Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-3418
Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Bennie G. [D-MS-2]
Introduced: 2015-07-29 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Congressional oversight
Department of Homeland Security
Executive agency funding and structure
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: 2015-07-29
text: 

Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2015

 
 Directs the Federal Protective Service (FPS) to maintain not fewer than 1,870 full-time equivalent positions, with at least 1,350 of such positions designated for fully trained federal law enforcement officers. 
 
Authorizes positions in the FPS inspector force to be designated as: (1) Federal Facility Security Officers responsible for performing security assessments at facilities protected by FPS, making security countermeasure recommendations for such facilities, participating in security training and disseminating homeland security information to occupants and security guards of such facilities, and assessing the security of such facilities and the extent to which security countermeasure recommendations have been implemented; or (2) law enforcement officers responsible for patrolling and on-site monitoring of the physical security of FPS-protected facilities, conducting investigations at such facilities, and providing physical law enforcement at such facilities in the event of a terrorist attack, security incident, or other incident. 
 
Directs FPS to: (1) establish the FPS contract oversight force responsible for overseeing contract guards, (2) establish uniform minimum training and certification standards for security guard services at FPS-protected facilities, (3) establish a process to verify the accuracy of training and certification data maintained by FPS, and (4) provide training to individuals in guard positions who have not successfully completed training on the effective utilization of screening equipment and active shooter scenario-based training.
 
Directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) develop and implement a strategy for using covert-testing data and data on prohibited items to improve screening at facilities protected by FPS, and (2) submit an assessment of the degree to which the standards specified in the "The Risk Management Process: An Interagency Security Committee Standard" are utilized by all non-military federal facilities and of any barriers to utilizing such standards.
 
Requires FPS to: (1) commence a one-year pilot program to research the advantages of converting guard positions at the highest-risk federal facilities protected by FPS from contract guard positions to positions held by federal employees; and (2) establish, and hire individuals for, a federal facility security guard position.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2015-08-11
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency.
action_date: 2015-07-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2015-07-29
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: 2015-07-29
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: 2015-07-29
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: 2015-07-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1163)
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-07-29
text: Introduced in House