The Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011, also known as H.R. 347, is a federal law in the United States allowing the Secret Service extra jurisdiction to make arrests and suppress protests in cases of trespass on restricted locations and intentional disruption of government functions.
H.R. 347 is a revision to section 1752 of title 18 US code. Introduced by representative Thomas Rooney (FL-16), it makes punishable by up to 10 years jail time or fine any person who does "or conspires" enter any "restricted building or grounds" or within certain "proximity" without lawful authority to do so, attempts to disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business.
It defines restricted building or grounds as the "(A) of the White House or its grounds, or the Vice President’s official residence or its grounds; (B) of a building or grounds where the President or other person protected by the Secret Service is or will be temporarily visiting; or (C) of a building or grounds so restricted in conjunction with an event designated as a special event of national significance."
The law passed Congress and was signed by President Barack Obama on March 8, 2012.
Controversies
Fox News Senior Judicial Analyst Andrew Napolitano indicated that this bill may inhibit free speech protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, as saying something that the president of the United States does not like while staying at a hotel across the street from him could be considered a felony. Other media outlets have said that this act may restrict freedom of assembly and dissent.