NAPO Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
CONTACT: (202)
842-3560
APRIL 16,
1999
JODY HEDEMAN
COUSER
RIGHT TO CARRY BILL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS INTRODUCED IN HOUSE |
Washington, D.C. - The National Association of Police
Organizations (NAPO) announced today that the organization has been
successful in its lobbying efforts, with the introduction in the U.S.
House of Representatives of the "National Assistance for Police Officer
Safety Act of 1999," H.R. 1461. Representatives James Rogan (R-CA) and
Steve Rothman (D-NJ) are the lead sponsors of the bill.
If passed into law, the "National Assistance for Police Officer Safety Act of 1999" would create an exemption for qualified active law enforcement officers from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed weapons. It would not, however, supercede federal law prohibiting the possession of a firearm on any federal property or any prohibition of firearms on state or local government property. The legislation would have no effect on state laws that have broader right to carry statutes. Active law enforcement officers would have to be authorized by their public agency to carry a firearm at all times and meet all of the requirements of the agency regarding firearms. Over the last decade, there have been a number of other legislative
proposals introduced that would address this problem, including the past
three sessions of Congress, where Congressman Randy Cunningham (R-CA)
introduced right to carry legislation. NAPO has consistently supported an exemption for active and retired law
enforcement officers. NAPO submitted both written and oral congressional
testimony on the right to carry for law enforcement and endorsed H.R. 218
in its original form last year. However, in the 105th Congress, an
amendment was added to H.R. 218 during the House Subcommittee on Crime
markup, causing it to lose its broad-based support. This amendment added a
'National Right to Carry Standard' for all citizens, which turned a mostly
bipartisan law enforcement bill into a partisan and contentious piece of
legislation. NAPO realized the inevitable demise of H.R. 218, as the law
enforcement safety bill became the subject of a heated debate on Second
Amendment Rights and gun control. |