What This Bill Does
This bill requires the federal government to provide secure storage facilities for firearms that federal judges, justices and administrative judges lawfully own. The storage facilities must be located at judges' official workplaces.
Who It Affects
Federal judges and justices, administrative judges (including administrative law judges), the General Services Administration (a federal agency that manages government buildings and property), and individual federal agencies that employ administrative judges.
Key Provisions
• The Administrator of General Services must provide a secure firearms storage facility at each federal judge's and justice's official duty station upon request of the Director (Sec. 2)
• Each federal agency employing an administrative judge must provide a secure firearms storage facility at that judge's main duty station (Sec. 3)
What Changes
Federal judges, justices and administrative judges gain access to secure storage facilities for lawfully owned firearms at their workplaces. The General Services Administration and federal agencies gain new responsibilities to establish and maintain these storage facilities.
Important Definitions
"Secure firearms storage facility" is not explicitly defined in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 771
To amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the secure storage
of a licensed firearm possessed by a Federal judge, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 2, 2023
Mr. COLE (for himself, Mr. HUDSON, Mr. CARTER of Texas, Mr. HERN, Mr.
MCHENRY, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. LUCAS, Ms. TENNEY, Mr. KELLY of
Pennsylvania, and Mr. JACKSON of Texas) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition
to the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend title 28, United States Code, to provide for the
secure storage of a licensed firearm possessed by a Fed-
eral judge, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Firearm Lockbox Pro-
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tection Act of 2023’’.
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•HR 771 IH
SEC. 2. PROVISION OF SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE FOR
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FEDERAL JUDGES.
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Section 462 of title 28, United States Code, is
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amended by adding at the end the following:
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‘‘(g) Upon request of the Director, the Administrator
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of General Services is authorized and directed to provide,
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at the official duty station of each judge or justice, a se-
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cure firearms storage facility for any firearm lawfully pos-
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sessed by that judge or justice.’’.
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SEC. 3. PROVISION OF SECURE FIREARMS STORAGE FOR
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ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGES.
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Each agency that employs an administrative judge
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(including any administrative law judge appointed under
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section 3105 of title 5, United States Code) shall provide,
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at the principal duty station of that judge, a secure fire-
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arms facility for any firearm lawfully possessed by that
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judge.
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Æ
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