An act to provide for appointment and authority of the Supreme Court Police, and for other purposes.
PL 97-390 (H.R.6204), enacted 12/29/1982

PUBLIC LAW 97-390—DEC. 29, 1982 
96 STAT. 1957 
Public Law 97-390 
97th Congress 
An Act 
To provide for appointment and authority of the Supreme Court Police, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled. That (a) the first 
section of the Act entitled "An Act relating to the policing of the 
building and grounds of the Supreme Court of the United States", 
approved August 18,1949 (40 U.S.C. 13f), is amended— 
(1) by striking out "special policemen" and inserting in lieu 
thereof "members of the Supreme Court Police"; and 
(2) by striking out ", for duty" and all that follows through 
"adjacent streets". 
(b) Subsection (b) of section 7 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 131(b)) is 
amended by striking out "promulgated under" and all that follows 
through the end of the subsection and inserting in lieu thereof 
"prescribed under this section shall be posted in a public place at 
the Supreme Court Building and shall be made reasonably available 
to the public in writing.". 
(c)(1) Section 9 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 13n) is amended by striking 
out "SEC. 9. The special" and all that follows through ": Provided, 
That the Metropolitan Police force of the District of Columbia" and 
inserting in lieu thereof the following: 
"SEC. 9. (a) The Marshal of the Supreme Court and the Supreme 
Court Police shall have authority, in accordance with regulations 
prescribed by the Marshal and approved by the Chief Justice of the 
United States— 
"(1) to police the Supreme Court Building and grounds, and 
adjacent streets for the purpose of protecting persons and prop-
erty; 
"(2) in any part of the United States, to protect— 
"(A) the person of the Chief Justice of the United States, 
any Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and any offi-
cial guest of the Supreme Court; and 
L 
"(B) the person of any officer or employee of the Supreme 
Court while such officer or employee is engaged in the 
performance of official duties; 
"(3) in the performance of duties necessary for carrying out 
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^ 
paragraph (1) of this subsection, to make arrests for any viola-
tion of a law of the United States or any State and any 
regulation under such law; 
"(4) in the performance of duties necessary for carrying out 
paragraph (2) of this subsection, to make arrests for any viola-
tion of a law of the United States and any regulation under such 
law; and 
"(5) to carry firearms as may be required for the performance 
of duties under this Act. 
"Ob) The Metropolitan police force of the District of Columbia". 
Dec. 29, 1982 
[H.R. 6204] 
Supreme Court 
Police. 
Appointment 
and authority. 
40 use 13/. 
96 STAT. 1958 
PUBLIC LAW 97-390—DEC. 29, 1982 
Expiration. 
Report to 
Congress. 
Definitions. 
(2) Section 9 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 13n), as amended by paragraph 
(1) of this subsection, is further amended by adding at the end the 
following new subsections: 
"(c) "llie authority created under subsection (aX2) shall expire 
three years after the date of enactment of this subsection. During 
the three-year effective period of subsection (aX2), the Marshal of 
the Supreme Court shall report annuEilly to the Congress on March 
1 regarding the administrative cost of carr3dng out his duties under 
such subsection. Duties under subsection (aX2XA) of this section with 
respect to an official guest of the Supreme Court in any part of the 
United States (other than the District of Columbia, Maryland, and 
Virginia) shall be authorized in writing by the Chief Justice of the 
United States or an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, if such 
duties require the carrying of firearms under subsection (aX5) of this 
section. 
"(d) As used in this Act, the term— 
"(1) 'official guest of the Supreme CJourt' means an individual 
who is a guest of the Supreme (Dourt, as determined by the Chief 
Justice of the United States or any Associate Justice of the 
Supreme Court; 
"(2) 'State' means a State of the United States, the District of 
(Dolumbia, the CJommonwesilth of Puerto Rico, and any territory 
or possession of the United States; and 
"(3) 'United States', when used in a geographical sense, means 
the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth 
of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United 
States.", 
(d) Section 11 of such Act (40 U.S.C. 13p) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new sentence: "In addition to the property 
referred to in the preceding sentence, for the purposes of this Act, 
the Supreme Court grounds are comprised of any property under 
the custody and control of the Supreme Court as part of the Su-
preme Court grounds, including property acquired as provided by 
law on behalf of the United States in lots 2, 3, 800, 801, and 802 in 
square 758 in the District of Columbia as an addition to the grounds 
of the United States Supreme Court Building.". 
SEC. 2. Section 672(c) of title 28, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking out the period at the end of paragraph (7) and 
inserting in lieu thereof a semicolon; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
"(8) Oversee the Supreme Court Police.". 
SEC. 3. Section 3 of the Act entitled "An Act to provide for the 
acquisition of certain property in square 758 in the District of 
Columbia as an addition to the grounds of the United States Su-
preme Court Building", approved December 15, 1980 (40 U.S.C. 13p 
note), is amended by striking out "Act of May 7,1934 (40 U.S.C. 13a 
through 13p), as amended" and inserting in lieu thereof "Act en-
titled 'An Act to provide for the custody and maintenance of the 
'>f"' 
f-i •'!*.'., 
PUBLIC LAW 97-390—DEC. 29, 1982 
96 STAT. 1959 
United States Supreme Court Building and the equipment and 
grounds thereof, approved May 7, 1934 (40 U.S.C. 13a-13c), and 
section 6 of the joint resolution entitled 'Joint resolution to provide 
for the use and disposition of the bequest of the late Justice Oliver 
Wendell Holmes to the United States, and for other purposes', 
approved October 22,1940 (40 U.S.C. 13e)". 
Approved December 29, 1982. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 6204 (S. 2601): 
HOUSE REPORT No. 97-704 (Comm. on the Judiciary). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 128 (1982): 
Aug. 16, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 1, considered and passed Senate, amended. 
Dec. 13, House concurred in Senate amendment.