President Joe Biden signed into law Wednesday a bill to give the chief of the Capitol Police the authority to request assistance from federal agencies during emergencies.
The law reforms a bureaucratic procedure blamed for a sluggish federal response to the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill.
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The prior procedure required the chief to get approval from the Capitol Police Board in order to request assistance, according to a Senate report on security failures during Jan. 6. The board is comprised of four members, including the chief, the Senate and House sergeants at arms, and the architect of the Capitol.
“None of the members of the Capitol Police Board appeared fully familiar with the process or requirements relating to emergency declarations or requesting external support,” the report said. “This lack of familiarity with the process delayed requests for National Guard assistance on and before January 6.”
The bill, titled the Capitol Police Emergency Assistance Act of 2021, passed both the Senate and the House with unanimous consent last week.
When rioters overwhelmed Capitol Police on Jan. 6, it took nearly three hours for the D.C. National Guard to intervene in the situation after the request was made, according to the Senate report.
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The change was one of the recommendations in the bipartisan report on security failures during Jan. 6 that came from the Homeland Security and Senate Rules committees.
“Our bipartisan investigation into the response failures on January 6th clearly demonstrated the need for the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to have more unilateral flexibility,” Sen. Roy Blunt said.
