I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5208 

To prohibit the possession of a firearm in a hospital zone. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 4, 2004 

Mr. MEEHAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To prohibit the possession of a firearm in a hospital zone. 

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 ‘‘Gun-Free Hospital 

5 Zones Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON THE POSSESSION OF A FIREARM 

7 IN A HOSPITAL ZONE. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 922 of title 18, United 

9 States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (y) 

10 the following: 

11 ‘‘(z)(1) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess 

12 a firearm that has been shipped or transported in inter-
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1 state or foreign commerce, in a place that the person 

2 knows or has reasonable cause to believe is in a hospital 

3 zone. 

4 ‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the possession 

5 of a firearm— 

6 ‘‘(A) on private property that is not on the 

7 grounds of any hospital; 

8 ‘‘(B) on public property outside any building or 

9 enclosed structure, if the individual possessing the 

10 firearm is licensed to do so by the State or political 

11 subdivision in which the hospital zone is located, and 

12 the law of the State or political subdivision requires 

13 that, before an individual obtains such a license, the 

14 law enforcement authorities of the State or political 

15 subdivision verify that the individual is qualified 

16 under law to receive the license; 

17 ‘‘(C) by an individual in accordance with a con18 tract entered into between the owner of a hospital in 

19 the hospital zone and the individual or an employer 

20 of the individual; or 

21 ‘‘(D) by a law enforcement officer acting in his 

22 or her official capacity.’’. 

23 (b) DEFINITIONS.—Section 921(a) of such title is 

24 amended by adding at the end the following: 

25 ‘‘(36) The term ‘hospital zone’ means— 
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1 ‘‘(A) in or on the grounds of a public or private 

2 hospital; or 

3 ‘‘(B) within 1,000 feet from the grounds of a 

4 public or private hospital. 

5 ‘‘(37) The term ‘hospital’ means an institution 

6 which— 

7 ‘‘(A) is primarily engaged in providing, by or 

8 under the supervision of physicians, to inpatients— 

9 ‘‘(i) diagnostic services and therapeutic 

10 services for medical diagnosis, treatment, and 

11 care of injured, disabled, or sick persons; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) rehabilitation services for the rehabili13 tation of injured, disabled, or sick persons; or 

14 ‘‘(B) in the case of an institution in a State in 

15 which State or applicable local law provides for the 

16 licensing of hospitals— 

17 ‘‘(i) is licensed pursuant to such law; or 

18 ‘‘(ii) is approved, by the agency of the 

19 State or locality responsible for licensing hos20 pitals, as meeting the standards established for 

21 such licensing.’’. 

22 (c) PENALTIES.—Section 924(a) of such title is 

23 amended by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(8) Whoever knowingly violates section 922(z) shall 

25 be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 5 
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1 years, or both. Notwithstanding any other provision of 

2 law, a term of imprisonment imposed against a person 

3 under this paragraph shall not run concurrently with any 

4 other term of imprisonment imposed against the person 

5 under any other provision of law.’’. 

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