LEOSA Reform Act
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The LEOSA Reform Act would expand where qualified active and retired law enforcement officers may carry concealed firearms under federal law, adding school zones, national parks, publicly accessible state and private property, and lower-security civilian-access federal buildings to the list of permitted locations.
The bill would also clarify that 'ammunition' includes magazines and give states the option to extend the requalification window for retired officers from 12 months to up to 36 months, reducing compliance burdens on that population.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would amend title 18 of the U.S. Code in four main ways. First, it would add school zones — currently covered by the Gun-Free School Zones Act — to the locations where LEOSA-authorized officers may carry. Second, it would extend carry authority to national parks and to any state, local, or private property that is open to the general public (regardless of whether an entry fee is charged). Third, it would allow carry in Facility Security Level I or II civilian public-access federal buildings. Fourth, it would clarify that the term "ammunition" in the existing law includes magazines.
The bill would also expand the options retired officers may use to demonstrate firearms qualification — accepting standards from their former agency, their state of residence, any in-state law enforcement agency, or any certified firearms instructor — and allow states to stretch the requalification period from 12 months to as many as 36 months. It does not change carry rules for the general public.
Key provisions
- 1Would amend the Gun-Free School Zones Act to allow LEOSA-authorized qualified active and retired officers to carry concealed firearms in school zones.
- 2Would extend carry authority to national parks and any state, local, or private property open to the public, regardless of whether an entry fee is charged.
- 3Would clarify that 'ammunition' under LEOSA includes magazines, removing ambiguity about what officers may carry.
- 4Would expand the qualification standards retired officers may use and allow states to extend the requalification period up to 36 months.
- 5Would allow qualified active and retired officers to carry firearms in Facility Security Level I or II civilian public-access federal buildings.
Who would be affected
Qualified active-duty law enforcement officers and retired officers who carry concealed firearms under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act. Schools, national park sites, and lower-security federal buildings that would now be accessible to these officers with firearms. States that set requalification standards for retired officers, and certified firearms instructors who could now administer qualifying tests.
Why it matters
Active and retired law enforcement officers would gain consistent, broader federal carry authority without navigating a patchwork of state and local restrictions at schools, parks, and public-access facilities. Retired officers would face a lighter requalification burden if their state opts into the longer 36-month window. Federal facilities previously off-limits to armed off-duty officers at the lower security tiers would no longer bar them.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Amends Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 (18 U.S.C. § 922(q)(2)(B)) (Sec. 2)
Adds LEOSA-authorized officers to the list of individuals exempt from the school-zone firearms prohibition.
Amends Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (18 U.S.C. §§ 926B, 926C) (Sec. 3)
Extends carry authority to national parks and public-access property; clarifies ammunition includes magazines; broadens retirement qualification standards and allows states to extend requalification to 36 months.
Amends 18 U.S.C. § 930 (Sec. 4)
Exempts qualified active and retired officers from the federal-facilities firearms prohibition for Facility Security Level I or II civilian public-access buildings.
Agencies directed to act
Funding and costs
Congressional Budget Office estimate
CBO estimates the LEOSA Reform Act would have no significant effect on the federal budget, with zero impact on direct spending, revenues, or the deficit over the 2025–2035 period.
CBO estimates that H.R. 2243 would have no significant budgetary cost, because it would not meaningfully change the scope of work performed by federal law enforcement officers; any related discretionary spending (i.e., spending that requires annual congressional appropriations) would be between zero and $500,000 over 2025–2030 and was not estimated beyond that window. The bill imposes both an intergovernmental mandate and a private-sector mandate — by preempting state and local laws and restricting private property owners from prohibiting concealed firearms in certain locations — but CBO estimates that neither mandate would impose any costs. Both mandates fall below the statutory thresholds set by the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
How implementation would work
The bill is largely self-executing — it directly amends existing statutory text rather than requiring agency rulemaking. States may, but are not required to, adopt the longer 36-month requalification option for retired officers. Retired officers would demonstrate qualification through a certification from their former agency, their state, any in-state law enforcement agency, or a certified firearms instructor. The federal facility provision relies on security risk classifications already assigned by facility security agencies under existing Interagency Security Committee standards, so no new classification process is required.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill broadens the authority for certain law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines.
Specifically, the bill allows qualified active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms and ammunition (including magazines) in school zones; in national parks; on state, local, or private property that is open to the public; and in certain federal facilities that are open to the public.
Further, the bill permits states to reduce the frequency with which retired law enforcement officers must meet certain qualification standards.
Legislative subjects
Crime and Law Enforcement; Educational facilities and institutions; Firearms and explosives; Government buildings, facilities, and property; Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management; Law enforcement officers; Licensing and registrations; Personnel records; State and local government operations
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-81