I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1566 

To permit employees of the House of Representatives who are authorized 

to possess certain weapons in the District of Columbia to bring such 

weapons into House Office Buildings for secure storage, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 10, 2023 

Mr. STEUBE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on 

Transportation and Infrastructure, 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 permit employees of the House of Representatives who 

are authorized to possess certain weapons in the District 

of Columbia to bring such weapons into House Office 

Buildings for secure storage, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act’’. 

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


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1 (1) In 2021, there were 2,654 violent crime in2 cidents in the District of Columbia, and 2,900 of3 fenses reported in the District of Columbia by 2 law 

4 enforcement agencies that submitted National Inci5 dent-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data which 

6 covered the entire population of the District. 

7 (2) Many employees of the House of Represent8 atives who work in House Office Buildings in the 

9 District of Columbia commute to and from their of10 fices by walking, and many have themselves been 

11 victims of these crimes in the District of Columbia. 

12 (3) Individuals in the District of Columbia are 

13 authorized under District of Columbia law to carry 

14 and use certain weapons for self-defense, including 

15 self-defense sprays, stun guns, and concealed fire16 arms. However, District of Columbia and Federal 

17 law prohibit individuals from carrying these weapons 

18 inside a Federal building. 

19 (4) As a result, employees of the House of Rep20 resentatives who work in House Office Buildings in 

21 the District of Columbia are prohibited from car22 rying weapons inside the buildings in which they 

23 work, even if these employees are authorized under 

24 District of Columbia law to carry and use these 

25 weapons for self-defense outside these buildings. 


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1 SEC. 2. AUTHORIZING HOUSE EMPLOYEES TO BRING CER2 TAIN SELF-DEFENSE WEAPONS INTO HOUSE 

3 OFFICE BUILDINGS. 

4 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—An individual who is an em5 ployee of the House of Representatives may bring a weap6 on described in subsection (b) into a House office building 

7 if— 

8 (1) the individual is authorized under the laws 

9 of the District of Columbia to carry the weapon out10 side of the building; 

11 (2) immediately prior to entering the building, 

12 the individual is carrying the weapon in compliance 

13 with such laws; 

14 (3) the individual enters the building through 

15 an external pedestrian entrance; 

16 (4) upon entering the building with the weapon, 

17 the individual leaves the weapon in a storage locker 

18 operated by the United States Capitol Police under 

19 section 3 while the individual remains in the build20 ing; and 

21 (5) after retrieving the weapon from the locker, 

22 the individual leaves the building immediately. 

23 (b) WEAPONS DESCRIBED.—The weapons described 

24 in this subsection are as follows: 


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1 (1) A self-defense spray described in section 

2 212 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 

3 1975 (sec. 7–2502.12, D.C. Official Code). 

4 (2) A stun gun described in section 101(17A) 

5 of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 

6 (sec. 7–2501.01(17A), D.C. Official Code). 

7 (3) A firearm described in section 101(9) of the 

8 Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 7– 

9 2501.01(9), D.C. Official Code). 

10 SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SAFE STORAGE LOCKERS AT BUILD11 ING ENTRANCES. 

12 (a) RESPONSIBILITIES OF CAPITOL POLICE

13 BOARD.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the 

14 enactment of this Act, the Capitol Police Board shall de15 sign, install, and operate storage lockers at external pedes16 trian entrances to each House office building, which may 

17 be used while an employee of the House is in the building 

18 to safely store a weapon which the employee brings into 

19 the building under section 2, and from which the employee 

20 may retrieve the weapon when the employee leaves the 

21 building. 

22 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Capitol Police Board shall 

23 promulgate such regulations as may be required to carry 

24 out this section. 


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1 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 

2 5104(e)(1)(A) of title 40, United States Code, is amended 

3 by striking ‘‘except as authorized’’ and inserting ‘‘except 

4 as provided under the Safe Storage Lockers for House Of5 fice Buildings Act or as authorized’’. 

6 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

7 (a) EMPLOYEE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA8 TIVES.—In this Act, an ‘‘employee of the House of Rep9 resentatives’’ includes an intern (whether paid or unpaid) 

10 and a fellow assigned to an office of the House of Rep11 resentatives. 

12 (b) HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—In this Act, the term 

14 ‘‘House office building’’ means any of the following: 

15 (A) The Cannon House Office Building. 

16 (B) The Longworth House Office Building. 

17 (C) The Rayburn House Office Building. 

18 (D) The Ford House Office Building. 

19 (E) The O’Neill House Office Building. 

20 (F) The House wing of the United States 

21 Capitol. 

22 (2) EXCLUSION OF GARAGES.—The term 

23 ‘‘House office building’’ does not include a garage of 

24 a building described in paragraph (1). 

Æ 


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