This article is 6 weeks old but I just ran across it this morning. I searched here and didn't find any reference to it, but I certainly could have missed it. Of course it only applies to LEOs not their family members so I'm out. lol.

 

 

 

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http://www.policemag.com/Blog/Editors-Notes/Story/2010/11/NRA-Explains-Changes-To-Police-Carry-Law.aspx

 

LEOSA amendments signed by President Obama better clarify active and retired officers' concealed carry rights in all 50 states, according to the NRA.

 

November 16, 2010 | by Paul Clinton - Also by this author

 

Revisions to the Law Enforcement Officer Safety Act of 2004 (LEOSA) recently signed by President Obama have expanded which active and off-duty officers are eligible to carry a concealed firearm in all 50 states, an attorney with the National Rifle Association tells POLICE Magazine.

 

The amendments, which were initially introduced in mid-2009, also set up more clarified guidelines about the documentation needed by retired officers and protect officers' rights to carry hollow-point ammunition — even when traveling in New Jersey.

 

When first passed, LEOSA didn't create a mechanism that would allow retired officers to exercise their right to carry concealed.

 

Amendments signed by Obama on Oct. 12 come closer to this goal and are generally good news for officers, said Christopher Conte, legislative counsel with the NRA's Institute for Legislative Action.

 

The law provides separate sections, offering guidance for active and retired officers that requires the later to "qualify" as the former to carry a concealed firearm in another state.

 

Most notably, the amendments expand the law's definition of active officers who can qualify, giving the right to more federal agents. Now, Amtrak Police, Federal Reserve officers, executive branch officers — such as all agents under the Department of Justice, U.S. Secret Service, and Park Police — and agents under the Department of Defense are eligible.

 

Also, officers can't lose their carry right if they've been reprimanded; only more serious misconduct could imperil it.

 

The active-duty section has also been reworked to protect hollow-point ammunition, but not submachine guns, silencers or a "destructive device" such as a hand grenade, Conte said. Guns or ammunition needing a tax stamp as required by the National Firearms Act wouldn't be protected.

 

Revisions also reduce the amount of time that an officer has to serve as an officer from 15 years to 10 years to qualify for LEOSA carry rights, bringing the federal requirement in line with states such as California with 10-year qualification already established.

 

And lastly, the changes create a procedure for retired officers to meet the requirements necessary for LEOSA carry. Retired officers need a special photo ID from the agency that employed them and requalification card. The card can be issued by the state similarly to a driver's license or by a certified firearms instructor (such as a range officer) who is "qualified to conduct firearms qualification tests for active duty officers," Conte said.

 

Currently, only Virginia accepts certification via the NRA's LEAD (Law Enforcement Assistance Division) program.

 

The law doesn't mandate states to set up a credential-issuing program.

 

"It certainly clears up portions of it," Conte said about the LEOSA revisions. "If you are in a hostile state, I don't know if it's going to make it any easier. You can always go down to your county sheriff."

 

The final bill signed by Obama originated with Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-Vt.) S. 1132, but was substantially modified since its introduction.

 

"The dedicated public servants who are trained to uphold the law and keep the peace deserve our support, not just in their professional lives, but also when they are off-duty or retire," Leahy said in a statement on his website.

 

Officers with questions about laws in their specific states should contact NRA Legal at [email protected].

I like to see legislation like this, paves the way for a civilian CCW version similar to Thune.

I like to see legislation like this, paves the way for a civilian CCW version similar to Thune.

 

Hell Yeah!!

I like to see legislation like this, paves the way for a civilian CCW version similar to Thune.

 

So would a lot of us....Problem is, you get Schumer, Menendez, Lautenberg, Boxer, et al in the senate, and a couple of Dozen vocal antis in the house that block it every time. LEOSA took more then a decade to pass, and that was with EVERY state allowing it's officers to carry off duty, and it was attacked by Kennedy, Schumer, and others of that camp on the theory that it infringed upon the State's rights to regulate firearms laws (By the same people who flouted that with Abortion, and other Liberal Causes). With states who dont allow ANY CCW, and states like NJ where it's so restricted, it's an uphill battle to get any national CCW bill through. I think as SAF and NRA start the state to state Fight now that McDonald and Heller are on record, and of course, barring any Sea Change in SCOTUS, it's just a matter of time...and hopefully when it DOES happen Bryan Miller's head will explode LOL

Obama...what a joke. He'll let the LEO's keep there guns after retirement but no one else can have them. Other then being a retired LEO, what right do they have over anyone else to carry in a state like NJ? This is just too one sided...i see nothing more coming from this, and it will not progress any 2a rights movements as long as obama is signing the end line. To me this is designed to give more power to the government thats it.

Obama...what a joke. He'll let the LEO's keep there guns after retirement but no one else can have them. Other then being a retired LEO, what right do they have over anyone else to carry in a state like NJ? This is just too one sided...i see nothing more coming from this, and it will not progress any 2a rights movements as long as obama is signing the end line. To me this is designed to give more power to the government thats it.

It was signed by Bush

So would a lot of us....Problem is, you get Schumer, Menendez, Lautenberg, Boxer, et al in the senate, and a couple of Dozen vocal antis in the house that block it every time. LEOSA took more then a decade to pass, and that was with EVERY state allowing it's officers to carry off duty, and it was attacked by Kennedy, Schumer, and others of that camp on the theory that it infringed upon the State's rights to regulate firearms laws (By the same people who flouted that with Abortion, and other Liberal Causes). With states who dont allow ANY CCW, and states like NJ where it's so restricted, it's an uphill battle to get any national CCW bill through. I think as SAF and NRA start the state to state Fight now that McDonald and Heller are on record, and of course, barring any Sea Change in SCOTUS, it's just a matter of time...and hopefully when it DOES happen Bryan Miller's head will explode LOL

 

Definitely an uphill battle. A lot of people (including federal and state legislatures) are going to have to get used to the fact that the Supreme Court has decided that 2A rights are extended to the states, and is a right of the people. Just like states can't restrict due process or freedom of speech. What they can do is slightly tweak within reason our exercise of our rights, such as processes, forms, administration, etc (like a permit to hold a rally in a park or public place with over so many people, and other "shall issue" types of things etc.

 

It's going to take a lot of effort to "reset" existing laws in states that do not already fall in line with the spirit of 2A rights, and that's what SAF and the various state pro-2A rights associations are doing right now. Sooner or later all the states will be on par without crossing the line of an outright denial of 2A rights, with a federal law or not. That is unless SCOTUS wants to make hypocrite out of itself....

What's the reasoning behind retired police officers carrying a gun anyway ?

People they arrested might come back to get them ? They can prevent crime ?

 

Sorry but I think everyone should be afforded the same right to personal protection.