United States 114th Congress Status: Died 1 R cosponsors

HR 1656 — Secret Service Improvements Act of 2015

Last action — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 560.

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. Died in session

This bill died with 114th Congress. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Secret Service Improvements Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly causing an autonomous or remotely operated vehicle or dangerous weapon to enter any restricted building or grounds so that it impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of government business or official functions. The punishment for such offense is a fine, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, if during and in relation to the offense a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm enters the restricted building or grounds. The term "restricted buildings or grounds" is revised to include: (1) any restricted area of a building or grounds that the President or other person protected by the Secret Service has designated as a non-governmental property in accordance with the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976, and (2) the airspace above any such restricted area. (Sec. 3) The bill applies provisions prohibiting threats against former Presidents and others to threats against former Vice Presidents, their spouses, and their minor children. (Sec. 4) The Secret Service shall increase the annual number of training hours for Secret Service officers and agents. The increased training must include the recommendations for training described in the United States Secret Service Protective Mission Panel Report, released on December 15, 2014. (Sec. 5) The Secret Service is authorized to: (1) construct facilities at the Rowley Training Center necessary to improve the training of officers of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division and agents of the Secret Service, and (2) hire the number of officers for the Uniformed Division and agents for the Presidential Protective Detail necessary to satisfy the staffing recommendations made by such report. (Sec. 7) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall devise and adopt improved procedures for identifying, evaluating, and addressing vulnerabilities in the security of the White House and threats to persons protected by the Secret Service, including threats posed by unmanned aerial systems or explosive devices. (Sec. 8) The Secret Service shall devise and adopt improved procedures for: (1) evaluating ways in which technology may be used to improve the security of the White House and the response to threats to persons protected by the Secret Service, and (2) retaining evidence pertaining to such ways for an appropriate period. (Sec. 9) The Secret Service: (1) shall evaluate the practicability of equipping agents and officers with additional non-lethal weapons, and (2) may evaluate the practicability of equipping agents and officers with weapons beyond those currently provided. (Sec. 10) Provisions of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976 requiring specified congressional committee approval of expenditures above a specified amount by the Secret Service for securing any non-governmental property in addition to the one non-governmental property designated by each protectee are replaced with provisions requiring specified congressional committee notification of any such expenditures. (Sec. 11) The bill requires the establishment of an Ethics Program Office in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Secret Service to ensure compliance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. (Sec. 12) The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress with a review of this bill's implementation and an evaluation of the Secret Service's progress in implementing recommendations outlined in the panel report.

Bill Text

We don't have the full text on file for this bill yet.

Read HR 1656 on the official United States source →

Action History

  1. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 560.

  2. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-302.

  3. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

  4. Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

  5. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 365 - 16 (Roll no. 468). (text: CR H5491-5492)

  6. Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

  7. Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H5511-5512)

  8. At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.

  9. DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1656.

  10. Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5491-5494)

  11. Mr. Goodlatte moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

  12. Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 174.

  13. Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Judiciary. H. Rept. 114-231.

  14. Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

  15. Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

  16. Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Discharged.

  17. Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.

  18. Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

  19. Introduced in House

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 546 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (546)

546 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 546 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

public-safety technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HR 1656 do?
Secret Service Improvements Act of 2015 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly causing an autonomous or remotely operated vehicle or dangerous weapon to enter any restricted building or grounds so that it impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of government business or official functions. The punishment for such offense is a fine, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both, if during and in relation to the offense a deadly or dangerous weapon or firearm enters the restricted building or grounds. The term "restricted buildings or grounds" is revised to include: (1) any restricted area of a building or grounds that the President or other person protected by the Secret Service has designated as a non-governmental property in accordance with the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976, and (2) the airspace above any such restricted area. (Sec. 3) The bill applies provisions prohibiting threats against former Presidents and others to threats against former Vice Presidents, their spouses, and their minor children. (Sec. 4) The Secret Service shall increase the annual number of training hours for Secret Service officers and agents. The increased training must include the recommendations for training described in the United States Secret Service Protective Mission Panel Report, released on December 15, 2014. (Sec. 5) The Secret Service is authorized to: (1) construct facilities at the Rowley Training Center necessary to improve the training of officers of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division and agents of the Secret Service, and (2) hire the number of officers for the Uniformed Division and agents for the Presidential Protective Detail necessary to satisfy the staffing recommendations made by such report. (Sec. 7) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall devise and adopt improved procedures for identifying, evaluating, and addressing vulnerabilities in the security of the White House and threats to persons protected by the Secret Service, including threats posed by unmanned aerial systems or explosive devices. (Sec. 8) The Secret Service shall devise and adopt improved procedures for: (1) evaluating ways in which technology may be used to improve the security of the White House and the response to threats to persons protected by the Secret Service, and (2) retaining evidence pertaining to such ways for an appropriate period. (Sec. 9) The Secret Service: (1) shall evaluate the practicability of equipping agents and officers with additional non-lethal weapons, and (2) may evaluate the practicability of equipping agents and officers with weapons beyond those currently provided. (Sec. 10) Provisions of the Presidential Protection Assistance Act of 1976 requiring specified congressional committee approval of expenditures above a specified amount by the Secret Service for securing any non-governmental property in addition to the one non-governmental property designated by each protectee are replaced with provisions requiring specified congressional committee notification of any such expenditures. (Sec. 11) The bill requires the establishment of an Ethics Program Office in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Secret Service to ensure compliance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978. (Sec. 12) The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress with a review of this bill's implementation and an evaluation of the Secret Service's progress in implementing recommendations outlined in the panel report.
Who sponsors HR 1656?
HR 1656 is sponsored by Bob Goodlatte (R).
What is the current status of HR 1656?
This bill died with 114th Congress. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HR 1656?
Track HR 1656 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HR 1656

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HR 1656

Last checked for changes about 18 hours ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →