Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021
Public Law 117-77 · S. 3377 · 117th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Joe Biden (D) on Dec 22, 2021 · Congress
Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Cosponsors (8): Sen. Roy Blunt, Sen. Angus King,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021
This bill allows the chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to request emergency assistance from executive departments and executive agencies to prevent significant disruption of governmental function and public order at the U.S. Capitol. The bill also eliminates statutory qualification and approval requirements for law enforcement and uniformed service personnel appointed to serve as special police officers, including during periods of emergency initiated by the chief under the bill. Further, special police regulations prescribed by the U.S. Capitol Police Board are subject to approval by the Speaker of the House and Senate majority leader under the bill. Those regulations are subject to approval by the Speaker and the President pro tempore of the Senate under current law.
Finally, the bill requires the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and the House Committee on House Administration to jointly conduct at least one oversight hearing of the U.S. Capitol Police Board during each Congress.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 2312Related bill
A bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, and for other purposes.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 12 actions.
- Dec 22, 2021Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 117-77.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 17, 2021FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Dec 14, 2021FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- FloorFloor · Ms. Lofgren asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Dec 13, 2021FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.