An act to provide for appointment and authority of the Supreme Court Police, and for other purposes.
Public Law 97-390 · H.R. 6204 · 97th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Dec 29, 1982 · Law
Sponsor: Rep. Peter Rodino (D-NJ-10)
Cosponsors (1): Rep. Robert McClory
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Amends Federal law to authorize the Marshal of the Supreme Court to designate members of the Supreme Court Police. Provides that the Marshal and the Supreme Court Police shall have authority: (1) to police the Supreme Court Building, grounds, and adjacent streets; (2) to protect the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, any Associate Justice, any official guest of the Court, and any employee performing official duties, in any part of the United States; (3) to make arrests in the performance of the above duties; and (4) to carry firearms. Terminates the authority to protect the Chief Justice, any Associate Justice, any official guest, and any employee three years after enactment. Directs the Marshal, during the three year effective period, to report to Congress annually regarding the administrative cost of carrying out such duties.
Requires that the Justices identify their official guests and provide written authorization for the Supreme Court Police to carry firearms while protecting such official guests outside of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Repeals the requirement that the Marshal of the Supreme Court shall publish regulations deemed necessary for the protection of the Supreme Court Building and grounds in a local newspaper for ten days prior to their effective date, and substitutes a requirement that regulations be posted at the Supreme Court Building and be made reasonably available to the public in writing.
Retains the authority of the Metropolitan police force of the District of Columbia to make arrests within the Supreme Court Building and grounds. Provides that the Supreme Court grounds shall be held to include specified lots in the District of Columbia acquired as an addition to the grounds of the United States Supreme Court Building.
Directs the Marshal to oversee the Supreme Court Police.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Judiciary Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee
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. 14 actions.
- Dec 29, 1982Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 97-390.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Dec 21, 1982PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Dec 13, 1982Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Oct 1, 1982FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- Aug 16, 1982FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
- Aug 10, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Judiciary Committee
- Jul 20, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Judiciary Committee
- Jun 23, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- May 13, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- May 4, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Administrative Law and Governmental Relations Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee
- Apr 28, 1982CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Judiciary Committee
- 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.