Improvements to the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act


The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 delineated the national off-duty concealed firearms carry rights and requirements for active sworn, and retired, law enforcement officers. Senate S.1132 and House H.R. 3752 were bills introduced in 2009 to amend the original LEOSA and make needed improvements.

Becoming Public Law No. 111-272 on 10/12/2010, the following changes to LEOSA went into effect:
•More clearly defines disciplinary action in LEOSA’s language to be discipline “which could result in the loss of police powers.”
•Retired officers are now referred to as “separated from service in good standing.” It lowers their required years of service to 10 years, eliminates the “nonforfeitable” pension or benefit requirement, and eases firearms qualifications to those standard by agency, state, or state certified instructor of LEO’s.

LEOSA
•Includes the carry of ammunition “not expressly prohibited by Federal law or subject to the provisions of the National Firearms Act.” Federally legal ammunition, such as hollow-point bullets, can be carried where state law would normally prohibit it (i.e. New Jersey).

Translation: LEOSA-licensed individuals may have so-called hollow-points loaded in their firearms in New Jersey (or NY, Mass...wherever).