Dear Senator Kennedy,
I am writing on behalf of the members of the Fraternal Order of Police to advise you of our strong support for S. 679, the “Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) Reform Act.”
The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) exempts qualified active and retired law enforcement officers from local and State prohibitions on the carriage of concealed firearms. This legislation amends existing law to ensure 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.
To be clear, this legislation would not increase the number of officers who carry firearms under the current LEOSA statute. It does, however, remove conflict and confusion from current State and Federal laws while closing existing loopholes to prevent any officer from inadvertently putting themselves in arbitrary legal jeopardy.
On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I thank for your leadership and for your support of the men and women in law enforcement. I look forward to working with you and your staff to get this bill considered and passed by the Senate. If I can provide any additional information or support for this effort, please do not hesitate to contact me or Executive Director Jim Pasco in our Washington, D.C. office.
Sincerely,
Patrick Yoes
National President