[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 130 (Friday, August 7, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4547-S4548]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FEDERAL BUILDING THREAT NOTIFICATION ACT
Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I will shortly ask for unanimous consent
to pass the Federal Building Threat Notification Act, a bipartisan
legislation that I introduced with Senators Lankford and Ernst to
improve emergency communications in Federal buildings. This bill was
voted unanimously out of committee yesterday.
The men and women who serve our country should be able to do their
jobs in a safe and secure workplace, and members of the public who
enter Federal buildings to receive essential services should be
confident of that--if a violent threat occurs, that they will be
quickly informed and told that they need to say safe.
Unfortunately, that is not what is always happening today. Last
January, shots were fired directly outside the McNamara Federal
Building in Detroit, in my home State of Michigan. Yet the Federal
employees working inside the
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building were not informed about the incident until hours after it
happened. This is simply unacceptable.
When a firearm is discharged near a Federal building and chaos
ensues, the people inside should not be left wondering what the heck is
happening. They should not have to rely on social media, a phone call
from a family member, or news reports to learn about a threat outside
of their workplace. They should receive clear and timely information
from the officials responsible for protecting that building in an
emergency because, as you know, every minute matters. Employees and
visitors need to know whether they should shelter in place, evacuate
the building, avoid a particular entrance, or take other immediate
steps to protect themselves and to protect the public.
The incident in Detroit exposed a serious gap in our Federal security
procedures, and it occurred at a time when threats against government
facilities are increasing. Over the last 5 years, there has been a
sharp increase in terrorist attacks and plots against government
targets, including bomb threats.
We have a responsibility to make sure everyone inside these buildings
has the information they need during a crisis, and that is exactly what
this bipartisan bill will do.
The Federal Building Threat Notification Act would require the
Federal Protective Service and the Department of Homeland Security to
develop and implement clear guidance for emergency communications
within 1 year. That guidance would establish best practices and
protocols for promptly notifying building tenants that violent threats
are occurring inside or immediately surrounding a Federal building.
That includes shootings and other firearm incidents, threats involving
other types of weapons, and potential terrorist activity as well as
suspicious devices.
Just as importantly, the guidance must provide employees and other
building tenants with clear instructions about the appropriate safety
measures they should take in response. This bill would also ensure that
every building protected by the Federal Protective Service has a
designated security official responsible for carrying out these
procedures.
Finally, the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Protective
Service would report back to Congress on the guidance they put into
place.
These are straightforward, commonsense protections, and I am proud to
have the support of my colleagues from across the aisle, Senator
Lankford and Senator Ernst. We know these threats are real, we know
there is a gap in our current system, and we know what needs to be done
to address it.
This legislation is bipartisan because keeping Federal employees and
the public safe should never be a partisan issue. We should not wait
for another dangerous incident or a tragedy before taking action. So I
urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, strengthen
emergency communications in Federal buildings, and help ensure that
employees and visitors receive timely information when their safety is
at risk.
Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent
that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No.
545, S. 2542.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2542) to direct the Director of the Federal
Protective Service to establish guidance relating to
emergency protocols for buildings, and for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill
which had been reported from the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs with an amendment to strike all after the enacting
clause and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Building Threat
Notification Act''.
SEC. 2. GUIDANCE FOR BUILDINGS.
(a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``law
enforcement-related'' means requiring a law enforcement
response.
(b) Guidance.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal Protective
Service shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland
Security, develop and implement guidance for emergency
communication regarding law enforcement-related events for
Federal tenants in buildings under the protection of the
Federal Protective Service.
(2) Contents.--The guidance developed under paragraph (1)
shall include best practices and protocols relating to--
(A) standard operating procedures to inform building
tenants in a timely manner of violent threats in the building
or within approximately 150 feet of the building perimeter,
including all firearm events, other weapons threats, acts of
or threats of potential, suspected, or confirmed terrorism,
and the discovery of suspicious devices or materials; and
(B) ensuring that tenants receive instructions for safety
practices in response to an immediate threat or a heightened
risk of a threat.
(c) Security Officials.--
(1) In general.--The designated official of the Facility
Security Committee for each building under the protection of
the Federal Protective Service shall be responsible for
implementing the guidance at the respective building.
(2) Designated official.--Consistent with the Interagency
Security Committee guidelines and applicable Federal law, the
Director of the Federal Protective Service shall confirm that
each department or agency with a building or office space
under the protection of the Federal Protective Service has a
designated official of the Facility Security Committee.
(d) Assessment of Law Enforcement-Related Crisis
Response.--The Director of the Federal Protective Service
shall--
(1) ensure that all Federal tenants in buildings under the
protection of the Federal Protective Service are able to
adequately respond to a law enforcement-related crisis; and
(2) conduct periodic testing to prepare for such event.
(e) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Federal Protective
Service shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland
Security, electronically submit to Congress a report, not
longer than 10 pages, on the best practices and protocols
implemented under this Act.
(2) Briefing.--The Director of the Federal Protective
Service shall provide to Congress a briefing on the report
required under paragraph (1) and shall present any
information relating to support needed to maintain the safety
of buildings under the protection of the Federal Protective
Service.
(f) No Additional Funds.--No additional funds are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act.
Mr. PETERS. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a
third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered
made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was
agreed to.
The bill (S. 2542), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). The Senator from Ohio.
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