I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5523 

To protect the right of individuals to bear arms on Federal lands administered 

by the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 15, 2010 

Mr. REHBERG (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Utah, and Mr. BROUN of Georgia) 

introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 

Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To protect the right of individuals to bear arms on Federal 

lands administered by the United States Forest Service 

and the Bureau of Land Management. 

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; FINDINGS. 

4 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 

5 ‘‘Firearms Freedom on Federal Lands Act’’. 

6 (b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

7 (1) Section 512 of the Credit Card Account8 ability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 


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1 (Public Law 111–24) prevents the Secretary of the 

2 Interior from promulgating or enforcing any regula3 tion that prohibits an individual from possessing a 

4 firearm in any unit of the National Park System or 

5 the National Wildlife Refuge System when certain 

6 conditions are met. 

7 (2) The Secretary of Agriculture is not statu8 torily prevented from promulgating or enforcing reg9 ulations that prohibit an individual from possessing 

10 a firearm on Federal lands administered by the 

11 United States Forest Service. 

12 (3) The Secretary of the Interior is not statu13 torily prevented from promulgating or enforcing any 

14 regulation that prohibits an individual from pos15 sessing a firearm on Federal lands administered by 

16 the Bureau of Land Management. 

17 (4) The Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 

18 431–433) authorizes the President to designate Na19 tional Monuments under the jurisdiction of the De20 partment of Agriculture and the Department of the 

21 Interior. 

22 (5) The Antiquities Act of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 

23 431–433) does not expressly prohibit the President 

24 from restricting the legal possession of firearms 


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1 through Executive orders establishing National 

2 Monuments. 

3 (6) The Second Amendment to the Constitution 

4 provides that ‘‘the right of the people to keep and 

5 bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROTECTING THE RIGHT OF INDIVIDUALS TO BEAR 

7 ARMS ON FEDERAL LANDS ADMINISTERED 

8 BY THE FOREST SERVICE AND BLM. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture and 

10 the Secretary of the Interior shall not promulgate or en11 force any regulation or Executive order, including Presi12 dential declarations authorized under the Antiquities Act 

13 of 1906 (16 U.S.C. 431–433), that prohibit an individual 

14 from possessing a firearm, including an assembled or func15 tional firearm, in any unit administered by the United 

16 States Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Manage17 ment, if— 

18 (1) the individual is not otherwise prohibited by 

19 law from possessing the firearm; and 

20 (2) the possession of the firearm is in compli21 ance with the law of the State in which the unit of 

22 the National Forest System or the Bureau of Land 

23 Management is located. 

24 (b) STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 

25 Act shall be construed— 


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1 (1) as affecting the authority, jurisdiction, or 

2 responsibility of the several States to manage, con3 trol, or regulate fish and resident wildlife under 

4 State law or regulations, including the regulation of 

5 hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting 

6 on public land managed by the Department of Agri7 culture or the Department of the Interior; or 

8 (2) as limiting access for hunting, fishing, trap9 ping, or recreational shooting. 

Æ 


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