	Introduction

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. There has been congressional interest concerning federal facility security in past Congresses. 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." FPS federal facility security responsibility is limited to only 9,000 of the approximate 446,000 federal facilities. In addition to FPS, there are approximately 20 other federal law enforcement entities with federal facility security missions. This attention resulted in a number of frequently asked questions. This report answers several common questions regarding federal building and facility security. What is federal facility security? Who is responsible for federal facility security? The federal law enforcement entities responsible for facility security are
U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute and Standards and Technology Police—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for NIST facilities; U.S. Department of Defense's Pentagon Force Protection Agency—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for the occupants, visitors, and infrastructure of the Pentagon, Navy Annex, and other assigned Pentagon facilities; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institutes of Health, Division of Police—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for NIH facilities; U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, Security Branch—Officers are responsible for the protection of FEMA facilities, personnel, resources, and information; U.S. Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Secret Service—Uniformed Division officers protect the White House complex and other presidential offices, the main Treasury building and annex, the President and Vice President and their families, and foreign diplomatic missions; The Federal Reserve Board Police—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for Federal Reserve facilities in Washington, DC; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Protective Services—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for NASA's 14 centers located throughout the United States; Smithsonian National Zoological Park Police—Officers provide security and law enforcement services for the Smithsonian Institution's 163-acre National Zoological Park in Washington, DC; Tennessee Valley Authority Police—Officers provide law enforcement and security services for TVA employees and properties, and users of TVA recreational facilities; U.S. 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?
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. 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.