The Interagency Security Committee and Security Standards for Federal Buildings

Publication Date: April 2005

Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

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Keywords: Government--Internal security

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Abstract:

The federal government owns or leases 3.4 billion square feet of space in 491,465 buildings which may be vulnerable to acts of terrorism and other forms of violence. The Interagency Security Committee (ISC) was created by E.O. 12977 in 1995, following the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, to address the quality and effectiveness of physical security requirements for federal facilities. The September 2001 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center renewed concerns about the vulnerability of federal buildings to bombing or other forms of attack. On February 28, 2003, the chairmanship of the ISC was transferred to the Secretary of Homeland Security from the Administrator of General Services by E.O. 13286. In July 2004, based on Homeland Security Presidential Directive/HSPD-7, the ISC began reviewing federal agencies' physical security plans to better protect the nation's critical infrastructure and key resources. The ISC issued its updated Security Design Criteria on September 29, 2004, which set forth enhanced physical security requirements for the construction of new federal buildings, as well as for major renovations of existing buildings. This report will be updated to reflect any policy changes in security standards for federal facilities.