Super Bowl XLIV security news conference 2010-02-01 1

A National Special Security Event (NSSE) is an event of national or international significance deemed by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be a potential target for terrorism or other criminal activity. These events have included summits of world leaders, meetings of international organizations, presidential nominating conventions and presidential inaugurations. NSSE designation requires federal agencies to provide full cooperation and support to ensure the safety and security of those participating in or otherwise attending the event, and the community within which the event takes place, and is typically limited to specific event sites for a specified time frame. An NSSE places the United States Secret Service as the lead agency in charge of the planning, coordination, and implementation of security operations for the event, the

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

in charge of intelligence, counterterrorism, and investigation of major criminal activities associated with the event, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in charge of recovery management in the aftermath of terrorism, major criminal activities, natural disasters, or other catastrophic incidents following the event. Like the FBI and FEMA, the Secret Service brings in local law enforcement, public safety, and military experts to assist with developing the plan, and give them the special guidance and training to operate within the security plan. NSSE designation is not a funding mechanism, and currently there is no specific federal "pot of money" to be distributed to state and local governments within whose jurisdiction NSSEs take place.

Authority

NSSE procedures were established by President Bill Clinton in a portion of Presidential Decision Directive 62 in May 1998, which set out the security roles for federal agencies at major events. The Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000 (, signed into law on 2000-12-19) added special events explicitly to the powers of the United States Secret Service in .

Procedure

A number of factors are taken into consideration when designating an event as a National Special Security Event. Department of Homeland Security press releases usually cite the following factors:{ *Anticipated attendance by dignitaries. Events attended by officials of the United States government or foreign dignitaries may create an independent federal interest to ensure that the event transpires without incident and that sufficient resources are brought to bear in the event of an incident. *Size of the event. A large number of attendees and participants generally increases security requirements. In addition, larger events are more likely to draw the attention of terrorists or other criminals, particularly those interested in employing weapons of mass destruction. *Significance of the event. Some events have historical, political, cultural, or other symbolic significance that may heighten concern about possible terrorist acts or other criminal activity. *Duration of the event. State and local law enforcement and public safety agencies may possess the manpower and other resources to provide adequate security for a major event within their jurisdiction (e.g. World Series, NASCAR race, Super Bowl, televised awards show), but unable to do so for events over several days or weeks and at the same time continue to meet routine obligations in the greater community. *Availability of state and local resources. When state and local jurisdictions lack the expertise, experience, manpower or other assets needed to ensure comprehensive protection of these major events of national or international significance. *Multiplicity of Jurisdictions. Extensive coordination of law enforcement and public safety agencies from multiple jurisdictions. * Threat assessments. Anticipation of terrorism, or extensive illegal civil disobedience or other criminal activity. Typical NSSE security measures include: * Interagency coordination and interoperability * Heavy police (days off and leaves may be canceled) and often National Guard presence * Police dogs for bomb detection *

Surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...

* WMD detection, mitigation, and decontamination * Sharpshooters and other tactical capabilities * Flight restrictions around the area * United States Coast Guard patrols * Increased railroad security * Extensive road closures * When applicable members of Joint Task Force - Civil Support and the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF) are deployed The Secret Service notes that since the "Presidential Protection Act of 2000 became public law...the Secret Service is authorized to participate in the planning, coordination and implementation of security operations at special events of national significance.... nd thatwhen an event is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security as a National Special Security Event (NSSE), the Secret Service assumes its mandated role as the lead agency for the design and implementation of the operational security plan...The goal of the cooperating agencies is to provide a safe and secure environment for Secret Service protectees, other dignitaries, the event participants and the general public. There is a tremendous amount of advance planning and coordination in preparation for these events."

Events

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executive branch The Executive, also referred as the Executive branch or Executive power, is the term commonly used to describe that part of government which enforces the law, and has overall responsibility for the governance of a State (polity), state. In poli ...

report to Congress which events were designated NSSEs, and what criteria were used to make the designations. Typical types of NSSEs are

state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...

s, major

political convention The terms party conference (UK English), political convention ( US and Canadian English), and party congress usually refer to a general meeting of a political party. The conference is attended by certain delegates who represent the party memb ...

s, and the

State of the Union The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current conditio ...

addresses. The table below lists some NSSEs since enactment of the relevant statute. {, class="wikitable sortable" ! Date ! Event ! Location ! Notes , - , , World Energy Council Meeting , , , - , , NATO 50th Anniversary Celebration , , , - , , World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999 , , , - , ,

2000 State of the Union Address The 2000 State of the Union Address was given by the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, on January 27, 2000, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 106th United States Congress. It ...

, , , - , , International Monetary Fund Spring Meeting , , , - , , Operation Sail Summer Millennium Celebration , , , - , ,

2000 Republican National Convention The 2000 Republican National Convention convened at the First Union Center (now the Wells Fargo Center) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 31 to August 3, 2000. The 2000 delegates assembled at the convention nominated Texas Governor George ...

, , , - , ,

2000 Democratic National Convention The 2000 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention for the Democratic Party. The convention nominated Vice President Al Gore for president and Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut for vice president. The ...

, , , - , , First inauguration of George W. Bush , , , - , , 2001 Presidential Address to Congress , , , - , , United Nations General Assembly 56th session , , , - , ,

2002 State of the Union Address The 2002 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 29, 2002, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 107th United States Congress. ...

, , , - , , World Economic Forum USA Meeting , , , - , , Super Bowl XXXVI , , , - , ,

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

, , , - , ,

2003 State of the Union Address The 2003 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 28, 2003, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 108th United States Congress. It ...

, , , - , ,

2004 State of the Union Address The 2004 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 20, 2004, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 108th United States Congress. ...

, , , - , , 30th G8 summit , , , - , ,

State funeral of Ronald Reagan On June 5, 2004, Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, died after having Alzheimer's disease for nearly a decade. Reagan was the first former U.S. president to die in 10 years since Richard Nixon in 1994. At the age of , Reagan ...

, , , - , ,

2004 Democratic National Convention The 2004 Democratic National Convention convened from July 26 to 29, 2004 at the FleetCenter (now the TD Garden) in Boston, Massachusetts, and nominated Senator John Kerry from Massachusetts for president and Senator John Edwards from North Car ...

, , , - , ,

2004 Republican National Convention The 2004 Republican National Convention took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The convention is one of a series of historic quadrennial meetings at which the Republican candidates fo ...

, , , - , , Second inauguration of George W. Bush , , , - , , 2005 State of the Union Address , , , - , ,

2006 State of the Union Address The 2006 State of the Union Address was given by the 43rd president of the United States, George W. Bush, on January 31, 2006, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 109th United States Congress. It ...

, , , - , , State funeral of Gerald Ford , , , - , , 2007 State of the Union Address , , , - , , 2008 State of the Union Address , , , - , ,

2008 Democratic National Convention The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for president and vice president. The conventi ...

, , 26th NSSE , - , ,

2008 Republican National Convention The 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008. The first day of the Republican Party's convention fell on Labor Day, the last day of the popul ...

, , 27th NSSE , - , ,

2008 G20 Washington summit The 2008 G20 Washington Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy took place on November 14–15, 2008, in Washington, D.C., United States. It achieved general agreement amongst the G20 on how to cooperate in key areas so as to streng ...

, , , - , , Pre-Inaugural Whistle Stop Tour , , Part of inaugural ceremonies , - , , We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial , , , - , , First inauguration of Barack Obama , , , - , , 2009 Presidential Address to Congress , , , - , ,

2009 G20 Pittsburgh summit The 2009 G20 Pittsburgh Summit was the third meeting of the G20 heads of state/heads of government to discuss financial markets and the world economy. The G20 is the premier forum for discussing, planning and monitoring international economic ...

, , , - , ,

2010 State of the Union Address The 2010 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 27, 2010, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time Zone, EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 111th United Sta ...

, , , - ,
(to April 13) ,

2010 Nuclear Security Summit The 2010 Nuclear Security Summit was a Summit (meeting), summit held in Washington, D.C., on April 12 and 13, 2010. The Summit focused on how to better safeguard weapons-grade plutonium and uranium to prevent nuclear terrorism. Overview The New S ...

, , , - , ,

2011 State of the Union Address The 2011 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 25, 2011, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 112th United States Congress. It w ...

, , , - , - , , 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit , , , - , ,

2012 State of the Union Address The 2012 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 24, 2012, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 112th United States Congress. It ...

, , , - , ,

38th G8 summit The 38th G8 summit was held in Camp David, Maryland, United States, on 18–19 May 2012. The event occurred just before the year's NATO summit. The G8 summit was moved from Chicago, where it was going to be held back-to-back with the NATO summi ...

, , , - , , 2012 NATO Chicago Summit , , , - , ,

2012 Republican National Convention The 2012 Republican National Convention was a gathering held by the Republican Party (United States), U.S. Republican Party during which Delegate (American politics), delegates officially nominated former List of governors of Massachusetts, Ma ...

, , , - , ,

2012 Democratic National Convention The 2012 Democratic National Convention was a gathering, held from September 3–6, 2012, at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, in which delegates of the Democratic Party nominated President Barack Obama and Vice Presid ...

, , , - , , Second inauguration of Barack Obama , , , - , - , , 2013 State of the Union Address , , , - , ,

2014 State of the Union Address The 2014 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 28, 2014, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 113th United States Congress. It w ...

, , , - , - , ,

2015 State of the Union Address The 2015 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 20, 2015, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 114th United States Congress. It w ...

, , , - , , Pope Francis's 2015 visit to the United States , , , - , ,

2016 State of the Union Address The 2016 State of the Union Address was given by the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama, on January 12, 2016, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 114th United States Congress. It ...

, , , - , - , ,

2016 Republican National Convention The 2016 Republican National Convention, in which delegates of the United States Republican Party chose the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, was held July 18–21, 2016, at Quicken Lo ...

, , , - , ,

2016 Democratic National Convention The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majo ...

, , , - , January 20, 2017 , Inauguration of Donald Trump , , , - , February 28, 2017 , 2017 Presidential Address to Congress , , , - , ,

2018 State of the Union Address The 2018 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, on January 30, 2018, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 115th United States Congres ...

, , , - , - , ,

State funeral of George H. W. Bush On November 30, 2018, George H. W. Bush, the 41st president of the United States, died from vascular Parkinson's disease at his home in Houston, Texas. Bush was the first former U.S. president to die in nearly 12 years since Gerald Ford in late ...

, , , - , - , , 2019 State of the Union Address , , , - , ,

2020 State of the Union Address The 2020 State of the Union Address was given by the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump, on February 4, 2020, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 116th United States Congres ...

, , , - , August 17–20, 2020 ,

2020 Democratic National Convention The 2020 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention that was held from August 17 to 20, 2020, at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and virtually across the United States. At the convention, delegates of ...

, , , - , August 24–27, 2020 ,

2020 Republican National Convention The 2020 Republican National Convention in which delegates of the United States Republican Party selected the party's nominees for president and vice president in the 2020 United States presidential election, was held from August 24 to 27, 202 ...

, , , - , January 20, 2021 , Inauguration of Joe Biden , , , - , April 28, 2021 , 2021 Presidential Address to Congress , , , -

References

{{Reflist

External links

United States Secret Service: National Special Security Event - Wayback Machine (Archive)

DHS Fact Sheet: National Special Security Events - Wayback Machine (Archive) in January 2007
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DHS Fact Sheet: National Special Security Events - Wayback Machine (Archive) in March 2012

CRS report on NSSEs

Center for Domestic Preparedness - NSSE NLE Support - FEMA

National Special Security Events: Fact Sheet - CRS

Anatomy of a National Special Security Event

Law enforcement in the United States Terrorism laws in the United States United States Department of Homeland Security United States federal defense and national security legislation