[House Report 114-543]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 114-543
======================================================================
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SELF-DEFENSE AND PROTECTION ACT OF 2015
_______
May 10, 2016.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Goodlatte, from the Committee on the Judiciary, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 2137]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on the Judiciary, to whom was referred the
bill (H.R. 2137) to ensure Federal law enforcement officers
remain able to ensure their own safety, and the safety of their
families, during a covered furlough, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and
recommends that the bill do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 1
Background and Need for the Legislation.......................... 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 2
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 2
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures........................ 2
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................ 2
Duplication of Federal Programs.................................. 3
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 4
Performance Goals and Objectives................................. 4
Advisory on Earmarks............................................. 4
Section-by-Section Analysis...................................... 4
Purpose and Summary
H.R. 2137 grants covered Federal law enforcement officers
the same rights to carry a government-issued firearm during a
covered furlough as they had before such furlough was in
effect.
Background and Need for the Legislation
Because Federal law enforcement officers face potentially
dangerous situations on a daily basis whether on duty or off
duty, they are permitted to carry their government-issued
firearms on their persons even when they are not on duty.
However, during the 2013 government shutdown, at least three
Federal agencies forbid their law enforcement officers from
carrying their government-issued firearms or credentials during
the furlough. This decision potentially endangered these
officers' lives by putting them at an unnecessary risk.
Further, it prevented these highly trained officers from being
prepared to respond to a critical incident or threat.
The Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act
will ensure that officers are able to defend and protect
themselves on and off-duty by allowing all covered Federal law
enforcement officers to continue to carry their government-
issued firearms during a furlough or government shutdown.
Hearings
The Committee on the Judiciary held no hearings on H.R.
2137.
Committee Consideration
On April 27, 2016, the Committee met in open session and
ordered the bill H.R. 2137 favorably reported without
amendment, by voice vote, a quorum being present.
Committee Votes
In compliance with clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that there
were no recorded votes during the Committee's consideration of
H.R. 2137.
Committee Oversight Findings
In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee advises that the
findings and recommendations of the Committee, based on
oversight activities under clause 2(b)(1) of rule X of the
Rules of the House of Representatives, are incorporated in the
descriptive portions of this report.
New Budget Authority and Tax Expenditures
Clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives is inapplicable because this legislation does
not provide new budgetary authority or increased tax
expenditures.
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate
In compliance with clause 3(c)(3) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee sets forth, with
respect to the bill, H.R. 2137, the following estimate and
comparison prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office under section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974:
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, May 6, 2016.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte, Chairman,
Committee on the Judiciary,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 2137, the
``Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act of
2015.''
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark
Grabowicz, who can be reached at 226-2860.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall,
Director.
Enclosure
cc:
Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
Ranking Member
H.R. 2137--Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and Protection Act of
2015.
As ordered reported by the House Committee on the Judiciary
on April 27, 2016.
H.R. 2137 would authorize Federal law enforcement officers
to carry firearms during periods when they are subject to a
government furlough. CBO estimates that implementing the bill
would have no significant cost to the Federal Government.
Because enacting the legislation would not affect direct
spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 2137 would not increase
net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four
consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2027.
H.R. 2137 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and
would not affect the budgets of State, local, or tribal
governments.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz.
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
Duplication of Federal Programs
No provision of H.R. 2137 establishes or reauthorizes a
program of the Federal Government known to be duplicative of
another Federal program, a program that was included in any
report from the Government Accountability Office to Congress
pursuant to section 21 of Public Law 111-139, or a program
related to a program identified in the most recent Catalog of
Federal Domestic Assistance.
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings
The Committee estimates that H.R. 2137 specifically directs
to be completed no specific rule makings within the meaning of
5 U.S.C. Sec. 551.
Performance Goals and Objectives
The Committee states that pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, H.R.
2137 grants covered Federal law enforcement officers the same
rights to carry a government-issued firearm during a covered
furlough as they had before such furlough was in effect.
Advisory on Earmarks
In accordance with clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H.R. 2137 does not contain any
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of Rule XXI.
Section-by-Section Analysis
The following discussion describes the bill as reported by
the Committee.
Section 1. Short Title. This section cites the short title
of the bill as the ``Federal Law Enforcement Self-Defense and
Protection Act of 2015.''
Section 2. Findings. This section lists the congressional
findings.
Section 3. Definitions. This section defines: (1) ``covered
Federal law enforcement officer'' to mean any agency employee
who has the authority to make arrests or apprehensions for or
prosecute violations of Federal law and who, on the day before
the applicable covered furlough begins, is authorized by the
agency to carry a firearm in the course of official duties; and
(2) ``covered furlough'' to mean a planned event by an agency
during which employees are involuntarily furloughed due to
downsizing, reduced funding, lack of work, or any budget
situation, including a lapse in appropriations.
Section 4. Protecting Federal law enforcement officers who
are subjected to a covered furlough. This section grants
covered Federal law enforcement officers the same rights to
carry a government-issued firearm during a covered furlough as
they had before such furlough was in effect.