IB 
Union Calendar No. 544 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6842 
[Report No. 110–843] 
To require the District of Columbia to revise its laws regarding the use 
and possession of firearms as necessary to comply with the requirements 
of the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of District of Columbia 
v. Heller, in a manner that protects the security interests of the Federal 
government and the people who work in, reside in, or visit the District 
of Columbia and does not undermine the efforts of law enforcement, 
homeland security, and military officials to protect the Nation’s capital 
from crime and terrorism. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 9, 2008 
Ms. NORTON (for herself and Mr. WAXMAN) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 
on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Omit the part struck through and insert the part printed in italic] 
A BILL 
To require the District of Columbia to revise its laws regard-
ing the use and possession of firearms as necessary to 
comply with the requirements of the decision of the Su-
preme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Hell-
er, in a manner that protects the security interests of 
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the Federal government and the people who work in, 
reside in, or visit the District of Columbia and does 
not undermine the efforts of law enforcement, homeland 
security, and military officials to protect the Nation’s 
capital from crime and terrorism. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Capital Secu-
rity and Safety Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Washington, DC is both a local self-gov-
erning jurisdiction and the seat of the United States 
government, with unique Federal responsibilities 
that accompany its role as the Nation’s capital. 
(2) 
The 
Metropolitan 
Police 
Department 
(MPD), the District’s local police force, with more 
than 4,000 members, is the only sizeable police force 
in the National Capital Region. 
(3) In its role as a Federal city, the District of 
Columbia has always been linked with Federal law 
enforcement in a partnership to protect the Federal 
presence, including Federal officials and employees, 
visiting dignitaries, and other individuals. 
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(4) Since the terrorist attacks by a United 
States citizen on a Federal facility in Oklahoma 
City, Oklahoma, and especially since the attacks by 
foreign terrorists on the National Capital Region on 
September 11, 2001, the District of Columbia has 
been considered by Federal law enforcement and se-
curity officials to be a likely target for terrorist and 
domestic attacks on Federal sites and on Federal of-
ficials and employees, visiting dignitaries, and other 
individuals. 
(5) The MPD works continuously with all Fed-
eral law enforcement agencies, including 36 different 
police agencies, to prevent attacks in the Nation’s 
capital. 
(6) Federal and District law enforcement inter-
ests work together and communicate daily on many 
efforts, including providing protective escort services 
to the President, Vice President, first lady, and 
presidential candidates as they travel and work 
throughout the District. 
(7) The President, Vice President, and many 
cabinet and other Federal officials reside in the Dis-
trict of Columbia. 
(8) MPD teams with Federal officials to pro-
vide protective escorts for the more than 40 national 
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and international dignitaries who visit the District of 
Columbia every month. 
(9) The Nation’s capital is required by law to 
be the headquarters of every cabinet agency of the 
Federal government and has the largest concentra-
tion of Federal employees, a total of 145,000. 
(10) In the District of Columbia Home Rule 
Act, Congress delegated self-governing powers to the 
District of Columbia local government but retained 
authority to protect Federal interests when nec-
essary. 
(11) The District of Columbia government has 
just begun the process of enacting legislation to 
allow gun ownership in the District for self-defense 
in a person’s home in compliance with the Supreme 
Court ruling in the case of District of Columbia vs. 
Heller. 
(12) Local jurisdictions, including the District 
of Columbia, enact firearms legislation in keeping 
with local desires and concerns, but the District of 
Columbia must take into account that the District 
also is a Federal city and that such legislation must 
be consistent with the heightened Federal interest in 
preventing terrorism and domestic attacks on indi-
viduals in the city because of the Federal presence. 
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(13) The most frequent attacks on Federal offi-
cials in the Nation’s capital have been ‘‘lone-wolf’’ 
attacks by individuals with concealable handguns, 
such as the assassinations of Presidents Abraham 
Lincoln and James Garfield, the serious attempts on 
Presidents Ronald Regan and Andrew Jackson, and 
the July 1998 murder of 2 United States Capitol 
Police officers in the United States Capitol. 
(14) The most dangerous attacks on individuals 
in the United States have been committed with 
handguns, including the recent attack at Virginia 
Tech University in which 32 people were shot and 
killed and the attack at Columbine High School in 
which 12 people were killed. 
(15) The government of the District of Colum-
bia, with the informed advice of MPD, is best suited 
to carrying out the complicated task of developing 
local laws that satisfy the Supreme Court’s mandate 
while protecting Federal officials and employees, vis-
iting dignitaries, and other individuals. Congress 
should allow the District of Columbia the oppor-
tunity to enact statutes and promulgate regulations, 
while preserving the Federal right to intervene under 
the District of Columbia Home Rule Act if federally 
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protected individuals or the Federal presence are ex-
posed to risk. 
(16) Unregulated firearms in the Nation’s cap-
ital would preclude the ability of the MPD and, if 
needed, the Federal government to track guns 
through registration and otherwise to help ensure 
that guns do not endanger Federal officials and em-
ployees, visiting dignitaries, and other individuals. 
SEC. 3. REVISION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIREARMS 
LAWS. 
(a) REQUIRING DISTRICT TO REVISE LAWS.— 
(1) REVISION.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the District 
of Columbia shall revise the laws and regulations of 
the District of Columbia which govern the use and 
possession of firearms, as necessary to comply with 
the requirements of the decision of the Supreme 
Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. 
(2)
CONFORMING
AMENDMENT
TO
LOCAL 
LAW.—Title VII of the Firearms Control Regula-
tions Act of 1975 (sec. 7–2507.01 et seq., D.C. Offi-
cial Code) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 712. CONSISTENCY WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘The Mayor and the Council shall ensure that this 
Act and the regulations promulgated to carry out this Act 
are consistent with the requirements of the decision of the 
Supreme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Hell-
er and the criteria provided under section 3(b) of the Na-
tional Capital Security and Safety Act.’’. 
(b) CRITERIA FOR REVISIONS.—For purposes of sub-
section (a)(1) and section 712 of the Firearms Control 
Regulations Act of 1975 (as added by subsection (a)(2)), 
the revisions to the laws and regulations of the District 
of Columbia which govern the use and possession of fire-
arms shall be based upon the following criteria: 
(1) The need to ensure the safety and security 
of the Nation’s capital so that nothing in the revi-
sions will place at risk the safety and security of 
Federal buildings or other Federal interests located 
in the District of Columbia, including the safety and 
security of Federal employees, or will place at risk 
the safety and security of the people who reside in 
or visit the District. 
(2) The need to ensure that nothing in the revi-
sions will interfere with the operations of Federal 
law enforcement officials (including officials of the 
Secret Service, the Federal Protective Service of the 
Department
of
Homeland
Security,
the
United 
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States Marshals Service and Supreme Court Police, 
and the United States Capitol Police) and the Met-
ropolitan Police Department and other local law en-
forcement officials in carrying out their duties to 
protect those who work in, reside in, or visit the Dis-
trict of Columbia. 
(3) The need to ensure that nothing in the revi-
sions will compromise the ability of local and Fed-
eral homeland security and military officials to carry 
out their duties to protect the Nation’s capital from 
terrorism. 
SEC. 3. REVISION OF DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIREARMS 
LAWS. 
(a) REQUIRING DISTRICT
TO REVISE LAWS.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the District of Columbia shall revise the laws and regu-
lations of the District of Columbia which govern the use 
and possession of firearms, as necessary to comply with the 
requirements of the decision of the Supreme Court in the 
case of District of Columbia v. Heller. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO LOCAL LAW.—Title 
VII of the Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975 (sec. 
7–2507.01 et seq., D.C. Official Code) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 712. CONSISTENCY WITH FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. 
‘‘The Mayor and the Council shall ensure that this Act 
and the regulations promulgated to carry out this Act are 
consistent with the requirements of the decision of the Su-
preme Court in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller.’’. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to require the 
District of Columbia to revise its laws regarding the use 
and possession of firearms as necessary to comply with 
the requirements of the decision of the Supreme Court in 
the case of District of Columbia v. Heller.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 544 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6842 
[Report No. 110–843] 
A BILL 
To require the District of Columbia to revise its 
laws regarding the use and possession of firearms 
as necessary to comply with the requirements of 
the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of 
District of Columbia v. Heller, in a manner that 
protects the security interests of the Federal gov-
ernment and the people who work in, reside in, 
or visit the District of Columbia and does not un-
dermine the efforts of law enforcement, homeland 
security, and military officials to protect the Na-
tion’s capital from crime and terrorism. 
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008 
Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 
of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and or-
dered to be printed 
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