President Barack Obama signed legislation on Thursday that gives him and former President George W. Bush lifetime Secret Service Protection.
The Former Presidents Protection Act reverses a law from 1994 that says presidents are only protected for 10 years after leaving office.
The law grants all future presidents lifetime protection by the Secret Service, their spouses unless they remarry, and their children until the age of 16.
Congress had ended lifetime security protection to cut costs. After 10 years of protection, Congress could only approve further security for former presidents and their families on a temporary basis. In the post-9/11 world, though, Congress decided that former chief executives may still be vulnerable and need protection.