Safe Students Act Eliminates Federal Gun-Free School Zones Law, Removing 1,000-Foot Restriction

The proposed Safe Students Act is short, but its impact is massive: it completely wipes out the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990. That’s the law that currently makes it a federal crime to knowingly possess a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.

Essentially, Section 2 of this new bill deletes the existing federal prohibition (specifically Section 922(q) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code). This bill isn't replacing the old law with a new regulation; it’s simply removing the federal restriction altogether. Because the main rule is gone, the bill also cleans up the U.S. Code by removing related definitions and renumbering penalty sections that referenced the now-deleted school zone prohibition. The core action here is straightforward: the federal government is stepping back from regulating firearms near schools.

The End of the 1,000-Foot Rule

For decades, the 1,000-foot perimeter around schools—whether K-12 or universities—was a federal no-go zone for firearms. This bill eliminates that specific federal safety buffer. If this bill passes, the question of whether you can carry a firearm near a school will fall entirely to state and local laws, not federal ones. For people living in states with already permissive gun laws, this change could mean a significant shift, potentially allowing legally permitted carriers to possess firearms much closer to, or even on, school property, depending on what local ordinances say.

Who Feels the Change?

This change directly affects everyone who works in or sends their kids to school. Think about a high school teacher in a state that allows concealed carry: currently, federal law provides a baseline restriction around their workplace. If the federal restriction is repealed, that teacher’s safety environment is now solely determined by their state legislature and local school board. If a state has no law restricting firearms near schools, the federal repeal means there is no remaining prohibition.

For parents, this means the federal layer of protection that restricted firearm possession near their children’s schools is gone. The responsibility for maintaining any such zone will now be entirely localized. This could lead to a patchwork of regulations across the country, where a school in one district has restrictions, and a school just across the county line does not, complicating compliance and enforcement.

The Real-World Impact on Safety

This bill is a clear win for those who oppose federal restrictions on firearm possession and believe that such regulations should be handled at the state level. However, for students, teachers, and staff, the removal of this federal law eliminates a key regulatory barrier intended to enhance safety. The primary concern here is the potential for an increased presence of firearms near educational institutions, which many view as inherently increasing risk. The bill’s effect is immediate and absolute: it removes the existing federal deterrent without proposing any replacement, leaving the safety perimeter around schools up for debate in every state and municipality.