To amend the Reclamation Recreation Management Act of 1992 in order to provide for the security of dams, facilities, and resources under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation.
PL 107-69 (H.R.2925), enacted 11/12/2001

PUBLIC LAW 107-69—NOV. 12, 2001 
115 STAT. 593 
Nov. 12, 2001 
Public Law 107-69 
107th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Reclamation Recreation Management Act of 1992 in order to provide 
for the security of dams, facihties, and resources under the jurisdiction of the 
Bureau of Reclamation. 
[H.R. 2925] 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION. 1. LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY AT BUREAU OF REC- 
43 USC 373b. 
LAMATION FACILITIES. 
(a) PUBLIC SAFETY REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall issue regulations necessary to maintain law and order and 
protect persons and property within Reclamation projects and on 
Reclamation lands. 
(b) VIOLATIONS; CRIMINAL PENALTIES.—^Any person who know-
ingly and willfully violates any regulation issued under subsection 
(a) shall be fined under chapter 227, subchapter C of title 18, 
United States Code, imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or 
both. Any person charged with a violation of a regulation issued 
under subsection (a) may be tried and sentenced by any United 
States magistrate judge designated for that purpose by the court 
by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to 
the same conditions and limitations as provided for in section 
3401 of title 18, United States Code. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.—The Sec-
retary of the Interior may— 
(1) authorize law enforcement personnel from the Depart-
ment of the Interior to act as law enforcement officers to 
enforce Federal laws and regulations within a Reclamation 
project or on Reclamation lands; 
(2) authorize law enforcement personnel of any other Fed-
eral agency that has law enforcement authority (with the excep-
tion of the Department of Defense) or law enforcement person-
nel of any State or local government, including an Indian 
tribe, when deemed economical and in the public interest, 
through cooperative agreement or contract, to act as law 
enforcement officers to enforce Federal laws and regulations 
within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation lands with 
such enforcement powers as may be so assigned to them by 
the Secretary; 
(3) cooperate with any State or local government, including 
an Indian tribe, in the enforcement of the laws or ordinances 
of that State or local government; and 
(4) provide reimbursement to a State or local government, 
including an Indian tribe, for expenditures incurred in connec-
tion with activities under paragraph (2). 
115 STAT. 594 
PUBLIC LAW 107-69—NOV. 12, 2001 
(d) POWERS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.—^A law enforce-
ment officer authorized by the Secretary of the Interior under 
subsection (c) may— 
(1) carry firearms within a Reclamation project or on Rec-
lamation lands; 
(2) make arrests without warrants for— 
(A) any offense against the United States committed 
in his presence; or 
(B) any felony cognizable under the laws of the United 
States if he has— 
(i) reasonable grounds to believe that the person 
to be arrested has committed or is committing such 
a felony; and 
(ii) such arrest occurs within a Reclamation project 
or on Reclamation lands or the person to be arrested 
is fleeing therefrom to avoid arrest; 
(3) execute within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation 
lands any warrant or other process issued by a court or officer 
of competent jurisdiction for the enforcement of the provisions 
of any Federal law or regulation issued pursuant to law for 
any offense committed within a Reclamation project or on Rec-
lamation lands; and 
(4) conduct investigations within a Reclamation project or 
on Reclamation lands of offenses against the United States 
committed within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation 
lands if the Federal law enforcement agency having investiga-
tive jurisdiction over the offense committed declines to inves-
tigate the offense. 
(e) LEGAL STATUS OF STATE OR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT 
OFFICERS.— 
(1) STATE OR LOCAL OFFICERS NOT FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.— 
Except as otherwise provided in this section, a law enforcement 
officer of any State or local government, including an Indian 
tribe, authorized to act as a law enforcement officer under 
subsection (c) shall not be deemed to be a Federal employee 
and shall not be subject to the provisions of law relating to 
Federal employment, including those relating to hours of work, 
rates of compensation, emplo3anent discrimination, leave, 
unemployment compensation, and Federal benefits. 
(2) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL TORT CLAIMS ACT.—For pur-
poses of chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code (commonly 
known as the Federal Tort Claims Act), a law 
enforcement 
officer of any State or local government, including an Indian 
tribe, shall, when acting as a law enforcement officer 
under 
subsection (c) and while under Federal supervision and control, 
and only when carrying out Federal law enforcement 
respon-
sibilities, be considered a Federal employee. 
AppUcabUity. 
(3) AVAILABILITY OF WORKERS COMPENSATION.—^For pur-
poses of subchapter I of chapter 81 of title 5, United States 
Code, relating to compensation to Federal employees for work 
injuries, a law enforcement officer of any State or local govern-
ment, including an Indian tribe, shall, when acting as a law 
enforcement officer under subsection (c) and while under Fed-
eral supervision and control, and only when carrying out Fed-
eral law enforcement responsibilities, be deemed a civil service 
employee of the United States within the meaning of the term 
employee as defined in section 8101 of title 5, and the provisions 
PUBLIC LAW 107-69—NOV. 12, 2001 
115 STAT. 595 
of that subchapter shall apply. Benefits under such subchapter 
shall be reduced by the amount of any entitlement to State 
or local workers compensation benefits arising out of the same 
injury or death. 
(f) CONCURRENT JURISDICTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed or applied to limit or restrict the investigative jurisdic-
tion of any Federal law enforcement agency, or to affect any existing 
right of a State or local government, including an Indian tribe, 
to exercise civil and criminal jurisdiction within a Reclamation 
project or on Reclamation lands. 
(g) REGULATIONS.—Except for the authority provided in section 
2(c)(1), the law enforcement authorities provided for in this section 
may be exercised only pursuant to regulations issued by the Sec-
retary of the Interior and approved by the Attorney General. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
43 USC 373c. 
In this Act: 
(1) LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL.—^The term "law enforce-
ment personnel" means an employee of a Federal, State, or 
local government agency, including an Indian tribal agency, 
who has successfully completed law enforcement training 
approved by the Secretary and is authorized to carry firearms, 
make arrests, and execute service of process to enforce criminal 
laws of his or her employing jurisdiction. 
(2) 
RECLAMATION 
PROJECT; 
RECLAMATION 
LANDS.—^The 
terms "Reclamation project" and "Reclamation lands" have the 
meaning given such terms in section 2803 of the Reclamation 
Projects Authorization and Adjustment Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 
4601-32). 
Approved November 12, 2001. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 2925: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 147 (2001): 
Oct. 23, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 30, considered and passed Senate.