43 U.S.C. § 373b Law Enforcement Authority At Bureau of Reclamation Facilities

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-30 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/21/2023)
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 43 U.S.C. § 373b

(a) Public safety regulations

The Secretary of the Interior shall issue regulations necessary to maintain law and order and protect persons and property within Reclamation projects and on Reclamation lands.

(b) Violations; criminal penalties

Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any regulation issued under subsection (a) shall be fined under chapter 227, subchapter C of title 18, imprisoned for not more than 6 months, or both. Any person charged with a violation of a regulation issued under subsection (a) may be tried and sentenced by any United States magistrate judge designated for that purpose by the court by which he was appointed, in the same manner and subject to the same conditions and limitations as provided for in section 3401 of title 18.

(c) Authorization of law enforcement officers

The Secretary of the Interior may-

(1) authorize law enforcement personnel from the Department of the Interior to act as law enforcement officers to enforce Federal laws and regulations within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation lands;

(2) authorize law enforcement personnel of any other Federal agency that has law enforcement authority (with the exception of the Department of Defense) or law enforcement personnel of any State or local government, including an Indian tribe, when deemed economical and in the public interest, through cooperative agreement or contract, to act as law enforcement officers to enforce Federal laws and regulations within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation lands with such enforcement powers as may be so assigned to them by the Secretary;

(3) cooperate with any State or local government, including an Indian tribe, in the enforcement of the laws or ordinances of that State or local government; and

(4) provide reimbursement to a State or local government, including an Indian tribe, for expenditures incurred in connection with activities under paragraph (2).

(d) Powers of law enforcement officers

A law enforcement officer authorized by the Secretary of the Interior under subsection (c) may-

(1) carry firearms within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation lands;

(2) make arrests without warrants for-

(A) any offense against the United States committed in his presence; or

(B) any felony cognizable under the laws of the United States if he has-

(i) reasonable grounds to believe that the person to be arrested has committed or is committing such a felony; and

(ii) such arrest occurs within a Reclamation project or on Reclamation lands or the person to be arrested is fleeing therefrom to avoid arrest;