Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, applauded news that the House Committee on the Judiciary favorably reported H.R. 354, the “LEOSA Reform Act,” today on a 15-9 vote. The measure could be considered on the House floor as early as next week.
“This has been a priority of the FOP for some time now,” Yoes said. “We’re grateful to Representative Bacon who has been a leader and our partner on this issue since he was first elected to the House.”
The “LEOSA Reform Act” amends the existing law, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) to provide that officers can carry in the same venues as civilian concealed carry permit holders. The bill also extends the exemption to magazine capacity and would allow active and retired law enforcement officers to access services in U.S. Post Offices, Social Security Administration offices, Veterans Affairs offices, and other Federal facilities without disarming or securing their firearms elsewhere. It would also allow States to decide to extend the period between training certifications for qualified retired law enforcement officers from 12 months to 36 months. The legislation would not increase the number of officers who carry firearms under the current LEOSA statute but will prevent any officer from inadvertently putting themselves in legal jeopardy.
“As pleased as I am that the ‘LEOSA Reform Act’ passed, I am very disappointed that a lack of consensus on the majority side once again forced the committee to postpone consideration of the ‘Protect and Serve Act’,” Yoes said. “This bill was drafted specifically to address the increasing number of ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers by imposing, in limited circumstances, Federal penalties on individuals who deliberately target local, State or Federal law enforcement officers with violence. It is our strong conviction that legislation targeting would-be cop-killers should transcend partisan politics.”
The FOP will continue to build support for H.R. 354, the “LEOSA Reform Act” ahead of its potential consideration on the House floor and we will continue to engage with Members of the House Judiciary Committee on H.R 743, the “Protect and Serve Act.”