2013 US Code
Title 2 - The Congress
Chapter 29 - CAPITOL POLICE (§§ 1901 - 1981)
Subchapter II - POWERS AND DUTIES (§§ 1961 - 1981)
Section 1969 - Regulation of traffic by Capitol Police Board

The Capitol Police Board, consisting of the Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and the Architect of the Capitol, shall have exclusive charge and control of the regulation and movement of all vehicular and other traffic, including the parking and impounding of vehicles and limiting the speed thereof, within the United States Capitol Grounds; and said Board is authorized and empowered to make and enforce all necessary regulations therefor and to prescribe penalties for violation of such regulations, such penalties not to exceed a fine of $300 or imprisonment for not more than ninety days. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section those provisions of the District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, as amended, for the violation of which specific penalties are provided in said Act, as amended, shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds. Prosecutions for violation of such regulations shall be in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, upon information by the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia or any of his assistants.

Regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section shall be promulgated by the Capitol Police Board and such regulations may be amended from time to time by the Capitol Police Board whenever it shall deem it necessary: Provided, That until such regulations are promulgated and become effective, the traffic regulations of the District of Columbia shall be applicable to the United States Capitol Grounds.

All regulations promulgated under the authority of this section shall, when adopted by the Capitol Police Board, be printed in one or more of the daily newspapers published in the District of Columbia, and shall not become effective until the expiration of ten days after the date of such publication, except that whenever the Capitol Police Board deems it advisable to make effective immediately any regulation relating to parking, diverting of vehicular traffic, or the closing of streets to such traffic, the regulation shall be effective immediately upon placing at the point where it is to be in force conspicuous signs containing a notice of the regulation. Any expenses incurred under this subsection shall be payable from the appropriation “Uniforms and Equipment, Capitol Police”.

It shall be the duty of the Mayor of the District of Columbia, or any officer or employee of the government of the District of Columbia designated by said Mayor upon request of the Capitol Police Board, to cooperate with the Board in the preparation of the regulations authorized to be promulgated under this section, and any future amendments thereof.

(July 31, 1946, ch. 707, §14, 60 Stat. 720; July 11, 1947, ch. 221, 61 Stat. 308; Pub. L. 87–873, §1, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1171; Pub. L. 88–60, §1, July 8, 1963, 77 Stat. 77; 1967 Reorg. Plan No. 3, §401, eff. Nov. 3, 1967, 32 F.R. 11669, 81 Stat. 951; Pub. L. 91–358, title I, §155(a), July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 570; Pub. L. 93–198, title IV, §421, title VII, §739(g)(6), Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 789, 829.)

The District of Columbia Traffic Act of 1925, as amended, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 443, 43 Stat. 1119, as amended, which is not classified to the Code.

Section was classified to section 212b of former Title 40, prior to the enactment of Title 40, Public Buildings, Property, and Works, by Pub. L. 107–217, §1, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1062.

1973—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 93–198, §739(g)(6), struck out “, except on those streets and roadways shown on the map referred to in section 193a of this title as being under the jurisdiction and control of the Commissioner of the District of Columbia”.

1947—Subsec. (b). Act July 11, 1947, §1, struck out reference to six months after July 31, 1946, as the time for promulgation of regulations and authorized amendment of regulations.

Subsec. (c). Act July 11, 1947, §2, authorized certain traffic regulations to be effective immediately upon placing conspicuous signs containing notice of regulations at the places affected thereby and inserted provision for payment of expenses.

“District of Columbia Court of General Sessions” changed to “Superior Court of the District of Columbia” pursuant to Pub. L. 91–358, which provided that such change is effective first day of seventh calendar month which begins after July 29, 1970.

Pub. L. 87–873, §1, Oct. 23, 1962, 76 Stat. 1171 and Pub. L. 88–60, §1, July 8, 1963, 77 Stat. 77, both redesignated the “Municipal Court for the District of Columbia” as the “District of Columbia Court of General Sessions”.

Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, §771(d), Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 836, provided that the amendment made by Pub. L. 93–198 is effective on Jan. 2, 1975, if a majority of the registered qualified electors in the District of Columbia voting on the charter issue in the charter referendum accepted the charter set out in title IV of Pub. L. 93–198, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 785. The charter was approved by the voters on May 7, 1974.

Except as otherwise provided in Reorg. Plan No. 3, of 1967, functions of Board of Commissioners of District of Columbia transferred to Commissioner of District of Columbia by section 401 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1967. Office of Commissioner of District of Columbia, as established by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1967, abolished as of noon Jan. 2, 1975, by Pub. L. 93–198, title VII, §711, Dec. 24, 1973, 87 Stat. 818, and replaced by office of Mayor of District of Columbia by section 421 of Pub. L. 93–198. Accordingly, “Mayor” substituted in subsec. (d) for “commissioner”.