[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 99 (Wednesday, June 12, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S4059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            COUNTERING THREATS AND ATTACKS ON OUR JUDGES ACT

  Mr. OSSOFF. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of 
S. 3984 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 3984) to amend the State Justice Institute Act 
     of 1984 to authorize the State Justice Institute to provide 
     awards to certain organizations to establish a State judicial 
     threat intelligence and resource center.

  There being no objection, the committee was discharged, and the 
Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. OSSOFF. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read 
a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made 
and laid upon the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (S. 3984) was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, 
was read the third time, and passed as follows:

                                S. 3984

       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 ``Countering Threats and 
     Attacks on Our Judges Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       Section 202 of the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 (42 
     U.S.C. 10701) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (7), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at the end and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(9) `eligible organization' means a national nonprofit 
     organization that--
       ``(A) provides technical assistance and training on, and 
     has expertise and national-level experience in, judicial 
     security and safety at the State and local levels;
       ``(B) has experience in courthouse design and courthouse 
     security design standards;
       ``(C) has an understanding of State judicial operations and 
     public access to judicial services; and
       ``(D) has experience working with a wide array of different 
     judges and court systems, including an understanding of the 
     challenges facing trial courts, appellate courts, rural 
     courts, and limited-jurisdiction courts at the State and 
     local levels.''.

     SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF STATE JUDICIAL THREAT INTELLIGENCE 
                   AND RESOURCE CENTER.

       Section 206(c) of the State Justice Institute Act of 1984 
     (42 U.S.C. 10705(c)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (14), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following:
       ``(15) to provide financial and technical support to 
     eligible organizations to establish, implement, and operate a 
     State judicial threat and intelligence resource center to--
       ``(A) provide technical assistance and training around 
     judicial security, including--
       ``(i) providing judicial officer safety education and 
     training for judicial officers, courts, and local law 
     enforcement;
       ``(ii) creating resources and guides around judicial 
     security; and
       ``(iii) providing physical security assessments for courts, 
     homes, and other facilities where judicial officers and staff 
     conduct court-related business;
       ``(B) proactively monitor threats to the safety of State 
     and local judges and court staff;
       ``(C) coordinate with Federal, State, and local law 
     enforcement agencies to mitigate threats to the safety of 
     State and local judges and court staff;
       ``(D) develop standardized incident reporting and threat 
     evaluation practices for State and local courts in 
     coordination with State and local law enforcement and fusion 
     centers;
       ``(E) develop a national database for reporting, tracking, 
     and sharing information about threats and incidents towards 
     judicial officers and court staff at local and State levels 
     with entities working in the interest of judicial security, 
     including State and local law enforcement and fusion centers; 
     and
       ``(F) coordinate research to identify, examine, and advance 
     best practices around judicial security.''.

     SEC. 4. REPORTS.

       Not later than 1 year after the date on which a State 
     judicial threat intelligence and resource center is 
     established under paragraph (15) of section 206(c) of the 
     State Justice Institute Act of 1984, as added by section 3 of 
     this Act, the State Justice Institute shall submit to the 
     Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate and the Committee on 
     the Judiciary of the House of Representatives an annual 
     report on the number of threats to State and local judiciary 
     members and court staff, with breakdown of types of threats 
     and level of seriousness.

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