Legislative Update

Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements

NAPO has secured a victory in the signing of The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements Act of 2010 (S. 1132)  into public law.

On October, 12, 2010, President Obama signed into law S. 1132, The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements Act of 2010. NAPO’s President Tommy Nee and Executive Director Bill Johnson worked to get this bill passed and signed into law. Tommy Nee will be receiving the pen used by the President to sign the bill in recognition of NAPO’s work getting this bill passed and signed into public law.

Since 1992, NAPO has fought to ensure the ability of off duty and retired officers to carry their firearm when traveling across state lines. In 2002 and 2004, NAPO’s Executive Director Bill Johnson submitted testimony before both House and Senate committees on behalf of this legislation. Throughout the 110^th and 111^th Congresses NAPO worked hard for passage of this key legislation.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements reduces the number of years a retired or separated law enforcement officer has had to serve in order to qualify to carry, from 15 years to an aggregate of 10 years or more.  S. 1132 also includes Amtrak Police Department, Federal Reserve, and law enforcement or police officers of the executive branch as qualified law enforcement officers eligible to carry concealed firearms. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act Improvements also designate new qualification procedures that will make the process easier for a retired or separated law enforcement officer to meet the requirements of firearms training. Firearms certification will be allowed to be in accordance with the standards of the officer’s former agency, the state where the officer resides and, if there are not state training standards, then the standards established by a law enforcement agency within the state or by a certified firearms instructor will suffice.

NAPO firmly believes that S. 1132 will help to ensure that all qualified off-duty and retired or separated officers across the nation will be able to carry firearms for the protection of themselves, their families and our nation’s communities. We will continue to work to protect law enforcement officers’ rights.