H.R. 2243 — LEOSA Reform Act

This section amends the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 to exempt from its prohibition on firearms possession in school zones individuals authorized to carry concealed firearms under the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (i.e., qualified active law enforcement officers under 18 USC 926C or qualified retired law enforcement officers under 18 USC 926B). (As background, the Gun-Free School Zones Act generally prohibits knowing possession of a firearm in a school zone—defined as public or private school grounds or within 1,000 feet thereof—subject to specified exceptions.)

This section amends the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act (LEOSA, 18 U.S.C. §§ 926B-926C)—which authorizes qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms notwithstanding most state, local, and certain federal laws—as follows: (1) expands the scope of preemption in subsections (a) to include any other federal law or Interior Department regulation pertaining to National Park System units; (2) limits preemption under subsections (b)(1)-(2) by excepting property used by common or contract carriers to transport people or property by land, rail, or water, or property open to the public (whether or not a fee is charged); (3) expands the definition of "firearm" in subsections (e)(2) and (e)(1)(B) to explicitly include any magazine; (4) revises firearms qualification standards for qualified retired officers under §926C(c)(4) to require meeting active duty standards established by the individual's former agency, the resident state, any law enforcement agency in that state, or any certified firearms instructor in that state during the most recent 12 months (or, at state option, up to 36 months); and (5) updates related testing and certification requirements in §926C(d) to conform to the new qualification standards, including issuance by the specified agencies or instructors.

This section expands exceptions to the prohibition on possessing firearms or dangerous weapons in federal facilities (other than federal court facilities) under 18 U.S.C. §930(a) to permit a qualified law enforcement officer (as defined in 18 U.S.C. §926B(c)) or qualified retired law enforcement officer (as defined in 18 U.S.C. §926C(c)) to possess a firearm or ammunition in a Facility Security Level I or II civilian public access facility. It defines "Facility Security Level" as a security risk assessment level assigned to a federal facility by the facility's security agency in accordance with the Interagency Security Committee Standard and "civilian public access facility" as a facility open to the general public.