Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2013

Bill: 113-hr-735
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Introduced: 2013-02-14 in the House
Policy area: Emergency Management
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government studies and investigations
Homeland security
Law enforcement officers
Protection of officials
Public contracts and procurement
User charges and fees

Summary:
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: 
Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2013 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to maintain no fewer than 1,350 full-time equivalent positions in the Federal Protective Service inspector force, who shall be fully trained federal law enforcement officers. Directs the Secretary to classify the positions in the following categories: (1) Federal Facility Security Officers, responsible for security assessment; and (2) law enforcement officers, responsible for physical law enforcement and investigations. Directs the Secretary to establish: (1) the Federal Protective Service contract oversight force, and (2) minimum training and certification standards for security guard services at facilities protected by the Service.

Expresses the sense of Congress that specified security standards for federal facilities established by the Interagency Security Committee should be implemented for all federal facilities for which they were issued.
 
Directs the Secretary, through the Director of the Federal Protective Service, to: (1) commence a one-year pilot program to research the advantages of converting guard positions at the highest-risk federal facilities protected by the Service from contract guard positions to positions held by federal employees, and (2) establish and hire individuals for a federal facility security guard position.

Directs the Comptroller General to: (1) periodically review and report to Congress on the performance by federal facility security guards under the pilot program, and upon its completion submit a final report evaluating whether or not the performance of individuals in such positions was satisfactory (if so, directs the Secretary to replace contract guards at all highest risk facilities protected by the Service with federal employees); and (2) submit a review of the fee-based funding system in use by the Service and issue any recommendations for alternative approaches.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-03-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency.
action_date: 2013-02-15
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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.
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, 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.
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E147-148)
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Introduced in House