Additional information
by Penny Hill Press (Editor), Congressional Research Service (Author)
The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has two missions-criminal investigations and protection. Criminal investigation activities encompass financial crimes, identity theft, counterfeiting, computer fraud, and computer-based attacks on the nation's financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure. The protection mission is the more publicly visible of the two, covering the President, Vice President, their families, former Presidents, and major candidates for those offices, along with the White House and the Vice President's residence (through the Service's Uniformed Division). Protective duties of the Service also extend to foreign missions (such as embassies, consulates, and foreign dignitary residences) in the District of Columbia and to designated individuals, such as the Homeland Security Secretary and visiting foreign dignitaries. Separate from these specific mandated assignments, USSS is responsible for certain security activities such as National Special Security Events (NSSEs), which include presidential inaugurations, the major party quadrennial national conventions, as well as international conferences and events held in the United States.The most recent congressional action (not including appropriations) on the Service is the Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011, enacted during the 112th Congress, which amended 18 U.S.C. 1752 and made it a crime for unauthorized individuals to enter a building that is secured by USSS. Congress, arguably, has begun to focus its attention on legislation related to the Service's financial and computer crime investigation mission activities. Legislation in the 113th Congress includes a House committee-referred bill on cyber privacy security; a House committee-referred bill on information technology security; a Senate committee-referred bill on data security and breaches; and a Senate committee-referred bill on personal data privacy and security. This report discusses potential policy questions concerning the Service's mission and organization through an examination of the USSS history and its statutory authorities, mission, and present activities within DHS. The policy questions presented in this report are only considerations, since the Service is widely perceived to be operating and performing its missions effectively for the past 11 years as part of DHS. Additionally, Appendix A provides a list of the direct assaults on and threats to Presidents, Presidents-Elect, and candidates. Appendix B provides a list of statutes addressing USSS activities.
