Washington, DC - Patrick Yoes, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, applauded news that the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2243, the “LEOSA Reform Act,” today on a 229-193 vote. The measure will now be transmitted to the Senate for further action.

“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 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.

The House is also expected to consider and pass H.R. 2240, the “Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act,” and H.R. 2255, the “Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act.”

“In the last Congress, all three of these bills passed the House,” said Yoes. “We look forward to working with our partners to build on this momentum and get them to the President’s desk.”