Summary — H.R. 2243, "LEOSA Reform Act"

Status & timeline
- Introduced in the House: March 21, 2025 (Rep. Don Bacon, R–NE).

- House Judiciary Committee reported (amended) as H. Rept. 119‑81 (reported Apr 28, 2025; committee vote 13–11; report includes dissenting views and a Congressional Budget Office cost estimate).

- Passed House: May 14, 2025 (yeas 229 – nays 193). Motion to reconsider laid on the table. Received in the Senate and read twice; referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary (May 15, 2025).

Purpose
- To amend federal law to clarify and expand the scope of the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA; 18 U.S.C. §§ 926B–926C), align LEOSA with the Gun‑Free School Zones Act (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)), and allow qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms in certain federal facilities and other specified locations.

Key provisions (substantive changes)
1. Align LEOSA with the Gun‑Free School Zones Act
- Amends 18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)(B) to add an explicit exception allowing individuals authorized under 18 U.S.C. §§ 926B or 926C (LEOSA) to carry concealed firearms in school zones.

1. Clarify interplay with other federal law and National Park Service rules

   • Amends 18 U.S.C. §§ 926B(a) and 926C(a) to state LEOSA applies notwithstanding "any other provision of Federal law, or any regulation prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior pertaining to a unit of the National Park System."

2. Carve-outs regarding property used by carriers and property open to the public

   • Adds language to §§ 926B(b) and 926C(b) that provides exceptions “except to the extent that the laws apply on property used by a common or contract carrier to transport people or property by land, rail, or water or on property open to the public (whether or not a fee is charged).” (This clarifies limits to LEOSA’s preemption where those property‑specific laws apply.)

3. Ammunition‑feeding devices

   • Amends definitions in §§ 926B(e)(2) and 926C(e)(1)(B) to explicitly include “any magazine,” clarifying that larger or other magazines are covered by the statutes’ references to feeding devices.

4. Firearms qualification and certification flexibility for retired officers (926C)

   • Revises § 926C(c)(4) to permit qualification standards to be met by:
     • the former employing agency’s active‑duty standards;
     • the State’s active‑duty standards where the retiree resides;
     • any law enforcement agency in that State; or
     • any certified firearms instructor in that State.
   • Extends the permissible qualification period to 12 months by default, with a State option to adopt a longer period (up to 36 months).
   • Broadens acceptable sources of certification to include former agency, state, any law enforcement agency in the State, or any certified firearms instructor in the State (§ 926C(d)(2)(B)).

5. Federal facilities — limited carry in lower‑security public facilities

   • Amends 18 U.S.C. § 930 to permit a qualified current or retired law enforcement officer (as defined in §§ 926B(c) / 926C(c)) to possess a firearm or ammunition in Facility Security Level I or II civilian public access federal facilities (as defined by Interagency Security Committee standards).
   • Adds definitions: “Facility Security Level” (per ISC standard) and “civilian public access facility” (open to the general public).

Who would be affected
- Qualified active duty law enforcement officers and qualified retired law enforcement officers who meet LEOSA definitions and the revised qualification/certification standards.
- State and local law enforcement agencies (because qualification standards and certification sources are broadened).
- Federal facilities (Facility Security Level I & II civilian public access facilities would be explicitly covered by the new exception).
- Operators and owners of property open to the public, national parks, and carriers (due to clarified interactions and limited carve‑outs with property‑specific laws).
- Schools and school zones, to the extent specified by the amendment to the Gun‑Free School Zones Act.

Potential impacts and considerations
- Expands and clarifies LEOSA protections and where LEOSA‑authorized officers may carry concealed firearms (notably in school zones, national parks, and certain federal public‑access facilities).
- Increases flexibility in how retired officers demonstrate firearms qualification and who may certify that qualification; allows States to extend the qualification interval up to 36 months.
- Clarifies that magazines are included within the statute’s covered feeding devices.
- Contains carve‑outs specifying that property‑specific laws applicable to common carriers or publicly open property may limit LEOSA application in those contexts — potentially affecting how LEOSA interacts with private property rules and carrier regulations.
- Report includes CBO cost estimate and dissenting views; stakeholders should consult the committee report and CBO score for budgetary and policy analyses.

Related procedural notes
- Considered under a closed rule in the House (H. Res. 405) with one motion to recommit. H. Rept. 119‑81 accompanies the bill.