In very positive news for the law enforcement community, the House of Representatives passed the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2010, which will now go to the President of the United States for signature. The House passed the bill after the significant efforts of the national Fraternal Order of Police, and it’s President, Chuck Canterbury.
The legislation, also often known as LEOSA 2010, will help in a number of ways. The soon to be law (following the President’s expected signature) will amends the federal criminal code to include a law enforcement officer of the Amtrak Police Department and the Federal Reserve or a law enforcement or police officer of the executive branch as a qualified law enforcement officer as eligible to carry concealed firearms. The legislation also changes the definition of "firearm" to include ammunition not expressly prohibited by federal law or subject to the provisions of the National Firearms Act.
The law revises the definition of "qualified retired law enforcement officer" to: (1) include officers separated (currently, retired) in good standing from service with a public agency as a law enforcement officer; and (2) reduce the years-of-service requirement for such officers from 15 to 10 years.
The new law also revises the (1) requirements for firearms certification for such separated officers to allow firearms training in accordance with the standards of the officer's former agency, the state in which such officer resides, or if such state has not established training standards, standards established by a law enforcement agency within the state or those used by a certified firearms instructor; and also (2) mental health requirements for such officers.
The law helps clarify the definition of law enforcement officer to include those employed by the Executive Branch of the Federal Government and who are classified as GS-0083 police officers. Finally, the law reduces the number of years of aggregate service needed to meet the definition of “qualified retired law enforcement officer.” In sum, this is very helpful legislation and bound to help clarify the earlier legislation. See the full bill that was passed here. Download LEOSA 2010