A bill to amend the Act of July 31, 1946, as amended (40 U.S.C. 193a).
PL 97-143 (S.1976), enacted 12/29/1981

PUBLIC LAW 97-143—DEC. 29, 1981 
95 STAT. 1723 
Public Law 97-
97th Congress 
-143 
An Act 
To amend the Act of July 31, 1946, as amended (40 U.S.C. 193a). 
Dec. 29, 1981 
[S. 1976] 
United States 
Capitol Police, 
authority. 
40 u s e 212a-2. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That (a) 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, as amended (40 U.S.C. 193a), is amended by 
inserting immediately after section 9 thereof the following new 
section: 
"SEC. 9A. (a) Subject to the direction of the Capitol Police Board, 
the United States Capitol Police is authorized to protect, in any area 
of the United States, the person of any Member of Congress, officer of 
the Congress, as defined in section 431 of the Act of October 26, 1970 
(2 U.S.C. 60-l(b)), and any member of the immediate family of any 
such Member or officer, if the Capitol Police Board determines such 
protection to be necessary. 
"(b) In carrying out its authority under this section, the Capitol Regulations. 
Police Board, or its designee, is authorized, in accordance with 
regulations issued by the Board pursuant to this section, to detail, on 
a case-by-case basis, members of the United States Capitol Police to 
provide such protection as the Board may determine necessary under 
this section. 
"(c) In the performance of their protective duties under this section, 
members of the United States Capitol Police are authorized (1) to 
make arrests without warrant for any offense against the United 
States committed in their presence, or for any felony cognizable 
under the laws of the United States if they have reasonable grounds 
to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is 
committing such felony; and (2) to utilize equipment and property of 
the Capitol Police. 
"(d) Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs, resists, or inter-
feres with a member of the Capitol Police engaged in the performance 
of the protective functions authorized by this section, shall be fined 
not more than $300 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. 
"(e) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to imply 
that the authority, duty, and function conferred on the Capitol Police 
Board and the United States Capitol Police are in lieu of or intended 
to supersede any authority, duty, or function imposed on any Federal 
department, agency, bureau, or other entity, or the Metropolitan 
Police of the District of Columbia, involving the protection of any 
such Member, officer, or family member. 
"(f) As used in this section, the term 'United States' means each of 
the several States of the United States, the District of Columbia, and 
territories and possessions of the United States.". 
"United States. 
95 STAT. 1724 
PUBLIC LAW 97-143—DEC. 29, 1981 
(b) Section 1114 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting immediately after "any officer or employee of the Secret 
Service or of the Drug Enforcement Administration," the following: 
"any officer or member of 
the United States Capitol Police ". 
Approved December 29, 1981. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 1976: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 127 (1981): 
Dec. 16, considered and passed Senate and House.