Sponsors
The bill creates a regulated locker system and clearer rules to allow legally authorized House personnel to store personal defensive weapons—likely reducing on‑premises carrying and legal confusion—but it raises taxpayer costs, cross‑jurisdictional complexity, and safety and liberty concerns because it increases the presence of weapons on Capitol Grounds.
House employees (including interns and fellows) can securely store personal self-defense weapons in U.S. Capitol Police lockers at building entrances, reducing the need to carry weapons through office spaces and likely lowering on‑premises firearm incidents.
Law enforcement and House staff gain clear regulatory authority and procedures for a weapon‑storage system, improving oversight, consistency of enforcement, and reducing legal confusion about carrying inside House office buildings.
House employees who are legally authorized under D.C. carry laws get a clarified, lawful mechanism to store and access personal defensive devices while on duty, tying locker privileges to local authorization and encouraging legal compliance.
Taxpayers may face increased costs to design, install, staff, secure, and operate locker systems managed by the U.S. Capitol Police across multiple buildings.
House employees, visitors, and staff face higher overall risks because allowing weapons onto Capitol Grounds (even when stored in lockers) increases the presence of guns and raises the possibility of theft, unauthorized access, or misuse.
Employees licensed in other jurisdictions and employers may face legal complexity and confusion because tying locker privileges to D.C. carry authorizations limits who can use the policy and creates cross‑jurisdictional uncertainty.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 27, 2025 by W. Greg Steube · Last progress February 27, 2025
Allows House employees (including interns and fellows assigned to House offices) who are legally permitted under D.C. law to carry certain self-defense items to bring those items to House office buildings only if they deposit them in Capitol Police–operated storage lockers at external pedestrian entrances and leave them there while inside. The Capitol Police Board must design, install, and operate those lockers at each House office building within 180 days and issue implementing regulations; the bill also adds an explicit statutory exception to existing rules that otherwise prohibit weapons on Capitol grounds for this locker program.