ACT OF JULY 31, 1946 (United States Capitol Grounds) Chapter 707 of the 79th Congress, as amended 60 Stat. 719, as amended ACT OF JULY 31, 1946 (United States Capitol Grounds) ch707 111–145 Statute Compilation United States House of Representatives Office of the Legislative Counsel text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. GPO Statute Compilations USLM converter, version 20210527.1 2021-10-15 Act of July 31, 1946 1 79 1946-07-31 ACT OF JULY 31, 1946 (United States Capitol Grounds) [Chapter 707 of the 79th Congress; 60 Stat. 719] [As Amended Through P.L. 111–145, Enacted March 4, 2010] [Currency: This publication is a compilation of the text of Chapter 707 of the 79th Congress. It was last amended by the public law listed in the As Amended Through note above and below at the bottom of each page of the pdf version and reflects current law through the date of the enactment of the public law listed at https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/comps/] [Note: While this publication does not represent an official version of any Federal statute, substantial efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of its contents. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code. The legal effect to be given to the Statutes at Large and the United States Code is established by statute (1 U.S.C. 112, 204).]
AN ACTTo define the area of the United States Capitol Grounds, to regulate the use thereof, and for other purposes.Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,[Sections 1–8 were repealed by section 6 of P.L. 107–217 (116 Stat. 1062).]
Sec. 9. [2 U.S.C. 1961] (a) The Capitol Police shall police the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds under the direction of the Capitol Police Board, consisting of the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capitol, and shall have the power to enforce the provisions of this Act (and regulations promulgated under section 14 of this Act (2 U.S.C. 1969)), and chapter 51 of title 40, United States Code, and to make arrests within the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds for any violations of any law of the United States, of the District of Columbia, or of any State, or any regulation promulgated pursuant thereto: Provided, That for the fiscal year for which appropriations are made by this Act the Capitol Police shall have the additional authority to make arrests within the District of Columbia for crimes of violence, as defined in section 16 of title 18, committed within the Capitol Buildings and Grounds and shall have the additional authority to make arrests, without a warrant, for crimes of violence, as defined in section 16 of title 18, committed in the presence of any member of the Capitol Police performing official duties: Provided further, That the Metropolitan Police force of the District of Columbia are authorized to make arrests within the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds for any violation of any such laws or regulations, but such authority shall not be construed as authorizing the Metropolitan Police force, except with the consent or upon the request of the Capitol Police Board, to enter such buildings to make arrests in response to complaints or to serve warrants or to patrol the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds. For the purpose of this section, the word “grounds” shall include the House Office Buildings parking areas and that part or parts of property which have been or hereafter are acquired in the District of Columbia by the Architect of the Capitol, or by an officer of the Senate or the House, by lease, purchase, intergovernment transfer, or otherwise, for the use of the Senate, the House, or the Architect of the Capitol. (b) For purposes of this section, “the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds” shall include any building or facility acquired by the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate for the use of the Senate for which the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate has entered into an agreement with the United States Capitol Police for the policing of the building or facility. (c) For purposes of this section, “the United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds” shall include any building or facility acquired by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives for the use of the House of Representatives for which the Chief Administrative Officer has entered into an agreement with the United States Capitol Police for the policing of the building or facility. (d) For purposes of this section, “United States Capitol Buildings and Grounds” shall include the Library of Congress buildings and grounds described under section 11 of the Act entitled “An Act relating to the policing of the buildings of the Library of Congress”, approved August 4, 1950 (2 U.S.C. 167j), except that in a case of buildings or grounds not located in the District of Columbia, the authority granted to the Metropolitan Police Force of the District of Columbia shall be granted to any police force within whose jurisdiction the buildings or grounds are located. * * * * * * *
Sec. 9B. [40 U.S.C. 212a–3] (a) Subject to such regulations as may be prescribed by the Capitol Police Board and approved by the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, a member of the Capitol Police shall have authority to make arrests and otherwise enforce the laws of the United States, including the laws of the District of Columbia— (1) within the District of Columbia, with respect to any crime of violence committed within the United States Capitol Grounds; (2) within the District of Columbia, with respect to any crime of violence committed in the presence of the member, if the member is in the performance of official duties when the crime is committed; (3) within the District of Columbia, to prevent imminent loss of life or injury to person or property, if the officer is in the performance of official duties when the authority is exercised; (4) within the area described under subsection (b)(1); and11

Section 1003 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2004 (P.L. 108–83; 117 Stat. 1021) amended paragraph (4) by striking “in subsection (b) of this section.” and inserting “under subsection (b)(1); and”. The amendment probably should not have included “of this section” in the matter to be struck. The amendment made by such public law was executed to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

 (5) within the area described under subsection (b)(2)— (A) with respect to any crime of violence committed in the presence of the member, if the member is in the performance of official duties, as defined under such regulations, when the crime is committed; and (B) to prevent imminent loss of life or injury to person or property, if the officer is in the performance of official duties, as defined under such regulations, when the authority is exercised. (b)(1) The area referred to in subsection (a)(4) is that area bounded by the north curb of H Street from 3rd Street, N.W. to 7th Street, N.E., the east curb of 7th Street from H Street, N.E., to M Street, S.E., the south curb of M Street from 7th Street, S.E. to 1st Street, S.E., the east curb of 1st Street from M Street, S.E. to Potomac Avenue S.E., the southeast curb of Potomac Avenue from 1st Street, S.E. to South Capitol Street, S.W., the west curb of South Capitol Street from Potomac Avenue, S.W. to P Street, S.W., the north curb of P Street from South Capitol Street, S.W. to 3rd Street, S.W., and the west curb of 3rd Street from P Street, S.W. to H Street, N.W. (2) The area referred to under subsection (a)(5) is that area bounded by the north curb of Constitution Avenue from 14th Street, N.W., to 3rd Street, N.W., the east curb of 3rd Street from Constitution Avenue, N.W., to Independence Avenue, S.W., the south curb of Independence Avenue from 3rd Street, S.W., to 14th Street, S.W., and the west curb of 14th Street from Independence Avenue, S.W., to Constitution Avenue, N.W. (c) This section does not affect the authority of the Metropolitan Police force of the District of Columbia with respect to the area described in subsection (b). (d) As used in this section, the term “crime of violence” has the meaning given that term in section 16 of title 18, United States Code.
Sec. 9C. [40 U.S.C. 207a] Payroll administration for the Capitol Police and civilian support personnel of the Capitol Police shall be carried out on a unified basis by a single disbursing authority. The Capitol Police Board, with the approval of the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate, acting jointly, shall, by contract or otherwise, provide for such unified payroll administration.[Sections 10–13 were repealed by section 6 of P.L. 107–217 (116 Stat. 1062).]
Sec. 14. [40 U.S.C. 212b] (a) The Capitol Police Board, consisting of the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capitol, shall have exclusive charge and control of the regulation and movement of all vehicular and other traffic, including the parking and impounding of vehicles and limiting the speed thereof, within the United States Capitol Grounds; and said Board is hereby authorized and empowered to make and enforce all necessary regulations therefor and to prescribe penalties for violation of such regulations, such penalties not to exceed a fine of $300 or imprisonment for not more than ninety days. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section those provisions of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, as amended, for the violation of which specific penalties are provided in said Act, as amended, shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds. Prosecutions for violation of such regulations shall be in The Municipal Court for the District of Columbia, upon information by the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia or any of his assistants. (b) Regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section shall be promulgated by the Capitol Police Board and such regulations may be amended from time to time by the Capitol Police Board whenever it shall deem it necessary: Provided, That until such regulations are promulgated and become effective, the traffic regulations of the District of Columbia shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds. (c) All regulations promulgated under the authority of this section shall, when adopted by the Capitol Police Board, be printed in one or more of the daily newspapers published in the District of Columbia, and shall not become effective until the expiration of ten days after the date of such publication, except that whenever the Capitol Police Board deems it advisable to make effective immediately any regulation relating to parking, diverting of vehicular traffic, or the closing of streets to such traffic, the regulation shall be effective immediately upon placing at the point where it is to be in force conspicuous signs containing a notice of the regulation. Any expenses incurred under this subsection shall be payable from the appropriation “Uniforms and Equipment, Capitol Police”. (d) It shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the District of Columbia, or any officer or employee of the government of the District of Columbia designated by said Commissioners, upon request of the Capitol Police Board, to cooperate with the Board in the preparation of the regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section, and any future amendments thereof. [Sections 15 and 16(a) were repealed by section 6 of P.L. 107–217 (116 Stat. 1062).] * * * * * * *