H.R. 56 — Secret Service Prioritization Act of 2025

This section transfers to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation the U.S. Secret Service's assets, functions, and obligations to detect and arrest any person who violates (1) 18 U.S.C. §§508, 509, or 510, or, with respect to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Federal land banks, and Federal land bank associations, 18 U.S.C. §§213, 433, 493, 657, 709, 1006, 1007, 1011, 1013, 1014, 1907, or 1909; (2) any laws relating to coins, obligations, and securities of the United States and foreign governments; or (3) any laws relating to electronic fund transfer frauds, access device frauds, false identification documents or devices, and fraud or other criminal activity in or against federally insured financial institutions (subject to agreement between the Attorney General and FBI Director and without affecting other federal law enforcement authority). This section amends 18 U.S.C. §3056(b) to limit Secret Service authority under the Secretary of Homeland Security to detect and arrest only for violations of 18 U.S.C. §§871 (threats against the President and successors) and 879 (threats against former Presidents and certain others) (from the prior broader list of counterfeiting, threats, and financial crimes statutes). (Thus, Secret Service criminal investigative functions related to financial crimes are eliminated, leaving primarily protective duties under subsection (a).)

This section establishes transitional authorities for the transfer of United States Secret Service (USSS) functions and obligations to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Prior to the transfer, USSS officials must provide requested assistance—including personnel and assets—to the FBI Director; executive agency heads may provide services or detail personnel on a reimbursable basis from enactment through the effective date; and upon transfer, (1) USSS assets transfer to the FBI Director for allocation (subject to Office of Management and Budget approval and 31 U.S.C. §1531(a)(2)) and (2) the FBI Director assumes all related functions and obligations previously held by other officials, including the Secretary of Homeland Security.

This section establishes savings provisions for the transfer of United States Secret Service (USSS) functions and obligations to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Specifically, it (1) preserves completed administrative actions (i.e., orders, rules, regulations, personnel actions, permits, agreements, grants, contracts, certificates, licenses, registrations, and privileges); (2) continues pending proceedings (including notices of proposed rulemaking and applications for licenses, permits, certificates, grants, or financial assistance) and pending civil actions without interruption; (3) deems statutory, regulatory, and other references to transferred USSS functions to refer to the FBI, its officers, employees, agents, or corresponding units; (4) authorizes the FBI Director, in regulations jointly prescribed with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, to adopt pre-transfer USSS employment rules, procedures, terms, and conditions; (5) grants the FBI Director direct hire authority for competitive service positions (without regard to 5 U.S.C. subchapter I of chapter 33, except sections 3303 and 3328) to fulfill transferred functions; and (6) maintains statutory reporting requirements that explicitly reference the USSS and transferred functions.

This section authorizes and directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to make any additional incidental transfers of personnel, assets, and liabilities connected to functions transferred by the Act, as necessary to implement the Act.

This section deems references in any other federal law to the United States Secret Service, with respect to functions transferred under section 2, to instead refer to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the relevant FBI official or component on or after the effective date of the Act.

This section sets the effective date of the Act and its amendments as 30 days after enactment, except that actions authorized under section 3(a) or (b) may be taken upon enactment.