[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 182 (Monday, December 9, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H6529-H6530]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMPROVING FEDERAL BUILDING SECURITY ACT OF 2024
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (S. 3613) to require Facility Security Committees to
respond to security recommendations issued by the Federal Protective
Service relating to facility security, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 3613
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 ``Improving Federal Building
Security Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. RESPONDING TO SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given the
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
(2) Facility security committee.--The term ``Facility
Security Committee'' means a committee that--
(A) consists of representatives of--
(i) all Federal tenants in a specific non-military
facility;
(ii) the security organization for the facility; and
(iii) the owning or leasing Federal tenant; and
(B) is responsible for addressing facility-specific
security issues and approving the implementation of security
measures and practices in the facility.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
(b) Response.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date on
which the Federal Protective Service issues a security
recommendation to a Facility Security Committee to improve
facility security, the head of the Facility Security
Committee, or a designee thereof, shall--
(A) respond to the Secretary--
(i) indicating if the Facility Security Committee intends
to adopt or reject the recommendation; and
(ii) describing the financial implications of adopting or
rejecting the recommendation, including if the benefits
outweigh the costs; and
(B) if the Facility Security Committee intends to reject
the recommendation, provide the Secretary a justification for
accepting the risk posed by rejecting the recommendation.
(2) Method.--The Secretary shall--
(A) develop a method to monitor the recommendations and
responses described in paragraph (1); and
[[Page H6530]]
(B) take reasonable action to ensure Facility Security
Committee responsiveness under paragraph (1).
(c) Annual Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives a report that,
for the fiscal year preceding the report, includes--
(A) a summary of the security recommendations issued by the
Federal Protective Service to Facility Security Committees to
improve facility security;
(B) the percentage of recommendations described in
subparagraph (A) that were accepted and the percentage of
such recommendations that were rejected;
(C) the percentage of Facility Security Committees that
failed to respond to a recommendation described in
subparagraph (A) in a timely manner;
(D) a summary of justifications provided by Facility
Security Committees if a Facility Security Committee rejected
a recommendation described in subparagraph (A);
(E) a summary of the financial implications of Facility
Security Committee responses to recommendations described in
subparagraph (A), including if the benefits outweigh the
costs;
(F) an analysis of steps taken by Facility Security
Committees to mitigate the risk posed by rejecting a
recommendation described in subparagraph (A); and
(G) an analysis of any trends found among the findings in
the report.
(2) Form.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall
be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a
classified annex.
(3) Briefing.--The Secretary shall brief the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and
the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives on an annual basis on the findings of the
most recently submitted report under paragraph (1).
(d) Report on Surveillance Technology.--Not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on
Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives an unredacted
report on--
(1) all surveillance technology recommended by the Federal
Protective Service; and
(2) any intended use of the technology described in
paragraph (1).
(e) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are
authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out
this Act.
(f) Sunset and Report.--
(1) Sunset.--This Act shall cease to be effective on the
date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) GAO report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to Congress a report on the effectiveness
of this Act.
(g) Application.--This Act shall only apply to--
(1) General Services Administration facilities under
protection of the Federal Protective Service; and
(2) non-General Services Administration facilities that pay
fees to the Federal Protective Service for protection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Graves) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana.
General Leave
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3613.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Louisiana?
There was no objection.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 3613, the Improving Federal Building Security Act of
2024, will strengthen security of Federal buildings by ensuring
agencies are held accountable for the security decisions they make.
Specifically, the legislation would require Federal agencies to
respond to security recommendations of the Federal Protective Service
and provide a justification for recommendations that are not
implemented.
Given the ongoing security challenges identified by the Government
Accountability Office at a Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
hearing in July, this bill will improve security for those who work in
or visit Federal buildings across the Nation.
I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Ezell) for his work on
the House companion to this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation and reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. LARSEN of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in support of this bill, which will improve security for
Federal employees and the members of the public who visit Federal
buildings. Federal facilities face a wide range of threats, including
active shooters, cyberattacks, hostile surveillance, and explosive
devices.
While the Federal Protective Service, or FPS, currently makes safety
recommendations for Federal offices and buildings, the tenant agencies
in those buildings often disregard FPS recommendations.
The Government Accountability Office of the GAO reported that between
fiscal years 2017 and 2021, tenant agencies ignored about 57 percent of
these recommendations. S. 3613 will ensure Federal agencies are
following the most up-to-date security recommendations to protect these
facilities and the people in them.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, this bill will ensure that Federal agencies
are following the most up-to-date security recommendations to protect
their facilities and people in them.
I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of
my time.
In closing, Federal agencies need to be held accountable for the
security decisions they make at Federal office buildings. This bill
will help achieve that. By creating safer, more secure workplaces, we
can ensure Federal workers can easily return to work in person.
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee favorably reported
the House companion. I urge support of S. 3613, so this legislation can
be signed into law and we can improve the safety of our Federal
workers.
Mr. Speaker, I want to make note, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr.
Ezell), a longtime law enforcement officer, was key in pushing the
House bill and fully supports this. Again, I urge adoption, and yield
back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bacon). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 3613.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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