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105th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 103
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 29, 1997
Received
September 11, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To expedite State reviews of criminal records of applicants for private
security officer employment, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Private Security Officer Quality
Assurance Act of 1997''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) employment of private security officers in the United
States is growing rapidly;
(2) the private security industry provides numerous
opportunities for entry-level job applicants, including
individuals suffering from unemployment due to economic
conditions or dislocations;
(3) sworn law enforcement officers provide significant
services to the citizens of the United States in its public
areas, and are only supplemented by private security officers
who provide prevention and reporting services in support of,
but not in place of, regular sworn police;
(4) given the growth of large private shopping malls, and
the consequent reduction in the number of public shopping
streets, the American public is more likely to have contact
with private security personnel in the course of a day than
with sworn law enforcement officers;
(5) regardless of the differences in their duties, skill,
and responsibilities, the public has difficulty in discerning
the difference between sworn law enforcement officers and
private security personnel; and
(6) the American public demands the employment of
qualified, well-trained private security personnel as an
adjunct, but not a replacement for sworn law enforcement
officers.
SEC. 3. BACKGROUND CHECKS.
(a) In General.--An association of employers of private security
officers, designated for the purpose of this section by the Attorney
General, may submit fingerprints or other methods of positive
identification approved by the Attorney General, to the Attorney
General on behalf of any applicant for a State license or certificate
of registration as a private security officer or employer of private
security officers. In response to such a submission, the Attorney
General may, to the extent provided by State law conforming to the
requirements of the second paragraph under the heading ``Federal Bureau
of Investigation'' and the subheading ``Salaries and Expenses'' in
title II of Public Law 92-544 (86 Stat. 1115), exchange, for licensing
and employment purposes, identification and criminal history records
with the State governmental agencies to which such applicant has
applied.
(b) Regulations.--The Attorney General may prescribe such
regulations as may be necessary to carry out this section, including
measures relating to the security, confidentiality, accuracy, use, and
dissemination of information and audits and recordkeeping and the
imposition of fees necessary for the recovery of costs.
(c) Report.--The Attorney General shall report to the Senate and
House Committees on the Judiciary 2 years after the date of enactment
of this bill on the number of inquiries made by the association of
employers under this section and their disposition.
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that States should participate in the
background check system established under section 3.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act--
(1) the term ``employee'' includes an applicant for
employment;
(2) the term ``employer'' means any person that--
(A) employs one or more private security officers;
or
(B) provides, as an independent contractor, for
consideration, the services of one or more private
security officers (possibly including oneself);
(3) the term ``private security officer''--
(A) means--
(i) an individual who performs security
services, full or part time, for consideration
as an independent contractor or an employee,
whether armed or unarmed and in uniform or
plain clothes whose primary duty is to perform
security services, or
(ii) an individual who is an employee of an
electronic security system company who is
engaged in one or more of the following
activities in the State: burglar alarm
technician, fire alarm technician, closed
circuit television technician, access control
technician, or security system monitor; but
(B) does not include--
(i) sworn police officers who have law
enforcement powers in the State,
(ii) attorneys, accountants, and other
professionals who are otherwise licensed in the
State,
(iii) employees whose duties are primarily
internal audit or credit functions,
(iv) persons whose duties may incidentally
include the reporting or apprehension of
shoplifters or trespassers, or
(v) an individual on active duty in the
military service;
(4) the term ``certificate of registration'' means a
license, permit, certificate, registration card, or other
formal written permission from the State for the person to
engage in providing security services;
(5) the term ``security services'' means the performance of
one or more of the following:
(A) the observation or reporting of intrusion,
larceny, vandalism, fire or trespass;
(B) the deterrence of theft or misappropriation of
any goods, money, or other item of value;
(C) the observation or reporting of any unlawful
activity;
(D) the protection of individuals or property,
including proprietary information, from harm or
misappropriation;
(E) the control of access to premises being
protected;
(F) the secure movement of prisoners;
(G) the maintenance of order and safety at
athletic, entertainment, or other public activities;
(H) the provision of canine services for protecting
premises or for the detection of any unlawful device or
substance; and
(I) the transportation of money or other valuables
by armored vehicle; and
(6) the term ``State'' means any of the several States, the
District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the
United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 1997.
Attest:
ROBIN H. CARLE,
Clerk.
Pages: 1 Other Popular 105th Congressional Bills Documents:
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