Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act
The Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act would allow certain House employees to bring specific self-defense weapons into House office buildings for secure storage, under a defined process. The core idea is to permit DC-legal carry of self-defense weapons outside a building, but require energy-focused handling: upon entering a House office building through an external pedestrian entrance, the weapon must be placed in a storage locker operated by the United States Capitol Police (USCP) and kept there while the employee remains in the building; the weapon can only be retrieved from the locker when the employee is leaving the building, at which time they must exit immediately. Lockers would be installed and operated at external entrances to all House office buildings within a specified timeframe, with regulations to govern their use. The bill also makes a conforming amendment to existing law and provides definitions to clarify who is covered and what buildings are included. In short, the bill creates a formal program for secure, in-building storage of certain self-defense weapons brought into House office buildings by authorized House employees, with strict entry/exit and storage requirements designed to minimize carrying weapons inside the building.
Key Points
- 1Authorization and eligibility: An employee of the House may bring a weapon into a House office building only if the weapon is one that the DC laws allow them to carry outside the building, they are carrying it in compliance with those laws immediately prior to entering, and they enter through an external pedestrian entrance with the plan to store the weapon in a USCP-operated locker while inside the building.
- 2Weapons covered: The bill lists three categories of weapons that may be stored in this way—self-defense sprays, stun guns, and firearms, as defined under the relevant DC Firearms Control Regulations Act (with exact statutory cross-references provided in the bill).
- 3Storage lockers and access: The Capitol Police Board must design, install, and operate safe storage lockers at external pedestrian entrances to each House office building, to be used for storing the weapon during the time the employee is inside the building and for retrieval when leaving. The lockers are to be designed, installed, and operated within 180 days of enactment, and the Board must issue regulations governing their use.
- 4Conforming amendment: The bill amends a section of Title 40, United States Code to reflect that weapons storage and authorization are provided under this Act or as otherwise authorized, replacing the prior language that limited authorization.
- 5Definitions and scope: The Act defines “employee of the House of Representatives” to include interns (paid or unpaid) and fellows assigned to a House office. It defines “House office building” to include the Cannon, Longworth, Rayburn, Ford, and O’Neill buildings, as well as the House wing of the Capitol, while explicitly excluding garages.