A bill to amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to authorize protective force personnel who guard the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or its storage and related facilities to carry firearms while discharging their official duties and in certain instances to make arrests without warrant; to establish the offense of trespass on property of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; and for other purposes.
PL 100-531 (S.836), enacted 10/25/1988

102 STAT. 2652 
PUBLIC LAW 100-531—OCT. 25, 1988 
Oct. 25, 1988 
[S. 836] 
42 u s e 7270a. 
Real property. 
42 u s e 7270b. 
Public Law 100-531 
100th Congress 
An Act 
To amend the Department of Energy Organization Act to authorize protective force 
personnel who guard the strategic petroleum reserve or its storage and related 
facilities to carry firearms while discharging their official duties and in certain 
instances to make arrests without warrant; to establish the offense of trespass on 
property of the strategic petroleum reserve, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. PROTECTION OF STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title VI of the Department of Energy Organiza-
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 7211-7270) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new sections: 
" G U A R D S FOR STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FACILITIES 
"SEC. 661. Under guidelines prescribed by the Secretary and 
concurred with by the Attorney General, employees of the Depart-
ment of Energy and employees of contractors and subcontractors (at 
any tier) of the Department of Energy, while discharging their 
official duties of protecting the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (estab-
lished under part B of title I of the Energy Policy and Conservation 
Act) or its storage or related facilities or of protecting persons upon 
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or its storage or related facilities, 
may— 
"(1) carry firearms, if designated by the Secretary and quali-
fied for the use of firearms under the guidelines; and 
"(2) arrest without warrant any person for an offense against 
the United States— 
"(A) in the case of a felony, if the employee has reason-
able grounds to believe that the person— 
"(i) has committed or is committing a felony; and 
"(ii) is in or is fleeing from the immediate area of the 
felony; and 
"(B) in the case of a felony or misdemeanor, if the viola-
tion is committed in the presence of the employee. 
" T R E S P A S S O N STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE FACILITIES 
"SEC. 662. (a) The Secretary may issue regulations relating to the 
entry upon or carrying, transporting, or otherwise introducing or 
causing to be introduced any dangerous weapon, explosive, or other 
dangerous instrument or material likely to produce substantial 
injury or damage to persons or property into or onto the Strategic 
Petroleum Reserve, its storage or related facilities, or real property 
subject to the jurisdiction, administration, or in the custody of the 
Secretary under part B of title I of the Energy Policy and Conserva-
tion Act (42 U.S.C. 6231-6247). The Secretary shall post conspicu-
ously, on the property subject to the regulations, notification that 
the property is subject to the regulations. 
PUBLIC LAW 100-531—OCT. 25, 1988 
102 STAT. 2653 
"(b) Whoever willfully violates a regulation of the Secretary 
issued under subsection (a) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and 
punished upon conviction by a fme of not more than $5,000, impris-
onment for not more than one year, or both.". 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of contents for the 
Department of Energy Organization Act is amended by adding after 
the item relating to section 660 the following new items: 
"Sec. 661. Guards for Strategic Petroleum Reserve facilities. 
"Sec. 662. Trespass on Strategic Petroleum Reserve facilities.". 
Approved October 25, 1988. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 836: 
HOUSE REPORTS: No. 100-980, Pt. 1 (Comm. on Energy and Commerce). 
SENATE REPORTS: No. 100-79 (Comm. on Energy and Natural Resources). 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD: 
Vol. 133 (1987): June 25, considered and passed Senate. 
Vol. 134 (1988): Oct. 5, considered and passed House, amended. 
Oct. 7, Senate concurred in House amendment.