[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2541 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2541

   To enhance the authorities of special agents and provide limited 
  authorities to uniformed officers responsible for the protection of 
           domestic Department of State occupied facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 18, 2001

 Mr. Hyde (for himself and Mr. Lantos) introduced the following bill; 
     which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To enhance the authorities of special agents and provide limited 
  authorities to uniformed officers responsible for the protection of 
           domestic Department of State occupied facilities.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SPECIAL AGENT AUTHORITIES.

    (a) General Authority of Special Agents.--Section 37(a) of the 
State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2709(a)) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) in the course of performing the functions set forth 
        in paragraphs (1) and (3), obtain and execute search and arrest 
        warrants, as well as obtain and serve subpoenas and summonses, 
        issued under the authority of the United States;'';
            (2) in paragraph (3)(F) by inserting ``or President-elect'' 
        after ``President''; and
            (3) by striking paragraph (5) and inserting the following:
            ``(5) in the course of performing the functions set forth 
        in paragraphs (1) and (3), make arrests without warrant for any 
        offense against the United States committed in the presence of 
        the special agent, or for any felony cognizable under the laws 
        of the United States if the special agent has reasonable 
        grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed 
        or is committing such felony.''.
    (b) Crimes.--Section 37 of such Act (22 U.S.C. 2709) is amended by 
inserting after subsection (c) the following new subsections:
    ``(d) Interference With Agents.--Whoever knowingly and willfully 
obstructs, resists, or interferes with a Federal law enforcement agent 
engaged in the performance of the protective functions authorized by 
this section shall be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 
one year, or both.
    ``(e) Persons Under Protection of Special Agents.--Whoever engages 
in any conduct--
            ``(1) directed against an individual entitled to protection 
        under this section, and
            ``(2) which would constitute a violation of section 112 or 
        878 of title 18, United States Code, if such individual were a 
        foreign official, an official guest, or an internationally 
        protected person,
shall be subject to the same penalties as are provided for such conduct 
directed against an individual subject to protection under such section 
of title 18.''.
                                 <all>