[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3695 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3695

 To prohibit an increase in the number of private security contractors 
 performing security functions with respect to Operation Iraqi Freedom.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 27, 2007

   Mr. Hall of New York (for himself, Ms. Hooley, Mr. McDermott, Mr. 
  Bishop of New York, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. 
   Hinchey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on Armed 
Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
   each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prohibit an increase in the number of private security contractors 
 performing security functions with respect to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freeze Private Contractors in Iraq 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the 
        House of Representatives found in a hearing on February 7, 2007 
        that private security contractors operating in Iraq had cost 
        the Federal Government almost $4,000,000,000.
            (2) In an April 2007 report, the Government Accountability 
        Office found that ``military commanders and contract oversight 
        personnel do not receive sufficient training to effectively 
        manage contracts and contractors in Iraq''.
            (3) Tens of thousands of foreign private security 
        contractors, many heavily armed, are working in Iraq and are 
        extremely unpopular among Iraqis.
            (4) During the course of its military involvement in Iraq, 
        the United States has for the first time in its history 
        depended on contractors to provide extensive security in a 
        hostile environment.
            (5) The extensive use of contractors in Iraq has made it 
        difficult to conduct proper oversight and has significantly 
        increased the risk of fraud, abuse, and preventable acts of 
        violence, and has outsourced protecting Americans in Iraq to 
        private companies.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PRIVATE SECURITY 
              CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ.

    A covered agency may not enter into a covered contract if the award 
of the contract would result in an increase in the number of personnel 
performing security functions with respect to Operation Iraqi Freedom 
under covered contracts with that agency greater than the number of 
personnel performing such functions under such contracts with that 
agency on September 1, 2007.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Covered contract.--The term ``covered contract'' 
        means--
                    (A) a prime contract awarded by an agency, if the 
                work to be performed under the contract includes 
                security functions;
                    (B) a subcontract at any tier under any prime 
                contract awarded by an agency, if the work to be 
                performed under the subcontract includes security 
                functions; or
                    (C) a task order issued under a task or delivery 
                order contract entered into by an agency, if the work 
                to be performed under the task order includes security 
                functions.
            (2) Security functions.--The term ``security functions'', 
        with respect to activities carried out under a contract in a 
        theater in which the United States is engaged in a contingency 
        operation, means--
                    (A) any activities for which personnel are allowed 
                to carry weapons in the performance of the contract;
                    (B) the performance of--
                            (i) convoy security;
                            (ii) guarding vital facilities and 
                        personnel; or
                            (iii) tactical security work; or
                    (C) any other activity in support of the 
                contingency operation, as determined by the theater 
                security contract coordinating officer.
            (3) Covered agency.--The term ``covered agency'' means any 
        of the following:
                    (A) The Department of State.
                    (B) The Department of Defense.
                    (C) The United States Agency for International 
                Development.
            (4) Contingency operation.--The term ``contingency 
        operation'' has the meaning given the term in section 101(13) 
        of title 10, United States Code.
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