I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1566 
To improve security at State and local courthouses. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 24, 2015 
Mr. POE of Texas (for himself and Mr. PIERLUISI) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To improve security at State and local courthouses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Local Courthouse Safe-
ty Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. SECURITY TRAINING. 
Part D of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and 
Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3741 et seq.) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 403. PREVENTING VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW EN-
FORCEMENT AND ENSURING OFFICER RESIL-
IENCE AND SURVIVABILITY. 
‘‘The Director may carry out a training and technical 
assistance program designed to teach employees of State, 
local, and tribal law enforcement agencies how to antici-
pate, survive, and respond to violent encounters during the 
course of their duties, including duties relating to security 
at State, county, and tribal courthouses. If the Director 
offers a training program specifically designed to train 
participants on courthouse security issues, preference for 
admission into such program shall be given to employees 
of jurisdictions that have magnetometers available for use 
at their courthouses.’’. 
SEC. 3. STATE JUSTICE INSTITUTE. 
The State Justice Institute Act of 1984 is amended— 
(1) 
in 
section 
203(b)(1) 
(42 
U.S.C. 
10702(b)(1)), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by inserting ‘‘, safe,’’ after ‘‘a fair’’; and 
(2) in section 206 (42 U.S.C. 10705)— 
(A) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (14)— 
(I) by inserting ‘‘to’’ before ‘‘con-
duct’’; and 
(II) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
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(ii) by redesignating paragraph (15) 
as paragraph (16); and 
(iii) by inserting after paragraph (14) 
the following: 
‘‘(15) to improve the safety and security of 
State and local courts; and’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) MAGNETOMETERS.—In the case of a grant 
awarded under this section to be used as described in sub-
section (c)(15), if the State or local court applying for the 
grant does not have magnetometers available for use, not 
less than $300 nor more than $1,000 of the matching 
fund required under subsection (d) of the State or local 
court shall be used to acquire a magnetometer.’’. 
SEC. 4. SECURITY EQUIPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter III of chapter 5 of 
title 40, United States Code, is amended by adding after 
section 559 the following: 
‘‘§ 560. Surplus security equipment for State and 
local courts 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
‘‘(1) the term ‘surplus security equipment’ 
means surplus property that is used to detect weap-
ons, including metal detectors, wands, and baggage 
screening devices; and 
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‘‘(2) the term ‘qualifying State or local court-
house’ means a courthouse of a State or local gov-
ernment that has less security equipment than the 
security needs of the courthouse require. 
‘‘(b) DISPOSAL
OF
SURPLUS
SECURITY
EQUIP-
MENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of this subchapter, the Administrator of 
General Services shall ensure that a qualifying State 
or local courthouse has an opportunity to request to 
receive surplus security equipment for use at the 
qualifying State or local courthouse before the sur-
plus security equipment is made available to any 
other individual or entity under this subchapter. 
‘‘(2) DISPOSAL.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), upon request by a qualifying State 
or local courthouse for surplus security equip-
ment for use at the qualifying State or local 
courthouse, the surplus security equipment shall 
be made available to the qualifying State or 
local courthouse without cost, except for any 
costs of shipping, handling, and maintenance. 
‘‘(B) MULTIPLE REQUESTS.—If more than 
1 qualifying State or local courthouse requests 
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