H. Con.
Res. 9 permits the National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary to sponsor two public events on the United States Capitol Grounds: a National Peace Officers Memorial Service and a National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition. The resolution assigns administrative roles and basic conditions for those events—approval authority to the Architect of the Capitol, enforcement responsibilities to the Capitol Police Board, and cost/liability responsibility to the sponsors.
This authorization matters to professionals who plan and permit high-profile public gatherings on federal property, to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) and Capitol Police for operational planning, and to private sponsors who must absorb logistical and financial responsibilities while complying with statutory restrictions on commercial activity and solicitation on the Capitol Grounds.
At a Glance
What It Does
The resolution authorizes two specific public gatherings on the Capitol Grounds and sets a framework of conditions: events must be free and open to the public, must not interfere with Congress, and are subject to conditions prescribed by the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police Board.
Who It Affects
Directly affects the National Fraternal Order of Police (as sponsor), the Architect of the Capitol (approval authority for structures and plans), the Capitol Police Board (enforcement of restrictions), and any contractors or vendors the sponsor engages for staging, sound, or security.
Why It Matters
It allocates operational control and financial liability for high-profile, symbolic events held on a federal campus, creating must-know obligations for sponsors and operational agencies and clarifying which federal authorities oversee site use and enforcement.
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What This Bill Actually Does
This concurrent resolution authorizes two named public events to take place on the Capitol Grounds and gives the sponsoring organization permission to conduct those events under terms set by federal campus managers. The Architect of the Capitol will set conditions for the events and must approve any temporary structures or equipment the sponsor wants to bring onto the grounds.
The Capitol Police Board is charged with enforcing the existing statutory restrictions that govern behavior, sales, and solicitations on the Capitol Grounds.
The resolution places the burden of expenses and liabilities squarely on the sponsors: any costs to stage, guard, or clean up after the events are the sponsors' responsibility. The text also requires that the events be free to the public and be arranged so they do not interfere with the needs of Congress, leaving operational scheduling and conflict-avoidance to the AOC and Capitol Police.
The sponsor must coordinate with those agencies during planning and execution.Operationally, the resolution gives federal managers two levers: approval authority over temporary infrastructure and statutory enforcement authority over prohibited commercial activities and solicitations. That combination is how the Capitol administration and security apparatus will translate the authorization into a safe, compliant public event on the Capitol Grounds.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The Memorial Service is identified as the 44th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service and is expressly to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty during 2024.
The resolution sets the Memorial Service for May 15, 2025, the Exhibition for May 14, 2025, allows preparation to begin May 9, 2025, and requires takedown to be completed by May 16, 2025; the Speaker and the Senate Rules Committee may jointly designate alternate dates.
Under Section 4, the sponsor may erect stages, sound amplification devices, and other structures on the Capitol Grounds but only with the Architect of the Capitol’s approval.
Section 3(b) makes the sponsors fully responsible for all expenses and liabilities incident to the events—financial and legal obligations rest with the National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary.
Section 5 directs the Capitol Police Board to enforce the restrictions in 40 U.S.C. § 5104(c) (sales, advertisements, displays, and solicitations) and other applicable Capitol Grounds restrictions in connection with the events.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Authorization for the National Peace Officers Memorial Service
Section 1 grants the sponsor permission to hold the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the Capitol Grounds and identifies the purpose: to honor law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty during 2024. Practically, this creates a formal authorization that triggers coordination between the sponsor and Capitol managers for crowd management, ceremony staging, and any commemorative elements tied to the memorial.
Authorization for the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition
Section 2 authorizes a separate, related exhibition focused on Honor Guard demonstrations and bagpipe performances. Because the exhibition is framed as a demonstration rather than commercial entertainment, agencies will treat its staging and access requirements differently than a ticketed event, but the same permitting and operational scrutiny applies where public safety, crowd flow, and proximity to congressional activity are concerned.
Terms: public access, noninterference, and sponsor liability
Section 3(a) requires the events to be free and open to the public and arranged not to interfere with Congress—two operational constraints that direct scheduling, crowd control, and ingress/egress planning. Section 3(b) shifts expenses and liabilities to the sponsors, creating a clear contractual burden that will affect insurance needs, vendor contracts, and budget planning for the National Fraternal Order of Police.
Event preparations and AOC approval for temporary infrastructure
Section 4 authorizes the sponsors, subject to the Architect of the Capitol’s approval, to erect stages, sound equipment, and other temporary facilities. That gives the AOC final say over the footprint, preservation concerns, and technical specifications of equipment placed on the grounds—meaning the sponsor must provide plans, technical specs, and likely proof of insurance and indemnities to secure approval.
Enforcement of Capitol Grounds restrictions by Capitol Police Board
Section 5 tasks the Capitol Police Board with enforcing statutory restrictions, notably the prohibitions on sales, advertising, and solicitations under 40 U.S.C. § 5104(c), and any other applicable restrictions. Enforcement responsibility means the Board must allocate personnel and operational resources to monitor compliance, handle violations, and coordinate with the sponsor on permitted activities versus prohibited commercial behavior.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- National Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary — obtains formal, high-visibility access to the Capitol Grounds to conduct national-scale commemorative and demonstrative events, enhancing their public profile and outreach.
- Families of fallen officers and memorial participants — benefit from an official, centralized memorial space on the Capitol Grounds that carries symbolic weight and promotes public recognition.
- Members of the public and visitors — gain free, public access to ceremonial events on the Capitol Grounds that provide civic engagement and tribute opportunities.
- Event vendors and contractors (security, staging, AV) — may obtain business from the sponsor for setup, operations, and takedown, subject to contracting with the sponsor and meeting AOC requirements.
Who Bears the Cost
- National Fraternal Order of Police (the sponsors) — must assume full financial responsibility and legal liability for staging the events, including insurance, vendor payments, damages, and potential claims.
- Architect of the Capitol staff — will bear administrative and review burdens to approve structures and ensure preservation of grounds and compliance with site rules, requiring staff time and technical review resources.
- Capitol Police Board and Capitol Police — must provide enforcement and security resources to monitor compliance with statutory restrictions and manage public safety during the events, potentially reallocating personnel from other duties.
- Congressional offices and staff — may face operational disruption risks if the events impact access, constituent visits, or hearings; they may need to coordinate scheduling to avoid conflicts.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central tension is between enabling civic commemoration on a prominent federal campus and the need to protect safety, noncommercial federal space, and congressional operations: the resolution empowers a private sponsor to stage publicly meaningful events while expecting federal managers to enforce space-preservation and statutory limits without specific standards for approvals, insurance, or conflict resolution.
The resolution centralizes the right to use the Capitol Grounds while placing operational and financial burdens on a private sponsor; that allocation is efficient on paper but raises implementation questions. First, the AOC’s approval authority over temporary structures is broad but undefined in the resolution—no standards, submission timelines, or appeals process are specified here, which could slow planning or create uncertainty for contractors who need final sign-off well before installation.
Second, shifting full liability to the sponsor reduces direct federal fiscal exposure but may create practical enforcement and risk-transfer complications. Sponsors will need comprehensive insurance and indemnities, but the resolution does not set minimum insurance levels or procedural requirements for proving coverage.
Third, enforcing the prohibitions in 40 U.S.C. § 5104(c) during a large, public gathering can be operationally difficult: distinguishing permitted commemorative displays from prohibited solicitations or commercial activity will require judgment calls by the Capitol Police Board, which can create friction between sponsors, vendors, and enforcement officers.
Finally, the directive that events be “arranged not to interfere with the needs of Congress” leaves a lot of scheduling and scope judgment to the AOC and Capitol Police. That flexibility is useful but also risks dispute if Congressional business coincides with event activities; the resolution provides no explicit conflict-resolution mechanism between Congress and the sponsor beyond the general constraint.
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