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H.R. 660: Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

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H.R. 660: Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

110th Congress · introduced 2007-01-24 · Law · Latest: Became Public Law No: 110-177.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2007-01-24 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Became Public Law No: 110-177. (final step reached)
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

Plain summary

Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 - Title I: Judicial Security Improvements and Funding - (Sec 101) Amends the federal judicial code to require the Director of the U.S. Marshals Service to consult with the Judicial Conference of the United States (Judicial Conference) on a continuing basis regarding the security requirements for the U.S. judicial branch. (Sec. 102) Authorizes the U.S. Marshals Service to provide for the security of the U.S. Tax Court. (Sec. 103) Authorizes additional amounts in FY2007-FY2011 for: (1) hiring deputy U.S. Marshals to provide security for judicial officers and U.S. attorneys; and (2) the Office of Protective Intelligence to provide secure computer systems. (Sec. 104) Amends the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 to extend through 2011 the authority of the Judicial Conference to redact certain personal information of judges from financial disclosure reports. Title II: Criminal Law Enhancements to Protect Judges, Family Members, and Witnesses - (Sec. 201) Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the filing (or attempts or conspiracies to file) in any public record any false lien or encumbrance against the real or personal property of any U.S. officer or employee on account of the performance of that officer's or employee's official duties, knowing that such lien or encumbrance is false. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to 10 years for violations. (Sec. 202) Prohibits the public disclosure of restricted personal information about a federal officer or employee, witness, or juror (or immediate family members) with the intent to threaten or cause harm to such individuals. Imposes a fine and/or prison term of up to five years for violations. (Sec. 203) Prohibits the possession of dangerous weapons in federal court facilities. (Sec. 204) Modifies venue requirements for prosecutions for retaliation against a witness to include the district in which the official proceeding or criminal conduct occurred. (Sec. 205) Increases maximum prison terms for: (1) tampering with, or retaliating against, a witness, victim, or informant; (2) voluntary and involuntary manslaughter; and (3) assault against a federal judge, law enforcement officer, or immediate family members of such officials. (Sec. 209) Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review its sentencing guidelines relating to threats against a federal official carried out over the Internet. Title III: Protecting State and Local Judges and Related Grant Programs - (Sec. 301) Amends the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to include as a required use of community-based justice grants the creation and expansion of state, local, or Indian tribe witness protection programs. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2012. (Sec. 302) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to make state courts eligible for grants to improve court security (correctional options grants) and for armor vests. (Sec. 303) Directs the Attorney General to make grants to enable the highest court in each state to establish and maintain a threat assessment database to: (1) analyze trends and patterns in domestic terrorism and crime; (2) project the probabilities that specific acts of domestic terrorism or crime will occur; and (3) develop measures and procedures to reduce such probabilities. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008-FY2011. Title IV: Law Enforcement Officers - (Sec. 401) Requires the Attorney General to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees on the security of assistant U.S. attorneys and other federal attorneys arising from the prosecution of terrorists and other violent criminals. Requires such report to include information on the number and nature of threats and assaults against such attorneys, security measures in place to protect such attorneys, programs available to such attorneys for personal security training, secure parking spaces for such attorneys, and the role of the U.S. Marshals Service in protecting such attorneys. Title V: Miscellaneous Provisions - (Sec. 501) Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) authorize through FY2010 the U.S. Sentencing Commission to enter into multyear procurement contracts and to make advance, partial, progress, or other payments for property or services to the same extent as executive agencies; (2) extend certain life insurance benefits to magistrate judges; and (3) expand the powers of judges who have retired from active service (senior judges) to include all powers of a sitting judge, including participation in the appointment of court officers and selection of magistrates, rulemaking, governance, and administrative matters. (Sec. 505) Amends the federal criminal code to require the Bureau of Prisons to notify a prisoner released to supervised release, verbally and in writing, of such prisoner's obligation to pay any fines imposed for the offense committed and the consequences of failure to pay. (Sec. 506) Requires the Attorney General to study and report to Congress on whether general public access to state and local records imperils the safety of the federal judiciary. (Sec. 507) Authorizes appropriations for Fugitive Apprehension Task Forces for FY2008-FY2012. (Sec. 508) Authorizes states, for purposes of identification requirements under the REAL ID Act of 2005, to include in a driver's license or other identification card issued to federal judges and justices of the U.S. Supreme Court the address of the courthouse of such judges or justices in lieu of residence addresses. (Sec. 509) Amends the federal judicial code to: (1) decrease the required number of judges for the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals from 12 to 11; and (2) increase the required number of such judges for the Ninth Circuit from 28 to 29. (Sec. 510) Requires the Director of the National Institute of Justice to conduct a study of the collateral consequences of convictions for criminal offenses in all states, the District of Columbia, and each U.S. territory. Defines "collateral consequences" as sanctions against an individual or disqualifications resulting from a felony or misdemeanor conviction that were not part of the original judgment of the sentencing court.

Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Court Security Improvement Act of 2007

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Public Law)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-14] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 660, Court Security Act Improvement of 2007 (2007-06-22); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 660, Court Security Act Improvement of 2007 (2007-06-22)

Cosponsors on this site

Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (5)
Appropriation
Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization
A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Obligation
A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong110-hr660 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110