A bill to establish by law the position of Chief of the Capitol Police, and for other purposes.
Public Law 96-152 · H.R. 5651 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Dec 20, 1979 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Rep. Frank Annunzio (D-IL-11)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Establishes the position of Chief of the Capitol Police, who shall be appointed by the Capitol Police Board.
Requires members of the District of Columbia's Metropolitan Police force with 20 or more years of service, who are detailed to the Capitol Police, to either be: (1) reassigned to the Metropolitan Police or (2) elect to transfer to the Capitol Police.
Treats any police service of the Chief of the Capitol Police and members of the Metropolitan Police who transfer to the Captiol Police as creditable service as congressional employees for purposes of civil service annuities. Stipulates that such individuals forfeit all annuity rights under the Policemen and Firemen's Retirement and Disability Act. Requires the District of Columbia Mayor to pay the total amount of retirement withholdings and contributions for such individuals to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Dec 20, 1979Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-152.
- Dec 11, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- Dec 10, 1979PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Dec 6, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate.
- Nov 30, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Nov 9, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Rules and Administration Committee
- Nov 8, 1979FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- FloorFloor · Measure called up by unanimous consent in House.
- Nov 1, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Committee on House Administration
- Oct 19, 1979CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Committee on House Administration
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.