Title: Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021
This bill allows the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to request emergency assistance from executive departments and executive agencies to prevent significant disruption of governmental function and public order at the U.S. Capitol. The bill also eliminates statutory qualification and approval requirements for law enforcement and uniformed service personnel appointed to serve as special police officers, including during periods of emergency initiated by the chief under the bill. Further, special police regulations prescribed by the U.S. Capitol Police Board are subject to approval by the Speaker of the House and Senate majority leader under the bill. Those regulations are subject to approval by the Speaker and the President pro tempore of the Senate under current law.
Finally, the bill requires the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Committee on House Administration to jointly conduct at least one oversight hearing of the U.S. Capitol Police Board during each Congress.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3377 Considered and Passed Senate (CPS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3377

      To empower the Chief of the United States Capitol Police to 
unilaterally request the assistance of the DC National Guard or Federal 
 law enforcement agencies in emergencies without prior approval of the 
                         Capitol Police Board.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 13, 2021

   Ms. Klobuchar (for herself, Mr. Blunt, Mr. King, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. 
   Feinstein, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Warner) 
 introduced the following bill; which was read twice, considered, read 
                       the third time, and passed

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To empower the Chief of the United States Capitol Police to 
unilaterally request the assistance of the DC National Guard or Federal 
 law enforcement agencies in emergencies without prior approval of the 
                         Capitol Police Board.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Capitol Police Emergency Assistance 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR THE CAPITOL POLICE.

    (a) Assistance by Executive Departments and Agencies.--Section 
911(a) of division B of the Department of Defense and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist 
Attacks on the United States Act, 2002 (2 U.S.C. 1970(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``or in accordance with 
        paragraph (4)'' before ``and on a permanent'';
            (2) in paragraph (4)(B)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking 
                ``advance''; and
                    (B) in clause (ii)--
                            (i) in subclause (I), by striking ``or'' 
                        after the semicolon;
                            (ii) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' 
                        after the semicolon and inserting ``or''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                                    ``(III) the Chief of the Capitol 
                                Police, if the Chief of the Capitol 
                                Police has determined that the 
                                provision of assistance is necessary to 
                                prevent the significant disruption of 
                                governmental function and public order 
                                within the United States Capitol 
                                Buildings and Grounds, as described in 
                                section 9 of the Act entitled `An Act 
                                to define the area of the United States 
                                Capitol Grounds, to regulate the use 
                                thereof, and for other purposes', 
                                approved July 31, 1946 (2 U.S.C. 1961); 
                                and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Revocation.--The Capitol Police Board may revoke a 
        request for assistance provided under paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(III) 
        upon consultation with appropriate Members of the Senate and 
        House of Representatives in leadership positions.''.
    (b) Capitol Police Special Officers.--Section 1017 of division H of 
the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003 (2 U.S.C. 1974) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                inserting ``or as determined by the Chief of the 
                Capitol Police in accordance with section 
                911(a)(4)(B)(ii)(III) of division B of the Department 
                of Defense and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations 
                for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist Attacks on 
                the United States Act, 2002 (2 U.S.C. 
                1970(a)(4)(B)(ii)(III)),'' after ``Congress,''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
``An appointment under this section due to an emergency determined by 
the Chief of the Capitol Police under paragraph (4)(B)(ii)(III) of 
section 911(a) of division B of the Department of Defense and Emergency 
Supplemental Appropriations for Recovery from and Response to Terrorist 
Attacks on the United States Act, 2002 (2 U.S.C. 1970(a)) shall be in 
effect for the period of the emergency, unless and until the Capitol 
Police Board revokes the request for assistance under paragraph (5) of 
such section.'';
            (2) by striking subsections (c) and (e);
            (3) by redesignating subsections (d), (f), and (g) as 
        subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and
            (4) in subsection (d), as redesignated by paragraph (3) of 
        this subsection, by striking ``President pro tempore'' and 
        inserting ``Majority Leader''.

SEC. 3. JOINT OVERSIGHT HEARINGS.

    (a) In General.--The Committee on Rules and Administration of the 
Senate and the Committee on House Administration of the House of 
Representatives (referred to in this section as the ``Committees'') are 
authorized to jointly conduct oversight hearings regarding the Capitol 
Police Board and may request the attendance of all members of the 
Capitol Police Board at any such hearing. Members of the Capitol Police 
Board shall attend a joint hearing under this section, as requested and 
under such rules or procedures as may be adopted by the Committees.
    (b) Timing.--The Committees may conduct oversight hearings under 
this section as determined appropriate by the Committees, but shall 
conduct not less than one oversight hearing under this section during 
each Congress.

SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2021.
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