I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2137 

To ensure Federal law enforcement officers remain able to ensure their 

own safety, and the safety of their families, during a covered furlough. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2015 

Mr. COLLINS of Georgia (for himself, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. REICHERT, and Mr. 

PASCRELL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To ensure Federal law enforcement officers remain able to 

ensure their own safety, and the safety of their families, 

during a covered furlough. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Law Enforce5 ment Self-Defense and Protection Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Too often, Federal law enforcement officers 

2 encounter potentially violent criminals, placing offi3 cers in danger of grave physical harm. 

4 (2) In 2012 alone, 1,857 Federal law enforce5 ment officers were assaulted, with 206 sustaining se6 rious injuries. 

7 (3) From 2008 through 2011, an additional 

8 8,587 Federal law enforcement officers were as9 saulted. 

10 (4) Federal law enforcement officers remain a 

11 target even when they are off-duty. Over the past 3 

12 years, 27 law enforcement officers have been killed 

13 off-duty. 

14 (5) It is essential that law enforcement officers 

15 are able to defend themselves, so they can carry out 

16 their critical missions and ensure their own personal 

17 safety and the safety of their families whether on18 duty or off-duty. 

19 (6) These dangers to law enforcement officers 

20 continue to exist during a covered furlough. 

21 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

22 In this Act— 

23 (1) the term ‘‘agency’’ means each authority of 

24 the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the 

25 Government of the United States; 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘covered Federal law enforcement 

2 officer’’ means any individual who— 

3 (A) is an employee of an agency; 

4 (B) has the authority to make arrests or 

5 apprehensions for, or prosecute, violations of 

6 Federal law; and 

7 (C) on the day before the date on which 

8 the applicable covered furlough begins, is au9 thorized by the agency employing the individual 

10 to carry a firearm in the course of official du11 ties; 

12 (3) the term ‘‘covered furlough’’ means a 

13 planned event by an agency during which employees 

14 are involuntarily furloughed due to downsizing, re15 duced funding, lack of work, or any budget situation 

16 including a lapse in appropriations; and 

17 (4) the term ‘‘firearm’’ has the meaning given 

18 that term in section 921 of title 18, United States 

19 Code. 

20 SEC. 4. PROTECTING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI21 CERS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO A COVERED 

22 FURLOUGH. 

23 During a covered furlough, a covered Federal law en24 forcement officer shall have the same rights to carry a 

25 firearm issued by the Federal Government as if the covVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:56 May 08, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2137.IH H2137

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1 ered furlough was not in effect, including, if authorized 

2 on the day before the date on which the covered furlough 

3 begins, the right to carry a concealed firearm, if the sole 

4 reason the covered Federal law enforcement officer was 

5 placed on leave was due to the covered furlough. 

Æ 


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