Federal Building and Facility Security: Frequently Asked Questions (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Jan. 27, 2021 |
| Report Number |
R43570 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Shawn Reese, Analyst in Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
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Summary:
The security of federal government buildings and facilities affects not only the daily operations of
the federal government but also the health, well-being, and safety of federal employees and the
public. Federal building and facility security is decentralized and disparate in approach, as
numerous federal entities are involved and some buildings or facilities are occupied by multiple
federal agencies. The federal government is tasked with securing over 446,000 buildings or
facilities daily.
The September 2001 terrorist attacks, the September 2013 Washington Navy Yard shootings, and
the April 2014 Fort Hood shootings focused the federal government’s attention on building
security activities. This resulted in an increase in the security operations at federal facilities and
more intense scrutiny of how the federal government secures and protects federal facilities,
employees, and the visiting public.
This renewed attention has generated a number of frequently asked questions. This report answers
several common questions regarding federal building and facility security, including
What is federal facility security?
Who is responsible for federal facility security?
Is there a national standard for federal facility security?
What are the types of threats to federal facilities, employees, and the visiting
public?
How is threat information communicated among federal facility security
stakeholders?
What are the potential congressional issues associated with federal facility
security?
There has been congressional interest concerning federal facility security in past Congresses. For
example, H.R. 735, the Federal Protective Service Improvement and Accountability Act of 2013,
and H.R. 953, the Local Courthouse Safety Act of 2013, address federal facility security.
Additionally, on May 21, 2014, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a
hearing on “Examining the Federal Protective Service: Are Federal Facilities Secure?” and on
December 17, 2013, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a
hearing on “The Navy Yard Tragedy: Examining Physical Security for Federal Facilities.” Even
though the majority of ongoing congressional interest in federal facility security has focused on
the Federal Protective Service (FPS), FPS is only responsible for the security of 9,000 of the
approximately 446,000 federal facilities. In addition to FPS, there are approximately 20 other
federal law enforcement entities with federal facility security missions. Federal facility security is
the responsibility of all branches of the government and all federal departments and agencies.
This report will be updated when congressional actions warrant.
