection with the protection of property owned 

12 or occupied by the Federal Government, or persons 

13 on the property, in any area in which protest activity 

14 is occurring, unless pursuant to a request by the 

15 chief executive of the appropriate State, Indian 

16 tribe, territory, or the District of Columbia. This 

17 paragraph shall not apply to the designation of em18 ployees transferred to the Department of Homeland 

19 Security from the Office of the Federal Protective 

20 Service of the General Services Administration pur21 suant to the Homeland Security Act of 2002.’’. 

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