II 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 2137 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 11, 2016 

Received 

AN ACT 

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, 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

HR 2137 RDS 

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Law Enforce3 ment Self-Defense and Protection Act of 2015’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Too often, Federal law enforcement officers 

7 encounter potentially violent criminals, placing offi8 cers in danger of grave physical harm. 

9 (2) In 2012 alone, 1,857 Federal law enforce10 ment officers were assaulted, with 206 sustaining se11 rious injuries. 

12 (3) From 2008 through 2011, an additional 

13 8,587 Federal law enforcement officers were as14 saulted. 

15 (4) Federal law enforcement officers remain a 

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

17 years, 27 law enforcement officers have been killed 

18 off-duty. 

19 (5) It is essential that law enforcement officers 

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

21 their critical missions and ensure their own personal 

22 safety and the safety of their families whether on23 duty or off-duty. 

24 (6) These dangers to law enforcement officers 

25 continue to exist during a covered furlough. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

HR 2137 RDS 

1 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

2 In this Act— 

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

4 the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the 

5 Government of the United States; 

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

7 officer’’ means any individual who— 

8 (A) is an employee of an agency; 

9 (B) has the authority to make arrests or 

10 apprehensions for, or prosecute, violations of 

11 Federal law; and 

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

13 the applicable covered furlough begins, is au14 thorized by the agency employing the individual 

15 to carry a firearm in the course of official du16 ties; 

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

18 planned event by an agency during which employees 

19 are involuntarily furloughed due to downsizing, re20 duced funding, lack of work, or any budget situation 

21 including a lapse in appropriations; and 

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

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

24 Code. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

HR 2137 RDS 

1 SEC. 4. PROTECTING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFI2 CERS WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO A COVERED 

3 FURLOUGH. 

4 During a covered furlough, a covered Federal law en5 forcement officer shall have the same rights to carry a 

6 firearm issued by the Federal Government as if the cov7 ered furlough was not in effect, including, if authorized 

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

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

10 reason the covered Federal law enforcement officer was 

11 placed on leave was due to the covered furlough. 

Passed the House of Representatives May 10, 2016. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


emcdonald on DSK67QTVN1PROD with BILLS