Senate passes Honoring
Hometown Heroes Act
In another victory for the NAPO, the Senate
passed the Honoring Hometown Heroes Act by
unanimous consent on Nov. 28. NAPO is now work-
ing with House leadership to ensure that the bill
goes straight to the House floor for a vote.
The Honoring Hometown Heroes Act permits
the governor of a state or territory to lower the
American flag to half-staff in the tragic event that
a law enforcement officer, firefighter or public safety officer from
that jurisdiction dies in the line of duty. Currently, a governor can
only make this tribute for the death of a present or former govern-
ment official or a member of the Armed Forces who dies in combat.
This bill will ensure that first responders who make the ultimate
sacrifice while protecting their communities will also have the sim-
ple but meaningful honor of having the flag flown at half-staff in
their honor.
House passes Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Act
On Nov. 28, the House passed the Law Enforcement Mental
Health and Wellness Act by voice vote, moving one step closer to
getting this bill signed into law. NAPO is now working with Senate
Judiciary Committee leadership and the Senate Majority Leader’s
office to ensure the Senate swiftly takes up and passes this bill.
This legislation would help law enforcement agencies establish
or enhance mental health care services for their officers by making
grants available to initiate peer mentoring pilot programs, devel-
oping resources for mental health providers based on the specific
mental health challenges faced by law enforcement and supporting
law enforcement officers by studying the effectiveness of crisis ho-
tlines and annual mental health checks.
House passes Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act
On Dec. 6, the House passed the Concealed Car-
ry Reciprocity Act by a vote of 231-198. This bill
would make concealed carry permits valid across
state lines, no matter the individual state laws re-
garding concealed carry permits. This bill also in-
cludes a clarification to the Law Enforcement Of-
ficers Safety Act (LEOSA), which gives qualified active and retired
law enforcement officers the right to conceal carry in every state as
well as off-duty and retired law enforcement to conceal carry and
discharge a firearm in a school zone.
NAPO has not taken a position on the Concealed Carry Reci-
procity Act, but the organization openly supports individual, Sec-
ond Amendment rights for all law-abiding citizens obtaining CCW
permits according to the laws of their states. NAPO was one of the
primary supporters for LEOSA and continues to work to ensure all
qualified active and retired officers can effectively carry under the
law.
The bill passed also includes the Fix NICS Act that would ad-
dress National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS)
reporting failures by requiring federal agencies and states to cre-
ate NICS implementation plans and holding them accountable
to those plans. The bill would also incentivize federal agencies to
share all relevant information, including information on domestic
abusers, with NICS. It also reauthorizes key programs within NICS
that help ensure that individuals who are prohibited from possess-
ing a firearm are not able to obtain them illegally. d
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■ DECEMBER 2017