6 U.S.C. § 466 — Sense of Congress reaffirming the continued importance and applicability of the Posse Comitatus Act

(a) Findings: Congress states five findings. (1) Section 1385 of title 18, known as the Posse Comitatus Act, bars using the Armed Forces as a "posse comitatus" — a civilian-enforcement force — to enforce the law, except in cases the Constitution or an Act of Congress expressly allows. (2) Passed in 1878, the Act was meant to stop U.S. Marshals from calling on the Army for help enforcing federal law on their own initiative. (3) The Act has worked well to limit military involvement in law enforcement. (4) Even so, the Act does not completely bar the Armed Forces from domestic roles, including law enforcement, when Congress authorizes it by law, or when the President decides using the Armed Forces is needed to meet the President's constitutional duty to respond quickly to war, insurrection, or another serious emergency. (5) Other laws — including the Insurrection Act (chapter 13 of title 10) and the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act — give the President broad power to use in domestic emergencies, including an attack using weapons of mass destruction, and these laws specifically let the President use the Armed Forces to help restore public order. (b) Sense of Congress: This part is a "sense of Congress" — a statement of opinion, not a binding rule. Congress reaffirms that section 1385 of title 18 remains important, and states that nothing in this chapter should be read to change how that section applies to any use of the Armed Forces as a posse comitatus to enforce the law.