This bill allows House employees to bring self-defense weapons into House office buildings if they are legally authorized to carry them in D.C., store them in Capitol Police-operated lockers, and follow specific procedures.
W. Steube
Representative
FL-17
The "Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act" allows House employees to bring legal self-defense weapons into House office buildings, provided they store them in Capitol Police-operated lockers at external pedestrian entrances. The Capitol Police Board is required to install and manage these storage lockers within 180 days, enabling employees to comply with D.C. laws outside the buildings while adhering to Federal law inside. This act defines which weapons are covered and clarifies which buildings are included, excluding garages.
House Staff Can Now Bring Self-Defense Weapons to Work: Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act Requires Capitol Police to Install Lockers Within 180 Days
The "Safe Storage Lockers for House Office Buildings Act" is pretty straightforward: It lets House of Representatives employees—including interns and fellows—bring certain self-defense weapons into House office buildings, as long as they follow very specific rules.
Arming for the Commute
The core idea is to balance D.C. laws (which allow people to carry things like pepper spray, stun guns, and even concealed firearms in certain circumstances) with federal laws that say "no weapons" in federal buildings. The bill specifically mentions the high crime rate in D.C. (citing 3,469 violent crimes in 2024) as a big reason why House employees might want to protect themselves, especially those who walk to work. Section 1 of the bill lays this out.
Locker Room Rules
Here's how it works, according to Section 2 of the bill:
- Legal Eagles Only: The employee has to be legally allowed to carry the weapon under D.C. law outside the building.
- Straight In, Straight Out: They have to enter through an external pedestrian entrance (no sneaking in through the garage, which the bill specifically excludes in Section 4). They also have to grab their weapon and leave the building immediately after retrieving it.
- Locker Up: While they're inside, the weapon must be stored in a locker operated by the Capitol Police.
Section 3 requires the Capitol Police Board to get these lockers designed, installed, and running within 180 days of the bill's enactment. They're also in charge of making the rules about how the lockers are used. The weapons covered are those defined in D.C.'s Firearms Control Regulations Act of 1975, Sections 212, 101(17A), and 101(9). This includes self-defense sprays, stun guns, and certain firearms.
The Fine Print
This is where things could get interesting. While the bill aims to make House employees feel safer, it also puts a lot of responsibility on the Capitol Police. They're the ones who have to figure out the logistics of these lockers, make sure they're secure, and ensure everyone follows the rules. It also opens up questions about what happens if someone doesn't follow the rules. What if a weapon goes missing? What if someone uses a weapon inside the building, even with good intentions?
This bill also amends existing federal law (40 U.S.C. § 5104(e)(1)(A)) to create this exception for House employees.
It's a direct response to a real problem (crime in D.C.), but it also comes with a whole new set of potential challenges in terms of building security and the practicalities of managing potentially hundreds or thousands of employees who might choose to bring weapons to work.