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Standard Summary
Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs
The LEOSA Reform Act would broaden and tighten various aspects of the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA) and related gun-free zones. Key changes include expanding the federal legal framework that governs carry of concealed firearms by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers (LEOs), allowing such officers to carry in a broader set of places (including certain federal facilities and areas on common carriers or public property), and updating qualification standards for retired officers. The bill also alters the Gun-Free School Zones Act interpretation by clarifying that individuals authorized to carry under LEOSA may carry in school zones. In short, the bill expands where and how qualified LEOs may carry concealed firearms nationwide, while introducing new qualification and facility-carry requirements.
Key Points
- 1Expanded scope of LEOSA carry and GFSZA interaction
- 2- Sec. 2 adds an exception to the Gun-Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. 922(q)) so that an individual authorized by LEOSA sections 926B or 926C to carry a concealed firearm may carry in school zones.
- 3Broadening where qualified LEOs can carry (federal laws and park regulations)
- 4- Sec. 3(a) and 3(b) extend LEOSA coverage by adding that a qualified LEO or qualified retired LEO may carry concealed firearms “or any other provision of Federal law (including any regulation prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior pertaining to a unit of the National Park System)” after existing LEOSA language. This effectively broadens the federal legal framework that governs their carrying.
- 5Carrying on property used by common carriers and public-access property
- 6- Sec. 3(a)-(b) create explicit exceptions that allow carrying on property used by common or contract carriers to transport people or property (by land, rail, or water) and on property open to the public (even if a fee is charged), with carve-outs only as other laws apply. This expands LEOSA carry into spaces such as certain transit or publicly accessible areas, subject to other applicable laws.
- 7Expanded and clarified firearm/magazine coverage
- 8- Sec. 3 adds “any magazine and” to defined inclusions in sections related to LEOSA, clarifying that magazines are considered within the scope of the carry qualifications or permissions being enacted.
- 9Retired LEO qualification standards and verification
- 10- Sec. 3(b)(3)-(5) overhauls the retired LEO qualification standard (formerly LEOSA 926C(c)(4)) by:
- 11- Allowing qualification over a 12-month period (or up to 36 months, as State option) based on standards from the former agency, the State, any State LEO agency, or any certified firearms instructor within the State.
- 12- Replacing the prior one-year reference with standards required by subsection (c)(4) and requiring certification that the individual has met those standards (from the former agency, State, local agency, or a certified instructor).
- 13- Extending magazine inclusions in definitions, similar to 926B.
- 14Allowing current and retired LEOs to carry in certain Federal facilities
- 15- Sec. 4 adds authority for qualified current or retired LEOs to possess firearms or ammunition in Facility Security Level I or II civilian public access facilities. It defines:
- 16- Civilian public access facility: a facility open to the general public.
- 17- Facility Security Level: risk level assigned to a Federal facility by the facility’s security agency (per Interagency Security Committee standards).
- 18- The terms “qualified law enforcement officer” and “qualified retired law enforcement officer” as they appear in 926B and 926C.
- 19- This creates a new exception to firearm restrictions in some federally accessible facilities, subject to security level determinations.
Impact Areas
Primary group/area affected- Current and retired law enforcement officers who are eligible under LEOSA (nationally) and who will be subject to new qualification standards, broader carry permissions on federal properties, common carriage properties, and public-access facilities.Secondary group/area affected- Federal facilities and agencies implementing Interagency Security Committee standards, as well as property owners/managers of public-access spaces and common carriers where carrying could occur under the new rules.Additional impacts- Law enforcement training and credentialing bodies, which may need to align curricula with the new 12-month to 36-month qualification window and the sources of qualification standards (former agency, State, or certified instructors).- School zones and education settings, due to the broadened LEOSA exemption in 922(q) allowing LEOSA-authorized individuals to carry in school zones.- Implementation and enforcement considerations for carrying in Federal facilities, including the interpretation and application of Facility Security Levels I/II and “civilian public access facilities.”- Potential legal and safety debates around increased carry permissions in public and federally accessible spaces, including interactions with other federal, state, and local gun laws.The bill is titled the LEOSA Reform Act and is introduced in the 119th Congress with a sponsor list including Kennedy, Scott (FL), Hyde-Smith, Ricketts, Hagerty, Cornyn, Justice, and Tillis.The changes largely preserve LEOSA’s core concept (nationally portable concealed-carry rights for qualified LEOs and retirees) but expand scope and clarify qualification and facility-carry parameters.
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