Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-378
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2007-01-24 in the Senate
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Assault
Authorization
Bankruptcy courts
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Computer security measures
Conflict of interests
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal procedure
Department of Justice
District courts
Economics and Public Finance
Families
Federal aid to law enforcement
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Fines (Penalties)
Firearms
Fraud
Government Operations and Politics
Government attorneys
Government employees' life insurance
Government ethics
Government procurement
Guam
Homicide
Informers
Judges
Judicial ethics
Judicial officers
Juries
Law enforcement officers
Liens
Magistrates
Northern Mariana Islands
Obstruction of justice
Office of Government Ethics
Parking facilities
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Recruiting of employees
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
State courts
Sunset legislation
Tax courts
Taxation
Transportation and Public Works
Victims of crimes
Violence
Virgin Islands
Weapons
Witnesses

Summary:
action_date: 2007-01-24
text: 
Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) direct the U.S. Marshals Service to consult with the Judicial Conference of the United States (Judicial Conference) on a continuing basis regarding the security requirements of the judicial branch; (2) authorize the Marshals Service to provide security for the U.S. Tax Court; (3) allow the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enter into multi-year procurement contracts; (4) extend certain life insurance benefits to bankruptcy, magistrate, and territorial judges; and (5) grant expanded authority to certain retired senior judges. Authorizes additional funding to hire marshals to protect the judiciary.
 
Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to: (1) restrict disclosure of the personal information of family members of judges; (2) extend through 2009 the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact certain personal information of judges from financial disclosure reports; and (3) reauthorize the Office of Government Ethics through FY2011. 
 
Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit: (1) the filing of false liens against the property of judges or law enforcement officials; (2) the public disclosure of restricted personal information about an federal officer, witness, or juror (or family member) with the intent to harm such individual; and (3) the possession of dangerous weapons in a federal court facility. 
 
Increases criminal penalties for tampering with or retaliating against a witness, victim, or informant and for voluntary and involuntary manslaughter.
 
 Authorizes grant programs to create and expand witness and victim protection programs. Extends eligibility for correctional options grants and armored vest grants to state and local courts.

action_date: 2007-04-19
text: 
Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 - 
Title I: Judicial Security Improvements and Funding
 - (Sec. 101) Amends the federal judicial code to require the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to consult with the Judicial Conference of the United States (Judicial Conference) on a continuing basis regarding the security requirements of the judicial branch.

(Sec. 102) Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to: (1) authorize the Judicial Conference to allow redactions of personal information of family members of judges from financial disclosure forms filed by such judges; (2) extend through 2009 the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact certain personal information of judges from financial disclosure reports; and (3) require the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts to include in its annual report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees additional information about redactions from financial disclosure forms.

(Sec. 104) Amends the federal judicial code and the Internal Revenue Code to authorize the U.S. Marshals Service to provide security for the U.S. Tax Court. 

(Sec. 105) Authorizes an additional appropriation in each of FY2007-FY2011 for the U.S. Marshals Service for protection of the judiciary. Requires such additional funding to be used for: (1) hiring entry-level deputy marshals to provide judicial security; (2) hiring senior-level deputy marshals for investigating threats to the judiciary and for providing protection for members of the judiciary and assistant U.S. attorneys; and (3) the Office of Protective Intelligence. 

Title II: Criminal Law Enhancements To Protect Judges, Family Members, and Witnesses
 - (Sec. 201) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the filing (or attempts or conspiracies to file) in any public record any false lien or encumbrance against the real or personal property of any U.S. officer or employee on account of the performance of that officer's or employee's official duties, knowing such lien or encumbrance is false. Impose a fine and/or prison term of up to 10 years for violations.

(Sec. 202) Prohibits the public disclosure of restricted personal information about a federal officer or employee, witness, or juror (or immediate family members) with the intent to threaten or cause harm to such individuals. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to five years for violations.

(Sec. 203) Prohibits the possession of dangerous weapons in federal court facilities. 

(Sec. 204) Sets forth venue requirements for prosecutions for retaliation against a witness. 

(Sec. 205) Increases maximum prison terms for tampering with, or retaliating against, a witness, victim, or informant.

(Sec. 207) Increases maximum prison terms for voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. 

Title III: Protecting State And Local Judges And Related Grant Programs 
 - (Sec. 301) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to include as a required use of community-based justice grants the creation and expansion of state, local, or Indian tribe witness protection programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2011.

(Sec. 302) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make state courts eligible for grants to improve court security (correctional options grants) and for armor vests. 

Title IV: Law Enforcement Officers
 - Requires the Attorney General to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the security of assistant U.S. attorneys and other federal attorneys arising from the prosecution of terrorists and other violent criminals. Requires such report to include information on the number and nature of threats and assaults against such attorneys, security measures in place to protect such attorneys, programs available to such attorneys for personal security training, secure parking spaces for such attorneys, and the role of the U.S. Marshals Service in protecting such attorneys.

Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions
 - Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) authorize through FY2010 the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enter into multi-year procurement contracts and to make advance, partial, progress, or other payments for property or services to the same extent as executive agencies; (2) extend certain life insurance benefits to bankruptcy, magistrate, and territorial judges; (3) expand the powers of judges who have retired from active service (senior judges) to include all powers of a sitting judge, including participation in the appointment of court officers, the selection of magistrate judges, rulemaking, governance, and administrative matters; (4) reduce the number of judges on the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit from 12 to 11; and (5) increase the number of judges on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 28 to 29. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-04-20
text: Held at the desk.
action_date: 2007-04-20
text: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
action_date: 2007-04-20
text: Received in the House.
action_date: 2007-04-19
text: Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay. 97 - 0. Record Vote Number: 135. (text: CR S4742-4744)
action_date: 2007-04-19
text: Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay. 97 - 0. Record Vote Number: 135.(text: CR S4742-4744)
action_date: 2007-04-19
text: Cloture motion withdrawn by unanimous consent in Senate.
action_date: 2007-04-19
text: Considered by Senate. (consideration: CR S4729-4744)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Cloture motion on S.378 presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S4666; text: CR S4666)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: The committee reported amendment was agreed to by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S4653-4655)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Measure laid before Senate by motion. (consideration: CR S4653-4666)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate.
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 93 - 3. Record Vote Number: 133. (consideration: CR S4636; text: CR S4636)
action_date: 2007-04-18
text: Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate. (consideration: CR S4636-4653)
action_date: 2007-04-16
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure withdrawn in Senate. (consideration: CR S4470)
action_date: 2007-04-16
text: Cloture motion on the motion to proceed presented in Senate. (consideration: CR S4470-4471; text: CR S4470)
action_date: 2007-04-16
text: Motion to proceed to consideration of measure made in Senate. (consideration: CR S4470)
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 107.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment. With written report No. 110-42. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2007-03-29
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Leahy with an amendment. With written report No. 110-42. Additional views filed.
action_date: 2007-03-01
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2007-02-14
text: Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
action_date: 2007-01-24
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S1063-1065)
action_date: 2007-01-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1062-1063)
action_date: 2007-01-24
text: Introduced in Senate