Important Updated Information on H.R. 218

This message is being distributed to avoid confusion regarding the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) of 2004 (also known as H.R. 218 and Public Law No. 108-277) and the authority to possess a weapon aboard commercial aircraft.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has reported recent occurrences of retired Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) attempting to transit airport security checkpoints while in possession of a firearm.  Based on conversations with these retired LEOs, the majority of these instances were caused by their belief that LEOSA entitled retired law enforcement officers to carry a firearm while traveling by commercial aircraft.
 
The federal regulation which governs carriage of accessible weapons is 49 C.F.R. §1544.219, (Carriage of accessible weapons) and includes no provision for retired law enforcement personnel.   LEOSA amends the Gun Control Act to exempt qualified active and retired law enforcement officers from State and local laws prohibiting the carriage of concealed firearms.  While 18 USC§ 44.926(b) gives qualified individual’s greater latitude when carrying a concealed firearm, it does not permit those otherwise eligible to carry a firearm in the passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft.