[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 135 (Thursday, September 26, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF H.R. 2092

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 25, 1996

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to join the gentleman from 
Georgia in support of the Private Security Officer Quality Assurance 
Act, a bill which we jointly introduced last year. Mr. Barr deserves 
enormous credit for his diligence, skill, and hard work in bringing 
this important measure to the floor.
  The public deserves the assurance that the security guard they meet 
in the mall, the bank, or at school is not a felon or a person who has 
a history of violent behavior. Recently, USA Today printed a story 
about the tragedies which can occur when inadequate background checks 
are made--tragedies that involved security guards who committed murder, 
rape, and theft.
  Mr. Speaker, there are now thousands of security companies employing 
close to 1.8 million guards. The vast majority of these security guards 
are professionals, many acting heroically in performing their duties. 
However, right now, we cannot be sure that the security officers that 
we meet in virtually every facet of our lives are not armed and 
dangerous.
  H.R. 2092 will provide an expedited procedure for State officials to 
check the backgrounds of applicants for guard licenses. A similar 
procedure is in place for the banking and parimutuel industries. 
Currently, it takes up to 18 months to complete background checks in 
some States. This bill can reduce that time to the approximately 3 
weeks it takes for banks to get results under their expedited process.
  H.R. 2092 contains no mandates of any kind. No State or individual is 
compelled to use it. Fees will be paid by the applicants or their 
employers. There is no cost to the FBI.
  H.R. 2092 has broad support. Most notably, the National Association 
of Security and Investigative Regulators has endorsed the bill as well 
as representatives of the guard, alarm, and armored car industries.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a bipartisan effort which has the 
support of Members on both sides of the aisle. Security should not be a 
partisan issue. By establishing an expedited procedure for State 
regulators of security guards to receive FBI background checks in a 
timely manner, H.R. 2092 will greatly improve the safety of the public.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to support this straightforward, 
modest, and reasonable bill that will improve public safety where ever 
security guards are present.

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