SB 555

Under current law, a law enforcement officer or a former law enforcement

officer may go armed with (carry) a concealed weapon if he or she has a license issued

by the Department of Justice or if he or she carries a photographic identification

issued by the law enforcement agency that employs or, in the case of a former law

enforcement officer, employed, him or her and meets other qualifications such as

meeting any standards established by the agency to carry a firearm, not being under

the influence of an intoxicant, and not carrying a machine gun or a firearm silencer.

Federal law explicitly preempts any state law prohibiting a qualified law

enforcement officer or a qualified former law enforcement officer from carrying a

concealed firearm, but federal law allows a state to permit private persons to prohibit

the possession of concealed firearms on their property and to prohibit firearms on

any state or local government property, installation, building, base, or park. Current

state law prohibits a licensee from carrying a firearm on school grounds and on

certain posted private properties. This bill exempts from these prohibitions law

enforcement officers who are acting in their official capacity (who are currently

exempt only from the prohibition against carrying on school grounds); qualified law

enforcement officers, without regard to whether they are on duty; and qualified

former law enforcement officers.