(a) Protection for Department Leadership.—The Secretary of Defense, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary and in accordance with guidelines approved by the Secretary and the Attorney General, may authorize qualified members of the armed forces and qualified civilian employees of the Department of Defense to provide physical protection and personal security within the United States to the following persons who, by nature of their positions, require continuous security and protection:
(1) Secretary of Defense.
(2) Deputy Secretary of Defense.
(3) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(4) Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(5) Secretaries of the military departments.
(6) Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in addition to the Chairman and Vice Chairman.
(7) Commanders of combatant commands.
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Terms Used In 10 USC 714
- Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
- Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
- individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See 1 USC 8
- officer: includes any person authorized by law to perform the duties of the office. See 1 USC 1
- writing: includes printing and typewriting and reproductions of visual symbols by photographing, multigraphing, mimeographing, manifolding, or otherwise. See 1 USC 1
(b) 1 Protection for Additional Personnel.—
(1) Authority to provide.—The Secretary of Defense, under regulations prescribed by the Secretary and in accordance with guidelines approved by the Secretary and the Attorney General, may authorize qualified members of the armed forces and qualified civilian employees of the Department of Defense to provide physical protection and personal security within the United States to individuals other than individuals described in paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that such protection and security are necessary because—
(A) there is an imminent and credible threat to the safety of the individual for whom protection is to be provided; or
(B) compelling operational considerations make such protection essential to the conduct of official Department of Defense business.
(2) Personnel.—Individuals authorized to receive physical protection and personal security under this subsection include the following:
(A) Any official or employee of the Department of Defense or member of the armed forces.
(B) A former or retired official who faces serious and credible threats arising from duties performed while employed by the Department for a period of up to two years beginning on the date on which the official separates from the Department.
(C) A head of a foreign state, an official representative of a foreign government, or any other distinguished foreign visitor to the United States who is primarily conducting official business with the Department of Defense.
(D) Any member of the immediate family of a person authorized to receive physical protection and personal security under this section.
(E) An individual who has been designated by the President, and who has received the advice and consent of the Senate, to serve as Secretary of Defense, but who has not yet been appointed as Secretary of Defense.
(3) Limitation on delegation.—The authority of the Secretary of Defense to authorize the provision of physical protection and personal security under this subsection may be delegated only to the Deputy Secretary of Defense.
(4) Requirement for written determination.—A determination of the Secretary of Defense to provide physical protection and personal security under this subsection shall be in writing, shall be based on a threat assessment by an appropriate law enforcement, security, or intelligence organization, and shall include the name and title of the officer, employee, or other individual affected, the reason for such determination, the duration of the authorized protection and security for such officer, employee, or individual, and the nature of the arrangements for the protection and security.
(5) Duration of protection.—
(A) Initial period of protection.—After making a written determination under paragraph (4), the Secretary of Defense may provide protection and security to an individual under this subsection for an initial period of not more than 90 calendar days.
(B) Subsequent period.—If, at the end of the period that protection and security is provided to an individual under subsection (A), the Secretary determines that a condition described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) continues to exist with respect to the individual, the Secretary may extend the period that such protection and security is provided for additional 60-day periods. The Secretary shall review such a determination at the end of each 60-day period to determine whether to continue to provide such protection and security.
(C) Requirement for compliance with regulations.—Protection and personal security provided under subparagraph (B) shall be provided in accordance with the regulations and guidelines referred to in paragraph (1).
(6) Submission to congress.—
(A) In general.—Except as provided in subparagraph (D), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees each determination made under paragraph (4) to provide protection and security to an individual and of each determination under paragraph (5)(B) to extend such protection and security, together with the justification for such determination, not later than 15 days after the date on which the determination is made.
(B) Form of report.—A report submitted under subparagraph (A) may be made in classified form.
(C) Regulations and guidelines.—The Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees the regulations and guidelines prescribed pursuant to paragraph (1) not less than 20 days before the date on which such regulations take effect.
(D) Exceptions.—Subparagraph (A) does not apply to determinations made with respect to the following individuals:
(i) An individual described in paragraph (2)(C) who is otherwise sponsored by the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(ii) An individual described in paragraph (2)(E).
(c) Definitions.—In this section, the terms “qualified members of the armed forces” and “qualified civilian employees of the Department of Defense” refer collectively to members or employees who are assigned to investigative, law enforcement, or security duties of any of the following:
(1) The Army Criminal Investigation Command.
(2) The Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
(3) The Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
(4) The Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
(5) The Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
(d) Construction.—
(1) No additional law enforcement or arrest authority.—Other than the authority to provide protection and security under this section, nothing in this section may be construed to bestow any additional law enforcement or arrest authority upon the qualified members of the armed forces and qualified civilian employees of the Department of Defense.
(2) Posse comitatus.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to abridge section 1385 of title 18.
(3) Authorities of other departments.—Nothing in this section may be construed to preclude or limit, in any way, the express or implied powers of the Secretary of Defense or other Department of Defense officials, or the duties and authorities of the Secretary of State, the Director of the United States Secret Service, the Director of the United States Marshals Service, or any other Federal law enforcement agency.
